These Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries are perfectly seasoned, full of flavor, and so easy to make! Healthier than deep-fried, these deliciously crispy sweet potato fries are slightly sweet, a little salty, and my go-to recipe anytime I’m craving restaurant-quality fries from the comfort of my own home.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
You guys, I just love sweet potatoes. Super versatile and incredibly healthy, my favorite way to enjoy these bright orange tubers is in crispy fry form.
Extra crispy, sweet, salty, savory, and perfect for dipping, these sweet potato fries are the best.
Incredibly easy to make right at home, all you need are a handful of ingredients like sweet potatoes, cornstarch, olive oil, and simple seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, and pepper.
Still not sure? You may also enjoy making sweet potato fries in the air fryer.
How to Bake Sweet Potato Fries
1. Preheat the oven and prepare the sweet potatoes:
For perfect baked sweet potato fries, we want to bake them at a high oven temperature. So, preheat your oven to 425 degrees f and place the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven (careful that the upper rack is at least 6-inches from the heat source).
Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Wash the sweet potatoes and dry them completely then cut them into thin strips about 1/4-inch thick.
2. Coat in cornstarch and seasoning:
Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with cornstarch (2 teaspoons per pan), salt (1 teaspoon per pan), onion powder, garlic powder, and sweet paprika (1/2 teaspoon per pan each). Toss to coat. Drizzle with a little olive oil and continue to combine until evenly coated.
Arrange the sweet potato fries in a single, non-overlapping layer. Leave space between each fry otherwise, they will not crisp.
3. Bake:
Bake for 15 minutes, remove the baking sheets from the oven and flip the fries with a metal spatula. Place back in the oven, swapping the positions of the trays in the oven.
Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden, crispy, and starting to brown around the edges.
Season with additional salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper, if desired. Serve with your favorite dips and sauces (more ideas below).
Favorite Seasonings for Fries
Sweet potato fries, unlike regular french fries, are pretty delicious without a whole lot of extra seasoning. Usually, I’ll add a simple combination of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and serve them with dipping sauces like homemade ranch dressing, ketchup, or spicy Sriracha ranch.
That said, I’ve had great success with other seasoning combinations including one or more of the following:
- Cajun Seasoning
- Taco Seasoning
- Italian Seasoning
- Cayenne
- Chili powder
- Parmesan cheese
- Cumin or Curry powder
- Ground cinnamon or nutmeg
How to Make Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
- Always dry your sweet potatoes completely after washing. If you choose to leave the skin on your sweet potatoes (like I did), you’ll need to wash and scrub your potatoes before slicing. The problem is this – if you don’t dry your potatoes thoroughly, that leftover moisture will cause your fries to steam, not crisp. So, dry your sweet potatoes for the best results.
- Coat with cornstarch. Just as important as drying your potatoes, coating your sweet potato fries with cornstarch is the secret to these crispy baked sweet potato fries.
- No crowding. In order to crisp, you will (likely) need two baking sheets in order to have enough room to leave space between each fry.
- Flip your fries. Flipping your sweet potato fries mid-way through baking ensures that they crisp on all sides. It’s an annoying step, but worth the effort.
Tips and Tricks
- Can you peel the sweet potatoes for fries? I prefer not to peel my sweet potatoes. This is a personal preference. If you prefer to peel yours, go for it. Simply peel your potatoes and follow the instructions as written.
- To ensure that your fires cook evenly, cut them into similarly sized pieces and bake them in an even layer (no overlapping).
- Toss your sweet potatoes in a large bowl or directly on the baking sheet.
- You know your fries are nearly done when they start to change from shiny to matte, spotted with brown spots with a puffed-up texture. Be careful, though, as they can quickly change from perfectly crispy to burnt and charred quite quickly.
How to Store Leftover Sweet Potato Fries
Total truth? Baked fries are best served right out of the oven. I mean, I’m pretty sure all fries – baked and fried – are best right away. Leftovers, however, store well in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. For best results, reheat your sweet potato fries in the microwave at 30-second intervals or re-crisp by toasting in the oven or toaster oven.
Have you tried making Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries?
Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts. And tag me #theforkedspoon on Instagram if you’ve made any of my recipes, I always love to see what you’re cooking in the kitchen.
Perfect Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium-large sweet potatoes ((approximately 2.5 pounds))
- 4 teaspoon cornstarch (divided)
- 2 teaspoon salt (divided)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (divided)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (divided)
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (divided)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven (careful that the upper rack is at least 6-inches from the heat source). Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Thoroughly wash and scrub your sweet potatoes using a vegetable brush in cold water and dry completely. Cut into thin fry-shaped pieces, about 1/4" wide and 1/4" thick. Transfer half of the fries to one baking sheet and the rest of the fries to the other baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with cornstarch (2 teaspoons per pan), salt (1 teaspoon per pan), onion powder, garlic powder, and sweet paprika (1/2 teaspoon per pan each). Toss to coat. Drizzle the fries with olive oil and continue to toss until all fries are evenly coated in spices and oil.
- Arrange the sweet potato fries in a single layer on your prepared baking sheets. Leave space between each fry otherwise, they will not crisp.
- Transfer baking sheets to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the fries using a metal spatula, rearrange back in a single layer and return the baking sheets back to the oven, swapping their positions. Continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until fries are golden, crispy, and just starting to brown around the edges.
- Season with additional salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper, if desired. Serve with your favorite dips and sauces like creamy ranch dressing.
Jessica’s Notes
- I prefer not to peel my sweet potatoes. This is a personal preference. If you prefer to peel yours, go for it! Simply follow the instructions as written.
- To ensure that your fires cook evenly, cut them into similarly sized pieces and bake in an even layer (no overlapping).
- Toss your sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl or directly on the baking sheet.
- You know your fries are nearly done when they start to change from shiny to a matte puffed-up texture. Be careful, though, as they can quickly change from perfectly crispy to burnt and charred quite quickly.
- Storage: These fries are best served right out of the oven. Leftovers store well in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave at 30-second intervals or re-crisp by toasting in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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