Crispy, seasoned Baked Sweet Potato Fries cooked right in the oven. Save yourself the extra mess, work, and calories from deep-frying – you won’t miss it one bit!
If we’re being perfectly honest – and we are. judgement-free zone here – I have an addiction to fries. I need them on a regular basis. If I’ve gone several days without fries, I start to go into a withdrawal.
Weeping and irritability, sad potato chip substitutes, Gray’s Anatomy re-runs… not a pretty site.
I bought my husband a card for his birthday a few years ago – actually he wasn’t my husband back then, but close enough – that had a picture of french fries on the front and said something like this:
(front) “I love you so much I’ll give you my heart, my life…..
(inside) “…and one, maybe two of my french fries.”
It was so perfect.
And I’m not too picky about my fries either. I’ll take em’ homestyle, curly (Arby’s, I heart you), steak-cut (minus the steak), waffled (CHICK FIL A!!!) and yes, I really really love sweet potato fries.
You know I’m a sucker for that sweet-n-salty flavor combo and sweet potato fries are no exception. Now, if you can get spicy to fit in there somewhere too, well that’s basically my own personal heaven. Which is why I love adding chili powder and cayenne pepper to my sweet potato fries, plus plenty of salt and a kick-butt sauce that takes all of 3 seconds to whip up. Can you use ketchup? Technically: yes. Un-technically: absolutely not. Make the sauce. And if you can tolerate any degree of heat, please pleeeeeeease put the sriracha in.
That being said… do not pass up on making these perfect baked sweet potato fries just because you don’t have (what???) or don’t like (stop it.) sriracha sauce. Use your favorite sauce, use no sauce, just get these lovelies into your life.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium sweet potatoes - chopped into thin wedges or sticks/strips* (you don’t want them too thick or they will take forever to cook)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder - see note
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder - see note
- salt to taste - (I used about 1 teaspoon – you can always add extra salt at the end)
- dipping sauce of choice or recipe below
Dipping Sauce
- ⅓ cup mayo
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce - (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 and grease well with nonstick spray. Fill a medium-large pot half-way full with water. Bring to a boil on the stove over medium-high heat. When water reaches a rapid boil, add chopped sweet potatoes and boil for about 5 minutes until tender. Drain and spread out on a paper towel to dry a bit.
- After the potatoes are boiled and have had a chance to drain of excess water, add them to a large bowl (you could also do this with a ziplock bag) and toss with oil, being sure to coat all potatoes. Spread the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with the seasonings – chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Bake 15-20 minutes until crispy. (I recommend using a fork or a thin spatula to turn the fries once or twice throughout the baking process to ensure all sides get crispy)
- For the dipping sauce, whisk all ingredients together. Cover and chill until ready to use. Serve fries warm with my dipping sauce, OR you can also use ketchup, bbq sauce, or other favorite sauce.
Notes
*In addition to the chili powder and garlic powder, you can also add 1/4 teaspoon each cayenne pepper and cumin for added flavor. If you want spicy fries, go heavier on the chili powder and cayenne pepper.
I’m all about a great salty and sweet combo. Putting those two together in fries is always a win. Swooning over the sriracha mayo you whipped up. So so good!
I’m the one who doesn’t order the fries and then stealing them off the plates of my family members 🙂 I really dislike the fact that it’s extra $$ at restaurants for sweet potato fries! Will try this recipe – love the added spices.
Oh man… have you ever had sweet potato fries with a spicy thai peanut sauce?? I was first introduced to it at Blue Lemon and I’m hooked for life. Sooo good.
On the other hand, if I’m craving salty and spicy, I season the fries with grated parm cheese and eat with a spicy cajun fry sauce. (ala the Madison in Provo)
I really need sweet potato fries right now…
Ooh spicy thai peanut sauce?? You’ve convinced me. When I make these again (like, this week) I’m definitely trying that!!
This looks like a great recipe – and a special THANK YOU for making the recipe the size that can print on 1 side of paper. But could I ask a favor? The links for Follow on Pinterest etc. overlay the last part of the recipe. They are not visible on your website but instead on the printed version (which I cannot access a link from anyway). Just a thought. Thanks.
can you boil the sweet potatoes earlier in the day to have them ready to cook later?
I have never tried this but I believe you should be able to. Just make sure they soak in water and don’t let them sit longer than the one night as they can start to lose their structure and flavor.