Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

If I had to guess why sweet potato fries are always more expensive than regular fries it would be because they are more delicious! I’m not sure if that’s why or not, but what I know for sure is that they are easier to make at home than regular fries, inexpensive, and even cook faster! If you have never tried making them at home, now is the time. Save money and spice them just right with this simple recipe for perfectly seasoned crispy sweet potato fries.

Make perfectly seasoned, crispy sweet potatoes fries at home with just a sweet potato, splash of olive oil, and a few spices. These can be baked in the oven or air fried to perfection! They are sweet, smoky, and even crispy… which is hard to achieve with a sweet potato. Oh, and sweet potatoes just happen to be one of the most nutritious vegetables available. So much so that they’re a superfood!

Sweet potatoes are considered a superfood because they are loaded with vitamins A and C and contain plant fiber, potassium, and manganese. Just one sweet potato contains more than 100% of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin A. They are also an amazing anti-inflammatory food, full of antioxidants, heart healthy, can help regulate blood sugar levels, and contain beta carotene for eye health. Combine all this goodness with the health benefits of olive oil (good for your heart and brain) and you have a fantastic side for your next meal! Not to mention paprika is also food for eye health as well.

Achieving crispy sweet potato fries is no easy task, especially since we aren’t deep frying these fries! So let’s get started. Here is what you will need to make these whole food, plant-based, homemade sweet potato fries in your own kitchen.

Ingredient List:

• Sweet Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Smoked Paprika
• Garlic & Onion Powder
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Kitchen Equipment:

• Air Fryer or Baking Stone for the Oven
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Large Glass Bowl

One sweet potato will feed 1-2 people. The nice thing about making your own sweet potato fries at home is you can make as many as you need without waste! Save any left overs you have because these reheat well a day or so later in the oven or on the stove top. Two sweet potatoes cut into fries will fill one 9×12 baking stone in the oven and cook in less than 30 minutes. Or they will be crispy and ready to enjoy air fried in about 15 minutes. Note: it may require cooking several batches depending on the size of your air fryer.

As with any vegetable, I always recommend buying organic. However, sweet potatoes are included on the Clean 15 list that the EWG (Environmental Working Group) puts out each year. They are tested and contain the lowest amount of pesticide in order to make this safe list. Therefore, if organic sweet potatoes aren’t available the next time you go shopping, a conventional sweet potato will work for this recipe.

Tip: The fresher the sweet potatoes are, the easier they are to cut! The longer they sit in the pantry or on the counter the harder they will get. Therefore, it’s a good idea to buy fresh sweet potatoes when you are ready to make these fries!

Ok, let’s get started…

These Crispy Sweet Potato Fries are made with the skins on for the most nutritional value. Start by cleaning the skins of 2 sweet potatoes under warm water with a vegetable scrub brush.

With the small end facing you, cut slices just slightly thicker than a 1/4″. The important thing here is that you cut the slices approximately the same width so that all the fries will cook evenly.

Stack 2 slices with the short side facing you and make the final cuts to form the fries. Whatever thickness you cut the slices, do that again to form the fries. If your slices are 1/4″ thick, make your cuts in the slices every 1/4 inch as well. Please Note: they will all be different lengths and that is totally fine. Just aim for all the same thickness. Place all the fries in a large glass bowl.

Now for the easy part. Pour 1-2 Tbsp of Olive Oil over the sweet potato fries and sprinkle with spices… 1 tsp Organic Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Organic Onion Powder, 1 tsp Organic Smoked Paprika, 1/2 tsp Sea Salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked). Toss with tongs to cover all the fries with the spices.

Once they are tossed and covered in olive oil and seasonings they should look like this and are ready to bake! At this point you have two options. Bake in the oven on a rimmed baking stone or air fry to create crispy sweet potato fries.

Option #1 – Oven: Preheat oven to 400. Lay fries out on a rimmed baking stone making sure there is a little spacing between each fry so they can crisp up in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes and then flip the fries and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Watching them at the end to make sure they don’t burn.

Option #2 – Air Fryer: Preheat air fryer to 350. Once heated, fill basket 1/2 full with sweet potato fries and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, check the fries and give the basket a toss. Bake for an additional 5 minutes to make them crispy. Be careful not to over air fry these or else they will burn.

Here is what they should look like once baked or air fried. I have cooked them both ways and either way works. It’s really up to you. Choose whichever way is easier. I have made these many times and think the game changer on this recipe is the smoked paprika! Smoked paprika pairs really well with the sweetness of the sweet potato fries and is different than sweet paprika. Make sure you include it on your first batch. Then experiment and create your own version after that.

These Crispy Sweet Potato Fries pair perfectly with my Black Bean Burgers or any burger for that matter. Black beans and sweet potatoes go well together. If you haven’t ever tried a black bean burger, give it a try. They are delicious!

Below you will find the recipe for my Smoky, Sweet, and Crispy Sweet Potato Fries. As always, I encourage you to use this recipe as inspiration to create your own variation of homemade fries. Remember you can always change the seasonings. Please give the smoked paprika a try first though. It’s a game changer!

Remember to be creative with your food. It doesn’t have to be complicated and there is inspiration all around you. If you haven’t tried making Sweet Potato Fries at home before, what are you waiting for?

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