This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
How to make Crispy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries. All the tips and tricks for making delicious, healthy and truly crispy sweet potato fries at home! These make a great appetizer or snack, or as a side dish for your favorite burger!
I absolutely LOVE sweet potato fries. The natural sweetness, the satisfying crispy exterior and fluffy interior – dipping them in some ketchup or BBQ sauce. And although I love French fries of ALL kinds, I didn’t know if it would be possible to make them at home without deep frying them. After all, I am not a fan of the mess that deep frying makes. I would much rather use an easy to clean baking sheet and my oven. Imagine how happy I was when I found out that yes, you CAN make crispy sweet potato fries in your oven!
Why are my sweet potato fries not crispy?
The most common reason that homemade sweet potato fries are not crispy is that they are too thick. Be sure to cut sweet potatoes into thin, evenly sized sticks for ultimate crispiness. I cut mine into 1/4 inch thick sticks.
How to cut sweet potato fries
Sweet potatoes can seem tricky to cut, but with this method they can be sliced into fries in no time.
- Start by peeling your sweet potato. I swear by this vegetable peeler, I love it so much that I have two of them!
- Cut the sweet potato in half, then cut each side in half again, lengthwise. The will give each piece a flat base to make cutting easier.
- Cut each piece into 1/4 inch thick planks.
- Then, lay the planks on their side and cut them into 1/4 inch thick sticks. Trim off any thin parts as they will just burn in the oven.
The secret ingredient for crispy oven baked sweet potato fries
What is the super secret ingredient I use for super crispy sweet potato fries? Cornstarch! I learned about this many years ago from a food blog that I can no longer find (Oh those early Pinterest days!). Why does cornstarch make the fries crispy? Because it absorbs excess moisture which would otherwise make your sweet potato fries steam instead of crisp.
The other ingredient I used here is avocado oil as my cooking oil. I used to use olive oil, but avocado oil can be heated to a higher temperature without burning. So use avocado oil if you can!
What Temperature Should I bake sweet Potato Fries at?
The second reason is that they are undercooked, or cooked at a temperature that is too low. You want enough heat to get them nice and crispy without burning them. The best temperature to bake sweet potato fries at is 425 degrees F.
How long to bake Sweet Potato Fries at 425 F?
When baking sweet potato fries in the oven, the amount of time they will take depends on how thick they are. If you have cut the sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch thick sticks, they should take about 40 minutes in the oven at 425 degrees. Keep an eye on them as all ovens are different and they may be done sooner. Be sure to flip them over halfway through cooking to get them as crispy as possible. It is best if they are cut to an even thickness, otherwise the areas that are thinner might start to burn before the thicker parts are cooked.
More Recipes you will Love
Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potato 1 large or 2-3 medium
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper, set aside.
- Peel sweet potato and slice into 1/4 inch thick sticks.
- Place sweet potato fries in a bowl and add cornstarch, toss to fully coat. Add oil, spices and salt, toss again to fully coat.
- Spread fries in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet, making sure none are touching. Use two baking sheets if necessary so that fries have adequate space and are not overcrowded.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then use a metal spatula to flip fries and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until fries are crispy and starting to brown.
- Season with more salt if necessary, and serve right away with desired dipping sauces.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase the items I recommend through the links I provide, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, please see my disclosure policy. Thanks for supporting Fox and Briar!
Can these be done in an air fryer? My oven has died on me!
Hi, I think that would be fine!
Can you use vegetable or olive oil for this dish.
Yes, just keep in mind that olive oil has a lower smoke point.
Nice post