Crispy outside and tender inside, this baked Sweet and Smoky Sweet Potato Fries recipe is a flavorful, delicious, and healthy side dish for just about anything.
One of the best thing about sweet potato fries is that everyone seems to love them - picky eaters included!
The trick is to serve them with whatever your crowd likes for dipping. Honey cinnamon drizzle if you're with the sweet side. Garlic aioli is a good savory option. Or you do go with a classic, ketchup, for the kid in all of us.
My personal favorite condiment for these fries is a quick and easy creamy garlic rosemary dip!
The beauty of sweet potato fries isn't just in the fact that they're loaded with nutrition. It's also because they're absolutely delicious paired with just about anything from grilled ribeye to roast chicken, salmon, or burgers. You can't go wrong!
The Best Sweet and Smoky Sweet Potato Fries
The natural earthy sweetness of sweet potato is enhanced when you roast it. This makes sweet potatoes perfect for making into fries!
Smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper create a sweet and smoky flavor profile, and a little fresh rosemary sprinkled on at the end adds depth and really takes these to the next level.
There’s a trick to getting these sweet potato fries crispy: cornstarch! Toss the sliced sweet potato with cornstarch and spices before baking. The cornstarch will help absorb the moisture and yield crispy fries.
Sweet Potato Fries Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes
- Cornstarch
- Coarse kosher salt
- Smoked paprika
- Cinnamon
- Black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh rosemary
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Prep the Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400F.
To a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag, add the sliced sweet potato, cornstarch, salt, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and black pepper. Seal the bag and toss to coat.
Step 2: Cook
Drizzle half of the olive oil on the bottom of a large baking tray. Spread the fries out evenly on the tray (it’s ok if they’re close). Drizzle the remaining half of the olive oil on top.
Roast for 25 minutes, and then remove from the oven, flip the fries, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes more, depending on how crispy you like them.
Variations on Sweet Potato Fries
- Cinnamon sugar. Amp up the natural sweetness of sweet potato and add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar.
- Honey butter. Instead of serving these with a savory garlicky dip, serve them with honey butter! Simply melt 3 tablespoons of salted butter with 3 tablespoons of honey.
- Turn up the savory flavor. Add ¾ teaspoon of onion powder, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of cumin.
What to Serve for Dipping
These fries are flavorful and delicious on their own, but if you’re a condiment lover like me, go ahead and dip!
Here are a few dip ideas:
- Honey mustard
- Ketchup
- Sriracha mayo
- Honey butter
- And of course this Creamy Garlic Rosemary Dip!
Tips
- Don’t skip tossing the sliced sweet potato with the cornstarch and spices in a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag! It’s much easier to coat every potato this way.
- I find that the easiest way to flip sweet potato fries is to let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, and then use a thin metal spatula to flip them. Then return them to the oven to finish cooking.
- Reheat sweet potato fries in a preheated 350F oven until warm, or in an air fryer at 350F for about 5 minutes.
Sweet Potato Fries FAQs
Do You Need to Soak Sweet Potato Before Making Fries?
No! To help yield crispy fries, you can soak the sliced sweet potato in cold water for about an hour before roasting. This helps remove some of the starch that’s naturally in sweet potatoes, and it does help create super crisp sweet potatoes.
This step isn’t necessary to get crispy fries, but if you have the time to soak them, go ahead and do so. Just be sure to drain the sweet potato slices and pat them dry before mixing them with the cornstarch and spices.
Do You Need Cornstarch for Sweet Potato Fries?
No! Cornstarch helps absorb the moisture and make sweet potato fries crispy, but you don’t need cornstarch (also called corn flour). Arrowroot starch works just as well.
If you don’t want to use cornstarch or arrowroot starch, you can roast your fries a little longer to get them crispier.
How Do I Make Crispy Sweet Potato Fries?
Here are a few tips to help you get the crispiest sweet fries:
- After cutting, soak the sweet potato in cold water for 1 hour.
- Don’t skip the cornstarch! Or you could use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch.
- Roast them for a little longer, but keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
What Do You Serve with Sweet Potato Fries?
One of the best things about this side dish is that you can pair it with just about anything! Here are a few ideas:
More Delicious Side Dish Recipes to Try
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Sweet and Smoky Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
Sweet and Smoky Sweet Potato Fries:
- 2 medium-large sweet potatoes sliced into fries
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
Creamy Garlic Rosemary Dip (see Notes for vegan version):
- 5 tablespoons plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For the Sweet and Smoky Sweet Potato Fries:
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- To a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag, add the sliced sweet potato, cornstarch, salt, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and black pepper. Seal the bag and toss to coat.
- Drizzle half of the olive oil on the bottom of a large baking tray. Spread the fries out evenly on the tray (it’s ok if they’re close). Drizzle the remaining half of the olive oil on top.
- Roast for 25 minutes, and then remove from the oven, flip the fries, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes more, depending on how crispy you like them.
- Sprinkle the rosemary on top.
- Serve warm along with the Creamy Garlic and Rosemary Dip for dipping.
For the Creamy Garlic and Rosemary Dip:
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and stir to combine.
- Chill until using, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Faith's Tips
- Cornstarch Substitute: Instead of cornstarch, you could use 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or arrowroot starch.
- Vegan Version of the Creamy Garlic and Rosemary Dip: Instead of Greek yogurt use vegan mayo and instead of heavy whipping cream use canned unsweetened full-fat coconut milk.
- Reheating: Reheat sweet potato fries in a preheated 350F oven until warm, or in an air fryer at 350F for about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Sue Ritchie says
What temperature and how long do you bake these sweet potatoes strips?
Faith says
Sue, Thanks so much for your comment! Like the recipe says, they bake at 400F. Roast for 25 minutes, and then remove from the oven, flip the fries, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes more, depending on how crispy you like them.
Thomas Scruggs says
This is the perfect dinner for me. I'm ninety one and still kicking, living healthy. I'm an ole military pilot and there were times back then I'd have wished to have a meal like this one