Name: The Crispiest Sweet Potato Fries – Plain or Spicy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 lb sweet potatoes (approximately 2 large or 3 medium potatoes); 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoon potato or cornstarch SEE NOTE; SOUTHERN-STYLE SPICY; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional); Salt and pepper to taste (don’t add until you take the fries out of the oven); CUBAN STYLE; 1 teaspoon oregano; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; 1 teaspoon cumin; ½ teaspoon garlic; ½ teaspoon onion; Salt and pepper to taste (don’t add until you take the fries out of the oven)

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Make crispy and spicy sweet potato fries at home with just a few simple steps. They go great with burgers , ribz , or vegan fried chik’n.

This recipe was originally published on June 6, 2014 and updated on August 14, 2019.

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Hi there! We’re Linda and Alex, the mother daughter duo and creators of Veganosity. Thanks for visiting us, we’re so happy you’re here. If you’re looking for Southern inspired vegan comfort food recipes, you’ve come to the right place.

We love vegan comfort food and we’re really good at making it. Take a tour through our site and you’ll find all of the recipes that scream, stretchy pants required!

The good news, they’re all plant-based recipes, so you don’t need to feel guilty eating them. Now sit back, relax, and eat happy. 🙂

Also, in case you didn't know, we're published cookbook authors. We've written two vegan cookbooks that will help you make amazing vegan BBQ (you don't even need a grill) and everyday meals, from breakfast to dessert.

Click on the titles to check them out. GREAT VEGAN BBQ WITHOUT A GRILL and THE ULTIMATE VEGAN COOKBOOK.

CRISPY OVEN-BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

Let’s be real, it’s not easy to get truly crispy oven-baked fries.

They generally turn out softer than we’d like, and although they’re good enough, they’re not always great.

Until now, because we’ve discovered the secret to crispy oven roasted sweet potato fries. Starch.

Yep, it’s that simple. Toss the raw potato wedges in potato or corn starch before you coat them in oil, and BAM, you’re going to get the crispiest fries you’ve ever had from the oven.

So how did we figure this super nifty trick out? We read the ingredients from the bags of ready-made fries.

What was the one ingredient that was a common link? Rice flour or corn starch.

Once we figured that out, we got to work testing out different types of starches in the Veganosity kitchen.

Guess what? It works!! Toss the potatoes with some starch, then a light coating of oil and roast at a high temperature, and in about 30 minutes you’ll have crispy oven-baked sweet potato fries.

WHAT TYPE OF STARCH WORKS BEST FOR MAKING CRISPY FRIES?

We tested several starches and we found that potato starch works best if you want to make crispy sweet potato fries without cornstarch.

This shouldn’t be a surprise, because it’s made from potatoes.

We’re not sure if that’s why it works best, but we really like it.

You can also use rice starch, corn starch, or tapioca starch.

HOW TO CUT SWEET POTATO FRIES

You can peel or leave the skin on the potatoes. For extra nutrients, leave them on!
Cut the potato in half lengthwise.
Lay the flat side of one half down and slice even pieces. Some may look wider, but as long as they’re the same thickness, it’s fine.
Now do the same with the other half.

SWEET POTATO HEALTH BENEFITS AND SWEET POTATO SKIN BENEFITS

Sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest foods you can eat if you’re looking to get a good dose of beta-carotene.

Depending on the portion size you eat, you can get anywhere from 35 to 90% of your daily vitamin A requirement.

The potato skins are also filled with nutrients and can be cooked and eaten, especially if you’re making fries.

Did you know that if you want to get all of the benefits of sweet potato, you should consume it with some healthy fat?

It seems that if you include 3-5 grams of fat with a sweet potato it increases the amount of beta-carotene you'll get.

So don’t be afraid of the small amount of olive oil in this recipe because it will only help you increase the amount of beta-carotene you absorb.

Click HERE to learn more about this healthy vegetable.

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY SWEET POTATO FRIES

You can skip the spices in this recipe and just add salt, but we recommend adding the spices.

We’re giving you two ways to spice up these fries. The first is with a Cuban spice blend and the second is a Southern-style spice blend.

Sazon spice is a warm and savory spice blend made up of cumin, oregano, garlic, onion, parsley, and salt and pepper.

It’s a lovely combination of savory and warm herbs and spices that go wonderfully with the sweetness of the potato.

Our Southern-style spice blend is reminiscent of our Homeade BBQ Sauce.

In this spice blend you’ll find cumin, smoked paprika, onion, garlic, cayenne, and salt and pepper.

The sweetness of the potato and the heat and savory flavors from the spices make a great combination.

You can make a batch without spices, a batch of Cuban spiced, or our spicy Southern blend, all three are delicious.

STEP ONE

Cut the sweet potatoes into fries or wedges.

STEP TWO

Whisk the spices and potato (or corn) starch together in a large bowl until they’re completely combined.

Or, put them in a large Ziploc bag.

STEP THREE

Toss the potatoes into the spice and starch mix and toss or shake them until the potatoes are completely covered.

Now add the oil and toss or shake again until the potatoes are coated with the oil.

STEP FOUR

Place the potatoes on a parchment lined (makes for an easier clean up) baking sheet. Make sure that they have a bit of room and aren’t stacked on top of one another.

Roast for 15 minutes and then flip and roast for another 15 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and crispy.

Take them out of the oven and add salt to taste. They will get even crispier if you let them cool for five minutes!

Raw sweet potato fries on a baking sheet with spices sprinkled on top.

Sweet potato fries with spices on a baking sheet.

Crispy sweet potato fries on a baking sheet.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE CRISPIEST SWEET POTATO FRIES

Use potato starch to get them super crispy. You can also use corn, rice, or tapioca starch.
Make sure that the potato fries are coated in the starch and then in a bit of oil.
Don’t put too many fries on the baking sheet. Leave a bit of room between them so they don’t steam.
Make sure the oven is completely preheated and hot before putting the fries in the oven.
Flip them in the middle of roasting. One flip is all you’ll need to do.
Salt the fries as soon as you remove them from the oven and let them cool for five minutes.

SWEET POTATO FRY DIPPING SAUCE

We love dipping our fries in the following dipping sauces:

Homemade BBQ Sauce - our favorite dipping sauce.

The Ultimate 5 Ingredient Vegan Cheese Sauce – because who doesn’t love cheesy fries?

Vegan Buttermilk Ranch Dressing - the fresh herbs and tangy dressing are great with the spicy fries.

Creamy Vegan Caesar Dressing – perfectly tangy and it complements the heat so well.

HERE ARE MORE TASTY SWEET POTATO RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE

Homemade Vegan Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas.

Sweet Potato Noodle Salad with Sriracha Lime Peanut Sauce

Savory Roasted Sweet Potato and Beet Gallette

Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Bisque

Make this Spicy and Crispy Sweet Potato Fries recipe and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.

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The Crispiest Sweet Potato Fries - Plain or Spicy