SWEET & SPICY BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES
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Sweet and spicy baked sweet potato fries are easy to make, healthy, and crispy! Spiced with chili powder, garlic, and paprika. With sweetness from brown sugar. There are a lot of baked recipes out there, but this one, is crispy and full of flavor!
Today, i’m sharing the most amazing baked sweet potato fries recipe with you. Actually, they’re amazing in more ways than one. Let’s list:
1.) Baked — not fried. Which is a total WIN!
2.) Sweet but spicy
3.) Spicy but sweet
4.) Crunchy and crispy caramelized edges
5.) Skinny — as in their not heavy on the C word (calories)
6.) Easy to make
Seriously guys, I could eat buckets full of this stuff all.day. long. I make sweet potato fries at home all the time. The best part, I don’t have to feel bad about it because their baked. And every time I make sweet potato fries, this is the recipe I use. It has been approved by everyone who’s ever tried them! It is the best!
Let’s jump right in. And I promise, I’ll have you craving sweet, sweet potato fries in no time!
The first thing you want to do is grab a couple of sweet potatoes. They are readily available year round and are pretty cheap. I usually make about 2 potatoes for Anees and I. That’s about 1 1/2 pounds. Sometimes I throw in an extra potato and heat up leftovers in the toaster oven the next day. Trust me. They’re still yummy!
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut 1/4 inch slices. Cut the potatoes into thin, french-fry-style strips. Cutting the fries too thin will cause them to burn in the oven on 400 degrees F. And cutting them too thick, will leave you with fries that aren’t very crispy. Be patient and use a sharp knife. Muscles come in handy when sweet potatoes are getting chopped. Bring it like it’s never been brought!
After chopping the sweet potatoes into thin french fry strips, toss them in corn starch (or arrow root). Dust off any access. Then toss them with coconut oil (canola or olive oil works too), brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and sea salt. Give them a few good tosses to make sure the brown sugar has evenly coated all the fries.
Sometimes I add in a pinch of cinnamon too. That’s totally up to you. They are great with and without!
Secrets to perfect baked sweet potato fries:
1.) Place the fries spaced apart from each other when baking. Overcrowding will cause your fries to be soggy. And they’ll probably have the same texture as chewing on a sock. And that’s really not exciting. No matter what you do, some fries may be soggy. That’s because the moisture content of the sweet potatoes.
2.) Flip the fries halfway through the baking process. Turn the pan as well. My oven has hot spots, make sure to do this if yours does too. This causes the fries to cook evenly. Keep in mind, any super thin fries might get a little darker.
3.) If you have an extra 30 minutes, let the fries sit in the oven with the door left open just a crack. This helps release any excess moisture in the fries which leads to crispier fries. And who doesn’t want crispy fries? Soggy fries are probably the same as chewing on shoelaces. At least for me. Not that i’ve ever chewed on shoelaces or anything! Remove from the oven and let sit another 5 minutes before enjoying. If you can’t wait to dig in and don’t have the 30 minutes, just let them sit as long as you can. Bottom line, patience gets you better baked sweet potatoes fries.
Needless to say, I helped myself to a whole bunch of these! Oh how happy they make me!
These fries are spicy, but not actually spicy, just loaded with a little heat and salty flavor. Sweet from the brown sugar. They’re crispy and golden brown and soft on the inside. They’re healthy. And they’re baked so you can eat a few extras without the guilt. YUM! YUM! YUM!
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5 Comments on “SWEET & SPICY BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES”
I’ve found a new interest in sweet potato fries, and according to my blood type diet, I should be eating them. Your recipe was the first one I tried with the different oils and spices; I used the coconut oil but did not use the brown sugar (because I didn’t have) and the family loved them. In the past, my daughter didn’t like sweet potato fries because I always used rosemary on them (because someone told me to) and it was fine, but she didn’t like the taste, so she thought that’s all you could do with them, therefore not liking sweet potato. Then I tried your recipe, (no rosemary) and she loved them, and so did everyone else. I’ve made them twice this week, and there were no leftovers. My oven is stronger, so I baked them for 12 mins, flip, 12 mins, and left door open for 5 min, take out and rest for 5 mins. Usually the family can’t wait the last step. Apparently they are still good semi-soggy.
Tried these tonight. Followed you’re recipe to a T. Turned out soggy. Maybe it’s too much oil. Will try again with less oil.
I’m sorry to hear that they turned out soggy! I’ve tried this recipe before several times and haven’t faced that problem. Was there enough space left between the sweet potato fries when baking? I know i’ve had that issue before. Were all of the fries soggy or just some? It’s normal for some of the fries to not be crispy. But the majority shouldn’t be soggy. You could also try to let the fries sit out for 15 minutes instead of the 5 that’s suggested in the recipe. Depending on where you’re geographically located, the moisture content in the air is also a determining factor in crispness.
Hope that helps!
Sweet potato fries are so good and I like the baking idea! Think I’ll also try the method on potato fries to see how it goes 🙂
I adore sweet potato fries, and I do enjoy making them at home too. I can’t wait to give your method a try, they really look crisp and delicious, I love the spice mix too! = )