Fries Without the Fry
By Jessica Randhawa
Super versatile and incredibly healthy, these delicious, easy-to-make sweet potato fries are baked, not fried. While I love to enjoy them with simple seasonings, sometimes it’s fun to mix things up and customize them using different flavors. Favorites include Cajun or taco seasoning, cayenne or chili powder, Parmesan, and cumin or curry powder.
Perfect Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
3 medium-large sweet potatoes
(approximately 2.5 pounds)
4 tsp. cornstarch, divided
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. onion powder, divided
1 tsp. garlic powder, divided
1 tsp. sweet paprika, divided
3 tbsp. olive oil
Serves: 6
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. (Make sure that the upper rack is at least 6 inches from the heat source.) Line 2 large-rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Using a vegetable brush, thoroughly wash and scrub your sweet potatoes in cold water. 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.
3. 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 each per pan). Toss to coat. Drizzle the fries with olive oil and continue to toss until all fries are evenly coated in spices and oil.
4. Arrange the sweet potato fries in a single layer on your prepared baking sheets. Leave space between each fry, otherwise they will not crisp.
5. 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.
6. Season with additional salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper, if desired. Serve with your favorite dips and sauces.
Note: I prefer not to peel my sweet potatoes. If you prefer to peel yours, go for it!
Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, recipe creator, photographer, and writer behind the Forked Spoon (theforkedspoon.com), a blog that features family-friendly recipes for the everyday cook.
Super versatile and incredibly healthy, these delicious, easy-to-make sweet potato fries are baked, not fried. While I love to enjoy them with simple seasonings, sometimes it’s fun to mix things up and customize them using different flavors. Favorites include Cajun or taco seasoning, cayenne or chili powder, Parmesan, and cumin or curry powder.
Perfect Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
3 medium-large sweet potatoes
(approximately 2.5 pounds)
4 tsp. cornstarch, divided
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. onion powder, divided
1 tsp. garlic powder, divided
1 tsp. sweet paprika, divided
3 tbsp. olive oil
Serves: 6
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. (Make sure that the upper rack is at least 6 inches from the heat source.) Line 2 large-rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Using a vegetable brush, thoroughly wash and scrub your sweet potatoes in cold water. 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.
3. 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 each per pan). Toss to coat. Drizzle the fries with olive oil and continue to toss until all fries are evenly coated in spices and oil.
4. Arrange the sweet potato fries in a single layer on your prepared baking sheets. Leave space between each fry, otherwise they will not crisp.
5. 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.
6. Season with additional salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper, if desired. Serve with your favorite dips and sauces.
Note: I prefer not to peel my sweet potatoes. If you prefer to peel yours, go for it!
Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, recipe creator, photographer, and writer behind the Forked Spoon (theforkedspoon.com), a blog that features family-friendly recipes for the everyday cook.
