French fries are a near-perfect food. It's hard to improve upon perfect, but when we're talking sweet potato fries, the old classic may have found its rival.
They're a little sweet, plus they offer plenty of vitamin A and beta carotene—something a french fry doesn't. However, none of that matters if they're swimming in fat and calories, which is an unfortunate reality for most things fried. At a restaurant, a small order of deep-fried sweet potato fries can set you back 260 calories and 13 grams of fat.
Luckily, making your own crispy sweet potato fries is easy to do in your oven. That means you don't need a deep fryer. You'll save 122 calories and 11 g of fat per serving when you "fry" them in your oven instead. Here are the best tips for making perfect crispy sweet potato fries.
Whether you cut your fries into sticks or wedges, the pieces need to be the same size. This ensures that the fries cook at the same rate. Remember: You're cooking at 450°F—that's high heat. If you cut the pieces too big, they'll be overdone on the outside and underdone on the inside. If you're going for the classic "fry" shape, 1/4-inch-thick matchstick slices work. A medium sweet potato cut lengthwise into eight wedges works well too.
2. Coat the Fries with Oil (But Not Too Much)
To successfully oven-fry, you still need to use oil—just not as much as you'd need to fill a deep fryer. About 2 teaspoons of canola oil should be enough to coat one medium sweet potato cut into fries or wedges. Toss your oil and sweet potato pieces in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix them together to distribute the oil more effectively. This is also a good time to add seasoning since the oil will help it stick evenly to the food. And while you're at it, a little oil or cooking spray on your baking sheet is a good idea to prevent the fries from sticking. Cooking spray will give you the best coverage using the least amount of oil.
Salt is a must for seasoning fries (don't go overboard—about 1/4 teaspoon is enough for one medium sweet potato), but you don't have to stop there! Paprika is a nice mild spice to add to sweet potatoes—and it looks pretty too. Garlic powder makes them extra savory, and if you like a little kick, chili powder is a great addition. Just make sure that whatever spice you add doesn't contain added salt. If it does, adjust the amount of salt accordingly.
4. Don't Overcrowd Your Baking Sheet
The secret to crispy (instead of soggy) sweet potato fries is to spread them out in an even layer with enough room so that they don't touch. This is especially important if you're making a big batch of fries. Instead of just piling more onto one baking pan, spread them out over two baking pans or cook them in batches. If they're all crammed into one pan, they'll steam instead of bake, and you'll end up with soggy fries.
We tend to cook most things on the middle oven rack, but sweet potato fries cook best above the middle position, farther away from the heat source. Since sweet potatoes are, well, sweet, the sugars tend to "caramelize," or brown, more quickly than a regular potato. A little caramelization is a good thing—but too much and you'll get burning instead. Moving sweet potato fries higher up in the oven slows the caramelization process. If you're making two baking sheets' worth at once, position one oven rack in the middle and one above. Be sure to switch the pans' positions during baking and also to stir all the fries at least once so they cook evenly.
If you don't evenly space your sweet potatoes so they aren't touching, they will not turn out as well. They need the air flow between them to maximize crisp, and any surfaces that are touching won't get the air they need. Halfway through the cook time, take a minute or two and flip them all with tongs.
The secret to crispy (instead of soggy) sweet potato fries is to spread them out in an even layer with enough room so that they don't touch. This is especially important if you're making a big batch of fries. Instead of just piling more onto one baking pan, spread them out over two baking pans or cook them in batches.
Fries / Tots / Brussels: Heat oven to 350F. Spray or lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Remove your side from its container and spread evenly across a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes and remove.
Keep the oven shut as much as possible to reach cooking temperature faster. Use a perforated sheet tray. This helps hot air circulate more easily among the fries, increasing crispness. Don't thaw your fries before baking.
Blanching. Another restaurant trick is to blanch the fries in water, then freeze them, which allows more of the potato's moisture to escape, thus producing a crispier fry.
Sweet potato fries are slightly higher in calories and carbs but also more nutrient dense than French fries. The greatest nutrient difference is that French fries have no vitamin A, while sweet potato fries are high in this nutrient. Vitamin A is important for your vision and immune system ( 2 ).
Another option is to hold off adding the oil until it's been baking for 5-10 minutes, then toss in oil, then cook it for another at least 10 minutes. This was the secret for me for getting crispy chickpeas, where as when I would oil them first, they'd just come out sort of mushy, but hard.
This order might be too impromptu for some locations, so if they can't complete the request, just ask for an animal fry and flying Dutchman separately. Well-Done: If you like your fries extra crispy, this is the way to order them. These fries come out golden brown and so crispy, they're almost crunchy.
When it comes to the actual cooking, you want to fry the french fries twice. The first round is at a lower temperature to cook the inside of the potato and the second time you'll use a higher temperature to make the fries golden brown and crispy. You can use a home deep-fryer or just heat the oil in a Dutch oven.
When they are left out to cool, the starches secrete moisture, which eventually makes the fries' crust soggy. How do you make sure your fries stay crisp? Opt for clear-coated ones. A clear starch coating keeps your fries' exterior crispy and interior fluffy for much longer.
I like to use a little pepper and paprika. #6 Do not overcrowd the basket (or baking sheet) or they will steam and get soggy. I do two batches in my air fryer for one medium sweet potato. I like to open the basket halfway during cooking and rotate the fries 180 degrees.
If roasted potatoes lack their crunchy sheen, overcrowding is usually the culprit. Just as overcrowding bacon or mushrooms in a saucepan causes disappointingly mushy results, placing potatoes too close to each other on a baking sheet will prevent them from crisping while they roast.
The secret to getting a crispy surface on home fries is to make sure the potatoes aren't warm when you pan-fry them. In this recipe, we precook the potatoes and let them cool to room temperature before they hit the buttered pan, ensuring perfectly crusty and crispy edges.
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