The time has come, Sweet Potato Fries is now getting some attention. A few weeks back I shared with everyone a quick and easy way to whip up a batch of healthy homemade french fries. This crunchy plate of goodness received a lot of positive response. With that came requests and references for sweet potato fries.
Krista over at Kristas Kravings said she loved sweet potato fries done in a very similar process. Juliet from Think Inside the IceBox said that she had sweet potato fries on her to do list. As well, Nick over at PeanutButterBoy said he also like to make a batch of sweet potato fries in the oven. Also Clayton from Furiousfoodies asked if I could whip up a batch of sweet potato fries. Needless to say with all these requests, I had to oblige and put these on the Zesty Menu.
Now I have been experimenting with sweet potato fries for a couple of years now. To be honest, I find the most successful way to make excellent sweet potato fries is to deep fry them. However, I opted for the healthier alternative and went baked. When baking sweet potato fries, you have to be very alert and on your toes because of all the sweetness in the potato they tend to burn very quickly if not attended to properly. Because of that reason, I tend to cut the potatoes a little larger than a traditional french fry to avoid burning. This is only valid when using the oven method.
So follow along – as it doesn’t really get any simpler!
Ingredients
- 2 Large Sweet Potatoes
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp Nutmeg
- 1 Tsp. Cumin
- Black Cracked Pepper
- Salt
Method
-
Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
- After peeling and cutting (try a mandolin/v-slicer) the potatoes to your desired size – I like to soak them in water and release some of the starch which will allow them to crisp up a little more.
- Once soaked for about 30 minutes, be sure to dry them really well. Do not leave any water moisture on the potatoes.
-
Transfer to a bowl and toss with the oil and spice combination.
-
Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
-
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- ENJOY!
Zesty Tip: Sweet Potatoes are way for delicate than a regular potato and can burn very easily. Do not go in the room to watch your favorite tv show…. just stay in the kitchen – turn on your favorite tunes and dance around for a while. You will need to flip these little guys 3 or 4 times to get them just perfect. Stay close and keep smiling.
Now that you have a delicious plate of baked goodness, what does everyone love to dip these into? Last night I chose a spicy ranch dip with a hint of Jalapeno Pepper to kick things up. Normally I just go straight ranch… but I felt adventurous. Let me know your favorite dipping sauce for sweet potato fries.
Happy Tuesday everyone…. I can’t wait to hear your response.
Zesty
{ 59 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum! Your fries look great. It’s been a while since I’ve made my own, I think you’ve just talked me into it!
YES, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! Sweet potatoes = true love.
My favorite is Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Mayonnaise. OMG to die for. Had these out to dinner the other night and I couldn’t stop eating them. Thanks for the recipe and step by step instructions.
Deb S.
JerseyBites.com
YUM! I love sweet potatoes! Now I have a healthy way to indulge in some fries.
I’ll have to try soaking mine next time I make them. I usually eat sweet potato fries plain, sometimes I’ll dip them in ketchup.
healthy fry sweet potatoes, just what it’s needed in winter! It seems to be quite simple to make it, so I’ll try it and hopefully it comes out as good as yours.
One quick question, I’ve been nutmeg in many recipes, either sweet or salty and I bought it. But I really can’t tell its taste yet, sometimes I put it in dishes and tastes bitter. Do you know why? and what’s the best way to add it to meal?
Thanks!
They look delicious, could eat them right now. I think I might add just a little bit of heat for me
Interesting tip on the soaking. Did your fries really end up crispy, crispy?
We love making sweet potato fries too. For years, my husband insisted he **hated** sweet potatoes. Come to find out, he had only ever had the candied, marshmallow-topped ones often served at Thanksgiving. He too loves the sweet potato fries! We toss ours in a bit of brown sugar, salt, and chile pepper and cook similarly. Thanks for the recipe! Looks wonderful!!
I agree with the deep frying for the best sweet potato fries. I love them with garlic and rosemary and finely ground sea salt.
Thanks again for the stumble!!
YUM. Perfect method. I have yet to make fries with sweet potatoes. I NEED to do this.
Oh, these look sinfully good!!!
great recipe! I like the soaking method. I never soak the fries in water before hand. I need to try that next time!
Oh, man. I LOVE sweet potato fries! These look great! (Also, I love today’s tip. I’m a big kitchen dancer myself.)
+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
I make these yummy wedges all the time.
I made them with the roast turkey breast post that you liked!
Our photos look alike!
Stacey
Awesome looking sweet potato fries! Thanks!
I have definitely burnt my fair share of sweet potato oven fries, so heed Cooking’s warning about leaving the kitchen!
As for fave dips, I have two:
1. Thai sweet chili sauce & sour cream
2. Garlic mayo
All of the restaurants here serve the fries with chipotle mayo for some reason, and frankly, I’m just not that big on chipotle!
organic ketchup – nothing better
I love these with a chipotle cilantro aioli!!! Delicioso!!
well i made this one ast night…but with a little twist, i made them a little bit sweet and made a dressing with “la lechera” (i’m from mexico and i dont know if you guys have this where you live)
anyway…they were amazing! thank ou for sharing this with us!
I love the seasonings on those! Rob (my hubcap) usually just puts s & p on them and throws them on the grill – thanks for this idea
Excellent.. i used to make these all the time… healthier version is to use cooking spray.sprinkle a bit of salt.. . just toss and bake..
These looks great… i’ll be making a big batch for the bbq this saturday!
FYI-
Sweet potato fries + blue cheese aioli = pure decadent heaven!
my fav!!!
HONEY MUSTARD!!!
These look incredible! I’ve tried to make sweet potato fries before but have never gotten mine to look that yummy – thanks for the recipe! I love topping them with ketchup or guacamole, and I’ve heard that dipping them in hummus is great, too!
P.S. I heard via Megan’s Munchies that you design blog headers. I would definitely be interested if you’d like to chat! I’m also interested in becoming my own host and would love your take on that, if you have any tips!
WOW, Thanks everyone for your kind and encouraging comments… it is a great feeling.
As for the couple of questions.
Coco – Nutmeg is sweet but has a slightly bitter flavor. So I don’t think your mistaken on your experience. Depending on when you put the nutmeg on your food may have an impact on flavor and the quantity of the nutmeg. Depending on the food choice coco – cooked vegetables for example – you can add it after they complete cooking… just a dash as if you would put salt or pepper on. Hope this helps.
Kath – Yes, by removing some of the starch this will allow the potatoes to be drier in the oven and crisp up more. (much more eveident in white potatoes) Another option for a crisper result is to dredge them in flour and parmesan cheese prior to baking.
Thanks again everyone.
Cooking
I promise I will make these and not leave the room!
Not sure if you’ve tried already, but grilled sp fries are good, too. I like ‘em kind f crunchy/burnt though.
These look spectacular!
I used to eat my sweet potato fries plain. That all changed after I visited Max’s Deli in Rocky River, OH. (I used to live in Ohio.) They serve their sweet potato fries with cinnamon sugar to dip into. Soooo delicious!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE sweet potato fries! Yum! I eat them with vinegar instead of ketchup
Mmmm…Yummy
Add a little ranch dressing as a dip, and then I have a full meal. Looks great.
1. Honey Mustard
2.Caramel Ice cream topping!
Great ideas for seasoning them.Sweet Potato fries are the only ones I eat.Baking them are so much better for you.
Delicious! I love sweet potatoes!
hmmm cumin.. Looks great and simple.
I’ve never tried this before and the soak in water tip is a great idea.
As for the dip, I prefer to dip it in my homemade spicy salsa sauce!
I’ve become a recent fan of sweet potato. Had a really good sweet potato quiche last week. I’m going to try these fries with some burgers tonight!
mmm sweet potatoes. i like dipping them in a mixture of ketchup and sriracha chili sauce (just a little). a spicy sweet combo. it’s awesome. or a honey butter syrup for something a bit more sweet.
I have never heard of soaking them in water before- a must try though! I believe these are now on the menu for tonight!
I like to take sour cream and add a little maple syrup to make a dip. Savory, sweet and salty!
a nice dip to go along with these
1 cup mao
1TSBP lemon juice
1TSP garlic
Great looking sweet potato fry recipe. I tried making them for the first time a few weeks ago and they were cut too thin. I didn’t soak them either– I just basically took a stab at them– they tasted good, but they did not crisp up properly. I’m definitely going to try your method/recipe! Thanks!
dip for these fries:
plain yogurt (um….half a cup? i’m guessing as i just make this without measurements)
Mayonaise (2 tablespoons add more if you want, really it’s all dependant on what you like)
Lime juice (1 tablespoon or a little wee bit more)
2-3 cloves of garlice (depending on how “spicy” you want it, as this ends up coming out with quite a bit of zip!)
parsley, i usually just used dried and add about a tablespoon! it looks nice and adds a tad bit of taste =)
For a sweeter dip try:
cream cheese, honey, butter and cinnamon. It’s absolutely delicious for those with a sweet tooth.
I made these last week according to recipe, except with cinnamon instead of nutmeg and it came out great! Thank you for the soaking tip
I can’t wait to try the soaking tip–Thanks!
I had sweet potato fries at a truck stop in Vermont, they served them with sour cream mixed with raspberry jam OH Heavenly
Mayo and Maple Syrup. Play with the ratios to taste. THE BEST.
Greek plain yogurt mixed with Red Plum Jam.
I love this recipe! There is a restaurant in Houston that makes the sweet potato fries with hamburgers.. I can’t get enough of them.. Sometimes I order just the fries. Good to know you can do them yourself at home! YUM!
-Kenzie
Deep Fryers
I just wonder since i’m now moving to eating healthy foods, are these healthy? I mean when u soak them in salt water does the potatoes absorb the salt also? I would really like to stay away from fats
These look great! I am adding them to my list of recipes!!
Had a late night snack as I was finishing up a website for a customer..had not had SPfries in a long time..wasnt sure what to dip them in. Tried Ranch dressing even though im not much on mixing sweet and sour things together. It was great..an interesting taste and I could get used to that. Going to recommend the recipe and dipping sauce to grandma..thanks!
Those are some nice looking fries there! I found this site looking for a good dipping sauce to go with them. A couple of these suggestions sound good, I will have to give them a try. The best sauce I’ve ever had was a honey/butter/syrup or something at a local joint called Tricia’s Cafe in Babylon, NY. I asked exactly what was in it and the guy just smiled and said he couldnt give it away. Aaargh!
Aioli, good old garlic flavoured aioli works a treat with these sweet potato fries! Thanx for sharing your tips
I have always used BBQ sauce on sweet potatoes since that was the first way I had them and I love it. The other suggestions sound interesting too!