Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Crispy Potato Starch Coating
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
10 min
Cook
40 min
Total
50 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
High oven temperatures dry out seasoned sweet potatoes, allowing the sugars to caramelize slightly. Baked sweet potato fries are a lower-calorie snack or side dish than fried sweet potato fries, as they contain cooked starches and a touch of sweetness. Baked sweet potato fries can be eaten as a snack or side dish.
The fries are peeled and cut into short, even pieces. They are tossed with potato starch, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Potato starch is the primary coating ingredient for the fries. In addition to providing flavor, potato starch absorbs some of the moisture from the fries to help dry them. Olive oil prevents the fries from sticking to each other and provides some crispness when the fries are baked on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
A single layer of French fries is the best arrangement for achieving maximum crispness without steaming. Stacked French fries will steam instead of crisp. Use a spatula to flip French fries after 15 minutes of baking to prevent sticking. Bake French fries until they are lightly browned and crisp. Unmashed or stacked French fries will not crisp as well.
Serve French fries right out of the oven to achieve maximum crispness. Condiments and other toppings and spreads you might serve with French fries include ranch dressing, ketchup, and homemade mayonnaise. French fries tend to become less crispy as they cool and should be served promptly.
Why we keep this one around
- Adding potato starch while frying sweet potato slices will remove more water from them, resulting in a crispier crust than if potato starch hadn't been added to the sweet potato slices before frying.
- Preheating the baking sheet and foil helps dry the fries immediately and keeps them from sticking to the baking surface when coated with olive oil.
- Short fries, 3 to 4 inches long, do not curl as much as long fries and have more edges exposed to heat, which makes them firmer.
- Baking sweet potatoes at 400°F dries the skin quickly while allowing the sweet potatoes to brown lightly without scorching.
- Flipping after 15 minutes gives both sides of each sandwich direct contact with the hot pan for better cooking and crispness.
- The seasoning blend contains salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in the coating used to make the potato chips.
- This seasonings blend is added before frying the chips.
Ingredients
- •1 ¼ lb sweet potatoes
- •2 tbsp potato starch
- •½ tsp kosher salt
- •¼ tsp black pepper
- •¼ tsp garlic powder
- •¼ tsp paprika
- •3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and place it in the oven to heat before roasting the potatoes.
- 2
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 3/8-inch-thick, 3-to-4-inch-long pieces. Place them in a large bowl.
- 3
In a small bowl, whisk together the potato starch, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- 4
Add the spice mixture to the sweet potatoes and toss to mix. Drizzle with olive oil and mix to coat evenly.
- 5
Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven. Evenly space the sweet potato fries on the pan so they do not touch.
- 6
Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully flip the fries with a spatula, then bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes more.
- 7
Serve the sweet potato fries hot from the oven.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
230
Calories
2g
Protein
10g
Fat
33g
Carbs
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