These easy, oven baked sweet potato fries will be your new favorite side dish or snack. They’re perfectly crispy but have the soft, sweet potato texture that we all know and love. The sweet and salty flavor combination means these fries go well with almost anything! Better yet, baked fries are a healthy alternative to deep fried potatoes and can be even more delicious.
Baking French fries might seem self-explanatory, but this recipe will help you achieve the best possible taste and texture. As a big fan of sweet potatoes, I love to air fry, roast, bake, and make them any way I can! But after trying them many ways, I’ve learned not much compares to these perfectly baked sweet potato fries. This recipe uses only 3 ingredients to transform potatoes into the sweetest, candy-like, crunchy that you see here.
Made From 3 Simple Ingredients
These baked fries only need 3 simple ingredients:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea salt
- Garlic salt
Extra virgin olive oil is my personal favorite for making sweet potatoes. The fresh, natural taste of the oil enhances the earthy potato taste. Paired with garlic, these fries have a delicious savory side that doesn’t take away from the sweetness of the potatoes. Lastly, I firmly believe in using sea salt over regular white salt. Sea salt has a more robust flavor that highlights all the natural flavors in baked fries. This ingredient combination leaves you with versatile fries that have endless possibilities!
How To Make These Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
The Key to a Perfect Crisp
The key to perfectly crispy baked French fries is a combination of cutting the potatoes thin and using the right amount of oil. You want the fries to be about 1/4″-1/2″ thick so they can crisp well in the oven. It’s also important to try to cut all the potatoes the same size so that your fries cook evenly. If you have a wide variety of shapes and thickness, some fries will burn and others may not be crispy. The second part is to ensure you use enough oil. Don’t be afraid to get your fries nice and covered in the olive oil before they go into the oven! You’ll thank me later.
Baking Temperature and Technique
Baking fries on too low or too high of a temperature can leave them overcooked or limp and lifeless. They can end up taking too long took cook or cooking too fast and not achieving the desired crisp. I’ve discovered that sweet potato fries come out best when they are baked on 425 degrees. This temperature allows for a slow roast that cooks the fries inside and begins to crispy the outer layer. My most important fry baking tip is to always broil the potatoes at the end for 4-5 minutes. This is the best way to achieve the crispy heaven you’re dreaming about.
Suggestions for Baked Sweet Potato Fries
While garlic salt and sea salt are the simplest way to make sweet potato fries taste delicious, there are other spices you can use for delicious fries! One of my favorites is adding cayenne pepper or chili powder to this recipe for a little spice. It may sound strange to have spicy sweet potatoes, but trust me it is a delicious combination of flavor you’ll love. Another spice that is perfect for baked fries is Italian seasoning. I love to use this when I am eating sweet potatoes with homemade pizza, baked chicken, or turkey burgers.
If you’re looking to enjoy these baked fries as an appetizer or snack, one tasty way to make them is with cinnamon and maple syrup. The sweet potatoes become candy-like and can even be enjoyed as dessert. Mixing in some maple syrup or maple butter before cooking will help caramelize the fries in the oven. After cooking, top with cinnamon and/or make a sweet dip on the side.
If you love these baked sweet potato fries, check out some of these tasty recipes:
Crispy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium sweet potatoes wash & sliced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the over to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- After washing the sweet potatoes, slice them long ways into 1/2" thick pieces. You should have flat, wide slices of potato. Then slice each of these 3-4 times long ways into French fries.
- Place the French fries onto the parchment paper and pour on the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and garlic salt. Use a spatula to mix the fries well before placing in the oven.
- Once in the oven, let the fries bake for 20 minutes then mix them up and bake for another 20 minutes. After 40 minutes, turn the oven on broil (Hi) and broil the fries for 4-5 minutes watching them carefully!
- When the fries begin to crisp at the ends, remove them from the oven and let them cool, then enjoy!
Notes
- These sweet potato fries can be make thick or thin. If you prefer a softer French fry, slice them into thicker pieces. For crispier fries, slice thin!
- If you enjoy a little spice, I highly recommend putting a bit of chipotle powder or cayenne pepper on the French fries as well! It adds the best subtle spice.
