Guaranteed Crispy Sweet Potato Fries & Sriracha Mayo Dip
Let’s get one thing straight. A sweet potato french fry is not a real french fry. I like them, I’ll eat them … but they’re not a real french fry.
They are french fry substitutes to be eaten when a real french fry can’t be found.
Yes, I know. But you loveeeeeeeee sweet potato french fries. You like them wayyyyyyyyyy better than regular french fries. That’s because you’re an amateur. I on the other hand, am a french fry professional.
I have been eating, making and lusting after french fries for as long as I can remember. I ate french fries every single day for lunch while I was in highschool. Large fries with gravy please. At the end of grade 13 … yes we had grade 13 back then … I threw up a ball of grease. So … clearly … a professional here.
Best way to eat a french fry? Salty and hot with your fingers, while walking around a flea market. Using one of those wooden forks is pretty good too. Best potato to make a french fry with? A baking potato like the Russet or Idaho because the high level of starch makes them relatively dry and therefore easier to get crispy. Best outfit for eating french fries? Shorts, flip flops and a tank top. So … clearly … again … a french fry professional here.
But … if you’re on some sort of stupid meal plan, or you’re all out of regular potatoes, or you just feel like having something a little different, why wouldn’t you cook up some Sweet Potato French Fries?
Because they’re soggy messes. That’s why.
I’ve oven baked them, par boiled them and deep fried them and they don’t get crispy. They get brown, but not crisp.
Finally, I’ve figured out how to make crispy sweet potato fries and the best part is you can do them in the deep fryer or the oven! Either way, you’ll end up with crispy fries. Guaranteed.
Here’s what you need to do …
Gather your sweet potatoes.
Get some corn starch.
Also get some olive oil.
Cut your sweet potatoes until they’re a medium thickness. Not hugely thick cut and not shoestring.
Let potatoes soak in water for an hour – half the day. (not mandatory, but recommended)
Preheat oven to 425°
Throw a Tablespoon or two of cornstarch into a plastic bag.
Dump a handful of sweet potatoes into the bag with the cornstarch. Twist the top of the bag so it forms a balloon with some air inside and shake the fries around until they’re lightly coated with the cornstarch.
Put your coated fries on a non stick cookie sheet.
Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over the fries.
Using your hands, make sure the fries are well coated.
Arrange them on the sheet again, so they have space between each fry. The less fries on the pan the better they’ll cook. Too many shoved together and they’ll never get crispy. They’ll just steam. Pop the fries into your preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile you can make the dipping sauce. Mix together 1/2 cup of mayonaise with 1 teaspoon of Sriracha sauce and 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper.
You can adjust the proportions to taste. Mix it up and taste it then adjust as you like.
Check the fries after 15 minutes, flip them over (you might have to use a spatula depending on how “non stick” your pan is) and return to the oven if necessary for another 5 minutes.
If you prefer your fries, deep fried throw them in the deep fryer at the highest setting for a few minutes instead of sticking them in the oven.
See? French fry professional.
If you’ve hopped over here from Pinterest, welcome! Feel free to email me with any questions and I hope you come back for another visit. ~ karen
Please note : This recipe does have a bit of a learning curve. It may take a few attempts to get your proportions of corn starch and oil correct. It took me several years to figure out how to do this, but with these instructions it shouldn’t take you more than a couple of tries. ~ karen
Renee
You are a genius. Just bought some sweet potatoes and will have to try this.
Question: I like Sriracha sauce but I get migraines from MSG. I can usually handle a little bit (honestly, you don’t need much of the stuff), but was wondering… Does an acceptable alternative exist?
Karen
Renee – There really isn’t anything around that tastes like genuine Rooster brand Sriracha sauce. It doesn’t contain MSG by the way, it contains Benzoic Acid. However, if you think you’ll still have a problem with it, you can try any hot sauce. Franks Red Hot, Melinda’s, even Tobasco. Like I said, Sriracha has a definite taste to it (delicious) but if you experiment with your own hot sauces I think you’ll be able to come up with something you like! Also I toned down the amount of Sriracha for this recipe to make it more compatible to the most amount of palates. I actually use around 2 teaspoons. ~ karen
Renee
Thanks for the reply! I did find one online that has no MSG (I thought Rooster sauce did, glad to hear it may not) – posted link below. Hard to believe it will taste as good, though :)
I’ll definitely use the heavier dose when I make this!
Kim
I used regular hot sauce – Chaluha; twas tasty! the fries were a big hit at home.
Karen
Kim – So you were able to get the proportion of corn starch to oil correct? ~ karen
KristenK
You could probably use greek yogurt instead of the mayo too. Greek Yogurt and mashed avocados are my subs for mayo almost all the time.
Karen
KristenK – Yes, I LOVE Greek yogourt. You’re right. I usually use it as a substitute for sour cream. ~ karen
Jenni
Sweet potato fries are also good with mayo mixed with curry powder and lemon juice. So if you are using 1/2 cup mayo use maybe 1/2 – 1 tsp curry powder and the same amount of lemon juice.
paul
try some sambal olek.
Emma
even better to eat with sweet potato fries is curry mayonnaise sauce. It’s mayonnaise mixed with curry powder and salt until it tastes yummy to you!
Mama Mia!
Emma I use that for dipping artichokes! Sooo good!
dave
apple butter is also a great dip
Kevin
I just made these and they were the strangest/weirdest fries I have ever had. I cooked them for 40 minutes and they still weren’t crispy. The corn starch was still like dry corn starch and the inside of the fries was just plain weird. Definitely won’t try these again!
Karen
Well then Kevin, you did them wrong. I can tell right away you overpacked your baking pan (didn’t get crispy) and you didn’t use enough oil. So. There you have it. ~ karen
Kevin
Actually they were no more packed on the pan than they are in your photo. And I used slightly more oil than you said to because I wanted to make sure there was some on each fry. Just didn’t work out well.
fifi
From one french fry lover to another – the very best french fries you will ever eat will be made in a chip truck under the Bluewater Bridge in Sarnia, ON. Just sayin…
Susan
Nah, sorry, but Hutch’s on the beach in Hamilton couldn’t be beat. Course it was more than a few years ago that I was there…
Holly
Gotta have Stan’s Fries in Brantford! ;)
Brianna
Hey! Do you know the name of the chip truck under the Bluewater? Or what roads I take to get to it? I’m visiting Canada in a few weeks and could go for some good fries
Heather-Mae
I’m from Sarnia (eons ago) and was thinking the same thing. :)
BCBev
I bow down.
Renee
Hm, seems like I have already answered my own question. After some quick research, I found this sriracha sauce that has no MSG…
“Roland Sriracha Chili Sauce”
http://amzn.to/jUpH9H
Anyone tried it?
sk
mmm sriracha mayo…
or anything with sriracha…
the oatmeal says it best:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/sriracha
Bev
I have just done my meal plan for this week, so I will have to go back and re-jig it to try and fit in the SP fries… Man I really want some now!
We get different sorts of SP or ‘Kumera’ in NZ, the orangey ones like you’ve used and yellow ones that seem less sweet. Can I use either?
Karen
Hey Bev – I’ve never used the yellow ones but I can’t imagine it wouldn’t work. There’s no reason for it not to. Give it a shot and let us know! ~ karen
Jennifer
Ah — corn starch?! Thanks for letting us in on your secret. Can’t wait to try — they look picture-perfectly delish. (Btw, your site’s loading much faster now. Whatever you did to tweak it worked.)
Karen
Huh! I’m going to continue tweeking. I’m not sure what else to do! The quicker loading time also has to do w/ the number of pics. in a post and the time of day. Fingers crossed it gets even better. ~ karen
Michelle
I love the french fry tips! Thank you! But what I REALLY want to know: where did you get the cool french fry and matching dip bowls? LOVE THEM!!
Karen
Michelle – Here you go … somewhere in the comments section there’s a link to buy them on Amazon! http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/stuff-i-like-the-mystery-cup
Angela
So glad that I’m not the only one who chooses regular fries over SP fries. My hubby LOVES SP fries, so we buy the ones in the freezer section for him. I can’t always find ‘real’ sweet potatoes here (small town in Northern Japan) and the Japanese sweet potatoes are NOT as good as regular ones, so we may have to wait a while to try your recipe.
p.s. For regular fries, sprinkle them with garlic salt, MMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM GOOOOOOD!
Amie
I bet you could use tapioca starch too!
brie
yes yes yes!!!! accompanying the bbq tonight!!! :)
marilyn
karen i also have had that problem and fing that the temperature of the oven makes a difference as well, it has to be quite hot.
marilyn
ok looked back and saw the temp posted sorry karen shoulda known you wouldn’t leave that out.
Sherry
My hero! I make sweet potato french fries for lunch about 3 times a week. I am so excited to try this I can’t even tell you! How do you come up with this stuff??
Joni Nawrocki
Mmmm! Looks good! I’ve also read that coating them with egg white will give them that crisp texture. :)
Erin
This is well timed! We tried to make SP fries on Friday night and like you said, they turned into a mushy mess. Take two will be coming soon, using your brilliant strategy!
Michele
OMG. This is just what I need. My boyfriend (who runs a BBQ joint in a bar) had declared all crispy sweet potato fries to be FAKE since he couldn’t figure out how to get them crispy. Can’t wait to show him this.
Sarah
i do like sweet potato fries, but can we have a recipe on for reals french fries too??
Bill Grigg
And I just happen to have some sweet potatoes, sriracha mayo, some corn starch and even an oven on hand! Suh-weet!
Lisa
This works with butternut squash too, although I think I used regular flour instead of cornstarch…maybe? But you have to cook them a little longer. I also may try this with those cool purple potatoes, because those made crappy fries the one time I tried. it.
Liz S.
I’ve redone my meal plan too. My son LOVES sweet potato fries. This will be a big treat for him. I’ve tried making them before and they were awful!
CourtneyOutLoud
First – I love a woman who enjoys fried foods. Second, great tip about the corn starch!
Sarah P
I have tried a wide range of (baked) sweet potato fry recipes and always end up with soft mushiness. Delicious, but mushy. I can’t wait to try your way!
Sarah P
Hey, ALSO: do you think baking them on parchment paper on a baking sheet would change anything? I don’t have non-stick ones and I’m not big on scrubbing them clean.
Michelle Hill
I use my silpat when I make oven fries. It works really well and is so much easier to clean than a pan or sheet. I think parchment would work, just keep an eye on it, as the oven is pretty darn hot for these fries.
Lynn
I like my SP Fries dipped in lazy-gal aioli (Hellman’s/Best Foods mayonnaise with tons of minced garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice). Just about everything is good with garlic mayonnaise, though.
B.J.M
Sound and look yummy! Great idea. Gonna give them a go! I always found the mushy thing disappointing in a sw.-potato-fry too. I was thinking of soaking the cut fries in ice water like is done for good regular fries…but this is definitely less time consuming.
BTW – the cute dishes are no longer available and havent any ETA either. Whaaa.
Karen
Brenda – Blech. That’s too bad. Also, I do soak my Sweet Potato fries in cold water before cooking them if I have time. I didn’t have too much time this particular day so they were only in the water for a hour or so. ~ karen
Rosa @ flutterflutter
Very excited to try this out! Thanks!!
magali
I don’t like this post. I had managed to forget that I wanted french frie cups with matching sauce cups (or was it that I/my boyfriend convinced me that I didn’t need any..?) and now you just went ahead and reminded me just how great they look.
I will like this post the day I decide to make sweet potato french fries however.
Denise
magali…
Maxwell & Williams French Fry cups…try this!
http://www.maxwellandwilliams.com.au/mw/maxwell-williams-dinnerware-servingware-platters-bowls-white-basics-french-p9003.asp
Marti
Hey Karen!
LOVE sweet potato fries, baby chicks and fried chicken. (There’s an icky question about poor, sweet Lucky buried around here somewhere, but we won’t go there.)
What is the oven temperature for this, please? Love sweet potato fries. Oops! Said that already.
Thanks!
Karen
Marti ! Sorry .. the temperature is hidden above one of the pictures somewhere. Set your oven to 425. ~ karen
Marti
Thanks much! Luv your blog, btw. :) Bookmarked already!
Gayle
Okay, first. Those are YAMS.
Second, I’ve been trying for YEARS to get them crispy. How did you figure this out?
Karen
Gayle! Hmm. They were labelled as Sweet Potatoes at the store. They aren’t scaley or anything like a Yam. Why do you think they aren’t the dark skinned variety of sweet potatoes (which are often wrongly called a Yam?) Not being accusatory. Just curious! Do you know things I don’t know? I like to know everything. It’s a downfall. Lemme know! :) I looked up all kinds of recipes and techniques on the Internet, weeded out the ones that didn’t work and combined a couple of techniques that did. It’s that whole “know everything” gene in me. ~ karen!
Gayle
Okay, I just read up on yams and sweet potatoes on wiki, and, well, sweet potatoes can be orange after all. Also, I think I was being a bit rude… sorry. I’m going to try these very soon.
The funny part is, I was trying to make crispy ones the other day using the broiler, and I thought to myself I should submit an Ask Karen… but I forgot!!
from wiki:
_______________________________________
In the United States, sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), especially those with orange flesh, are often referred to as “yams.” In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the soft sweet potatoes “yams” because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, soft sweet potatoes were referred to as yams to distinguish them from the firm varieties.[10] Sweet potatoes labeled as “yams” are widely available in markets that serve Asian or Caribbean communities.
______________________________________
Karen
Gayle – Don’t worry about it. If I thought someone was wrong I’d be just as vocal about it. I *am* just as vocal about it. :) ~ karen
Jen
I’m making these for my in-laws tonight! My kids have always resisted sweet potatoes. Maybe if they are crispy they’ll enjoy them. Bonus: I’m roasting off an extra tater for my wee!
Karen
Jen – Glad to hear it! Make sure you have a good non-stick pan. If you don’t, add a tiny bit of extra oil to help the sweet potatoes not stick so badly. When you flip them you’ll have to use a spatula to scrape them up regardless. Good luck! ~ karen
office interior design
Great tips…thank you. I love french fries but sweet potatoe fries are pretty good too especially with the right dipping sauce. Can’t wait to try this one.
Cynthia
This Canadian is so proud of you! I’ve always loved you on TV. How is it you get even better in print? And now, as if it couldn’t get better, you share the secret of crispy sweet potato fries on the absolute day I have been bemoaning the limp disasters I keep producing. As a breast cancer survivor I can’t indulge in normal fries as often as I’d like, but these, especially with Sriracha dip, these are going to be my new, healthy, crack. Bless you!
Karen
Thank you Cynthia! Remember … a really good non stick pan and if you don’t have one a touch extra oil so they don’t stick too badly! Good luck. The dip is absolutely delicious! The more Cayenne the better, too. (if you like hot that is) And congratulations on kicking breast cancer’s ass by the way. BREAST CANCER CAN SUCK IT! ~ karen
Nichola
Well I made an attempt but they weren’t quite as crispy as I was hoping for. I think I must have used too much corn starch and maybe not enough oil? Will definitely be trying again though!
Karen
Nichola – You definitely need to coat the fries in oil. And you don’t need a ton of cornstarch. If push comes to shove and you’re having trouble, you can use the same technique in the deep fryer. It’s easier to get them crispy that way. But even in the deep fryer you’ll need to coat them in corn starch. Even in the fryer they won’t come out crispy. Try again and let me know how it goes. ~ karen
Nichola
Less corn starch, more oil = a tasty success! Thanks!
Karen
Nichola – Phew! Glad to hear it! ~ karen
Jan
How long do you usually soak them in cold water? And what does the soak do? Thanks!
Karen
Hi Jan – A lot of restaurants soak their fries all day in water. I’ve read it should only be for an hour or two. It removes a lot of the starch. That’s why the water is cloudy when you remove them. Removing the starch from the potato makes a crispier fry and it helps to stop them from stick to each other and your pan. (you have to let them dry before cooking them by rolling them in a dish towel) ~ karen!
Holly
Ooh! Ok, we soaked our potatoes for an hour, then went straight to the cornstarch. They were so mushy… The cornstarch just got all gooey over them, so we added more after letting them sit for a while, but I knew I wasn’t missing a step, and then they were in the oven 3x as long and skipped right to getting burnt… Ok. Dry them off, first. That will probably help. Thanks!
Shannan
Same thing here. I ended up with way too much cornstarch on my SP. I thought maybe I should towel them off first but I didn’t see that mentioned in the steps and I wanted to follow the directions to a “t”. They were still awesome-but next time I’m sure they will be even better. The dipping sauce was off the hook!!!
Activities for kids
I tried making them once, and you’re right they were soggy. I didn’t even try again b/c I didn’t know you could make them crispy. I will definitely try this!!
Kelly| product reviews
Hey! Karen,
As a matter of fact I just bought some sweet potatoes today. I was just gonna bake them, but your fried sweet potato recipe has tweeked my interest. I think I’m gonna go for it.
Thanks for sharing!
Karen
Good luck with the fries Kelly! Make sure to use “just enough” corn starch and make sure they’re evenly coated with oil. And make the sauce!!! So good. ~ karen
Linda
I got so excited when I saw the title cause Sweet Potatoes are allowed on my stupid meal plan but I’m pretty sure corn starch is not allowed cause it’s from corn and has starch. Urghhh. Still I’m going to try it for the days when I don’t follow the stupid meal plan exactly.
Petrel
Hi Linda–can you have potato starch? Or rice starch? I’ve tried these with potato starch and they were very good.
Rachel
I just made these and they taste floury. I thought I didn’t even have enough corn starch but maybe it was too much still? And not enough oil?.0
Karen
Rachel – Yes, it sounds like you had too much corn starch. You really just need a very light dusting of cornstarch. The first time I tried them this way I used too much cornstarch as well. And make sure each and every fry is covered in oil. If you have a deep fryer try them with the cornstarch and deep frying them. The oven method is definitely more difficult to get the hang of, but once you figure out the proportions of corn starch and oil you’ll be set. ~ karen!
Rachel
I just made them again with very little corn starch and lots of oil and they came out perfect! My 3 year old and one year old gobbled them right up!
Karen
Rachel – Good! Glad to hear it. :) ~ karen
abjacabjacal kris
this idaho girl and self proclaimed (idaho russet) french fry expert is going to have to try this! I love sweet potato fries but never have any luck, and eating it with sirachi sauce might just be the best idea ever!
Karen
kris – It may take a couple of tries to get the proportions of corn starch and oil down. Usually by the second try all is good! ~ karen
Rachel
Wow, thanks for this! I gave up on making my own sweet potato fries a while ago (I had even tried the egg white thing to no avail). Went out to Bulk Barn and bought a bit of corn starch (used tonight) and a bit of potato starch (cuz really, not supposed to have corn). Cost me $0.11! haha
SO..thanks for my dinner tonight – these kick butt CRISPY sweet potato fries with chicken and veg. YUM. Who knew? ta :)
Rachel
and of course, I just see now why I made them soggy before – you just posted this this May. and I’m a dif Rachel….not too many of us around here – nice to see TWO of us on one blog posting :)
Tiffany
Booo. I tried these last night, imagine my entire cooking process with “womp womp womp wommmppppp” music as my background.
I followed the recipe to the T, and they came out black and burnt, soggy, and tasted like corn starch.
Reviewing the comments I will try again with MORE oil and less starch, though my pre-cooked fries looked exactly like yours, if your photos didn’t even look more starch-y. I think I may have not coated each fry as good as I should have – at least that is what I’m trying next time.
Onward!!
Karen
Tiffany – Yes, there’s a learning curve with these fries. If you can’t be bothered to go through the learning curve, you can always just chuck them in the deep fryer. You *still* have to add the cornstarch if you’re going to deep fry them though. Sweet Potato Fries don’t even get crispy in a deep fryer unless you use cornstarch. Good luck! Oh! And if they turned out black your oven might be running a bit hot! You should check it to make sure. ~ karen!
Tiffany
Thanks Karen :) I don’t own a deep fryer and I would be scared as hell to attempt to operate one anyway. ;o) I will try in the oven again. The bottoms were black, not the tops. Like when I pushed them off the pan they were charred below. ACK! I will be using a different oven anyway, I tried making them for my dad for father’s day in my parents oven and I think their knobby old-school oven isn’t entirely accurate!
elle
I tried making these today..first time around, I added way too much corn starch and it was very floury. So I dumped those out and trid it a second time adding the corn starch little by little (thinking it was just the right amount), but it was not cripsy at all. I didn’t put the potatoes in water so I am guessing that was the problem, so I’ll try again another day. :)
Karen
Elle – I’m guessing you just didn’t use enough oil or didn’t coat them properly with the oil. Try a bit more oil. And like I say if it’s too hard to get the hang of, use a deep fryer. ~ karen!
bees
two words….thank you.
you have solved a dilemma that has plagued me for years.
Karen
bees – The best technique is the cornstarch prior to putting them in a deep fryer. However, you CAN make them crispy by using the oven method, it just takes a little fiddling to figure out the ratio of cornstach and oil. Good luck! ~ karen
Antof9
I have sriracha in the pantry and mayo in the fridge. I’m quite confident that going to the store for sweet potatoes at this point is like buying an outfit to go with a pair of shoes, but nevertheless I WILL be in the produce section in the next hour or two … buying sweet potatoes to go with my sriracha :)
Thanks for this! I have a “Puerto Rican Fryer” a friend gave me that I’ve never used. As much as I want to deep fry things, I can’t bring myself to do it. Between the fat (on my body) and the smell lingering for days, I … well, I’ll be baking mine, and these look amazing. Thanks!
-Ant
Karen
Antof9 – Honestly … the cornstarch then deep fryer method for these fries along with the mayo and sriracha will change your life. Live a little. Go for the fried method! ~ karen
Antof9
P.S. Found you by way of Pinterest :)
Karen
Thx. for letting me know! I’m always curious about how people found me. ~ k
Kate
I’ve been searching forever for the secret to crispy sweet potato fries. My attempt was not successful. I deep fried, but mine look like they are coated with a layer of icing. Even though the fries themselves are brown. I am assuming too much cornstarch, but how to coat them with less? And I did not soak th potatos in anything before…
Karen
Kate – I can’t believe they weren’t successful in the deep fryer! You must have used way too much cornstarch. They just need a dusting. They come out similar to a “crispy fry”, so you will notice a slight, slight coating, but it’s barely noticeable. Try putting a tablespoon of cornstarch in a plastic bag, then add your fries, make sure there’s a lot of air in the bag and then shake it all around. Take a look and see if you need to add a bit more cornstarch. This is the best way to make sure you have an even, thin coating of corn starch. Good luck the second time around! I may have to hold a class in this, LOL. ~ karen
France
Now this may sound stupid but… my man has been asking me for crispy sweet potato fries,so far not happening… do I skip the olive oil process if I use the deep fryer?? and is there a need for pre frying??
thank you :)
Karen
France – If you’re doing your sweet potato fries in a deep fryer, you don’t have to douse them in olive oil. However, you do still have to give them a dusting of cornstarch. Just remember to give a light coating. The easiest way to do this is to put them in a plastic bag with a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch and shake the bag. Like Shake n’ Bake. There’s no need to pre fry, but pre soaking them in water will help. Also, sweet potato fries cook quicker than regular fries, so keep your eye on them. Good luck! ~ karen
The Tablescaper
Wow! These sound easy and delicious.
- The Tablescaper
Emily Henning
Making these. TONIGHT. Thanks for sharing!
Paul
these need to be fried – there’s no way they are getting crispy with corn starch, olive oil, and an oven – NO WAY. Fryer = crispy
Karen
Paul – Yes. They do get crispy. YES WAY. ~ karen
Kristy
Ok… I DO love sweet potato fries dipped in home made Bleu cheese dressing…. However, as vile as Mickey D’s may be to adults, their ff dipped in a strawberry shake.. Well.. I think that takes professionalism to a whole other level, don’t you?! Lol
(btw, please do not knock til you’ve tried it.. :))
Elisabeth
Wow! Just made these alongside Carolina BBQ Turkey Burgers. What a healthy complement to a weeknight summer meal. The corstarch is like a magical ingredient!
Karen
Elisabeth – Excellent! I’m glad they worked out for you. There’s a bit of a learning curve w/ them for sure. ~ karen!
Megan
I love sweet potato fries more than regular fries so I’m so excited to try this out! I usually coat my sp fries with a mixture of spices (chili powder, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, black pepper, thyme, and oregano) to give them a little kick. They taste delicious but are super mushy. I know I’ve been cutting them unevenly and too big and crowding my pan, so I’m going to fix those issues. Do you think it would interfere with the crisping process if I mixed the spices with the cornstarch? Or would you add the spices with the oil? Do them in a separate baggie? I just might have to make five batches and test all the options!
Katie
Thank you! The world is a better place with sweet potato fries. Really, it is.
Andy
These rocked. This is the first time I made fries without them being soggy. The corn starch helped. Also, I put my sweet potatoes in cold water for 30 min and let them dry out a bit. This is supposed to help get rid of moisture. This was great.
Duane
(Amazing how few posts are related to the actual SP fries.) As Karen said, the starch\oil ratio is critical. I made them and they were almost crispy.
I need to cut thinner fries. Karen’s are thin which probably reduces the amount of moisture. Mine were too thick so the next test will be closer to the cut in her photo.
Karen
Duane – That’s true! You can’t have thick cut sweet potato fries! And also, like I say, if all else fails, do them with the cornstarch in the deep fryer or in a pan with oil! ~ karen
Jessica@TheAestate
You’re right about the learning curve on these. First time- undercooked sweet potato fries covered in oily starch.(yes I still ate them, I would eat anything with spicy mayo on it.) Second time- getting closer. I cooked them much longer, till they were browned. Some crispy, but very cornstarchy still, so I’ll chill out on the cornstarch next time. Hopefully that fixes it. I make sweet potato fries about once a week, so its worth figuring this one out.
Karen
Jessica – Yes … go very light on the cornstarch. I add mine to the bag a large handful or two at a time. Makes it easier to get a light dusting. Also, as someone else pointed out, make sure your fries aren’t cut too thick. Good luck. Third time’s a charm. :) ~ karen
Supal
Thought I’d let you know that I added your picture with a link to this post on my blog under my “I’m craving” feature. Will be making these tomorrow!
Karen
Thanks Supal! Like I tell everyone, there’s a bit of a learning curve with this. Light on the cornstarch and heavier on the oil. Guaranteed success the first time, use the deep fryer. (with the cornstarch) Good luck! ~ karen!
Ann
The dip looks good but here in North Carolna the Sweet Potato State we sprinkle sweet potato frys with cinnamon sugar. You should try it. Looking forward to trying your crispy SP fries.
Elizabeth
I love you for posting this.
Karen
Elizabeth – It seems a bit early for declaring our love for each other but … well … I love you too. ~ karen!
Keith
I just tried the oven baked wedge style SP fries. This was my third attempt. First I tried frying, no good. Second time I tried frying them bigger, again, no good. I will try you recipe Sunday.
You are a Pro! I will post the results.
Karen
Keith – Give it a go. Like I said it may take a couple of attempts to get a feeling for the proportions. If you want GUARANTEED results, use the cornstarch/deep fryer method. Perfect every time. ~ karen
Su@TheIntentionalHome
found this on pinterest. . making them now. . will let you know how the family likes them. . thanks for sharing
Karen
Su – I’m making them for dinner tonight! Sweet potato fries, tenderloin steaks and asparagus on the BBQ! I’m doing the deep fry w/ cornstarch route. Mainly I love them because of the dip. :) ~ karen
Su@TheIntentionalHome
We made them. . we loved them. . you are right, there is a learning curve. . go light light on cornstarch. . and for us we had to bake 20 minutes but we all loved them. . .thanks for sharing the details of how to make these. I just shared about these on my blog. . .I linked to here.
Here is my post:
http://theintentionalhome.blogspot.com/2011/09/5-for-friday_16.html
doodles
I found your blog on these gems when poking around on Pinterest. I was intrigued. Because we were just at a favorite restaurant in town, husband loves their french fries come to find out they use CORNSTARCH!!!
Karen
Doodles – It took me mannnnnyyyyyy attempts and experiments before I decided cornstarch was indeed the way to go with Sweet Potatoes. I’ll never go back! Glad you found the site! ~ karen
Lianne
Glad I’m not the only one who had soggy problems. Will try yours next time (I had given up).
I’m surprised no one else has comments on your beautiful serving vessels… where did you get them?
Karen
Hi Lianne – I actually did a post on this fry cup last year! http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/stuff-i-like-the-mystery-cup/ It’s by Maxwell Williams. ~ karen!
Lianne
Sorry, only been following you since this summer…
Used ‘Stumble!’ and found you remembered you from CityLine and have RSS’d (and now FB) you ever since! Love all your stuff and thanks for the link!
Lianne
Oh, so sad “Caab Living is now in voluntary insolvency.”
But now you have a collectors item!
Magic and Mayhem
We made these tonight and tried to follow the recipe and all the comment suggestions exactly, but they were a pretty big flop. Even with a light coating of corn starch, the fries tasted powdery. They didn’t crisp up, despite the olive oil and additional cooking time. We had organic heirloom sweet potatoes from our CSA box and I’m kind of bummed to have wasted them.
Karen
Magic and Mayhem – Eek. I’m sorry to hear you ruined your heirloom sweet potatoes. The only thing I can tell you is either your oven isn’t running hot enough, or you should just go straight to deep frying. There’s no way to mess them up that way. If you ever go to a restaurant with great sweet potato fries you’ll notice they’re always deep fried and they always have a light coating of cornstarch on them. Also … soaking them in water is important. Like I say … there’s a learning curve to these fries and the proportions of cornstarch and olive oil. If you give it another go let me know how they turn out. ~ karen!
Amber E.
Whoa. 1st attempt at the fries…WAYYYY too much corn starch! Oooops. Tried to get most of it off, didn’t really work, just resulted in a BIG BIG BIG mess in my kitchen. Sigh. Better luck next time?!!! They are in the oven right now…crossing my fingers they are still edible!
Karen
Amber E. – LOL! Oh no! Well … now you know for next time. Right? Eep. Sorry! ~ karen
Rachel
I a making these with dinner tomorrow and I can’t wait to see how they turn out.
Lori
This is EXACTLY what I was craving for supper down to the Sriracha dip!! I’ll definitely be giving these a try tonight. Thanks!
Katy Vela
OMG – just tried them – we have a professional fryer – HOT HOT OIL – 6 min – didnt have Sriracha but kinda made a hot mayo – maybe I CUT them too small – kinda like shoestring – BUT STILL EXCELLENT – I will do bigger cuts next time – but sooooo excellet
Karen
Excellence! But I HIGHLY recommend getting the Sriracha. Sooooooo good. ~ karen
Elysse
Mine just came out and they’re PERFECT!! At first I added way too much corn starch, but i used a colander to shake them around a bit and get some of it off…seemed to do the trick. Thanks so much for this post!
Karen
Elysse – Excellent! Some people get discouraged by the learning curve, but they’re worth it! ~ karen
Emma
Hello Karen,
I recently posted your recipe for crispy sweet potato fries. I received your comment and took it down immediately. I sincerely apologize, I meant no disrespect. My site is just a way for me to collect recipes for myself, and yours looked so delicious.
I am very sorry.
Emma
Karen
Emma – No problem. No hard feelings. But maybe you should take a look at this … http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/how-to-properly-re-post-something/. It’s a post I did on how to repost something properly for anyone who is new to this. Sorry if I alarmed you, but my blog is how I make my living. I work 60 hours a week on it so I have to protect my site and the content. :) ~ karen!
Jenifer
This recipe sounds great, but what temp do you set the oven on? Thanks!
Caroline
What is Sriracha sauce?
Karen
Hi Caroline – Sriracha sauce is a hot sauce, kind of like Tobasco but a totally different flavour. It’s really good. It’s comes in a bottle about the size of an old, glass Heinz ketchup bottle and is usually in the Asian section or with the hot sauces. Now that you’re aware of it, you’ll probably notice it/be able to find it. :) ~ karen
Carol Egbert
Found you from Pinterest. Great recipe. I look forward to trying it.
Jen
Fantastic! Can’t wait to try this.
Ashley
*Nice*
::Bowing down to the french fry queen.::
I really enjoyed your candor and the tip is indispensable to me since I’m eating Paleo. Thanks!
Ashy
Kimberley Preston`
The cafeteria french fries and gravy WERE pretty tasty at Parkside. I *still* fondly remember them.
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
Found you on pinterest. These look awesome. And the dipping sauce is where it’s AT! :)
Repinned!
Karen
Thanks Averie! And you’re right the sauce is where it’s at. – Karen!
Lindsay
Sorry – these looked delicious but were actually really gross :(
Karen
Hi Lindsay – I’m guessing you did them wrong. Well … I’m not guessing, I know you did. Because they’re not gross in any way shape or form. You either a) used too much cornstarch or b) used too much cornstarch. As I said in the bottom of the post there’s a learning curve to them. To getting the ratios right. Also if you deep fry them there’s almost zero chance of screwing them up. ~ karen
Natasha
Mine didn’t turn out. I cooked them for 15 minutes and when I checked them they were soft and powdery, so I cooked them for a bit longer. Then they just got burnt and powdery. I am wondering if I did not put enough oil? When comparing my pictures to yours, it did not look like I put too much cornstarch.
Karen
Probably not enough oil then, Natasha. You have to make sure the oil coats all the fries. Be vigilant about this. And if you’re having a hard time just use more oil! Easy as that. And as I always say, the fail proof method is cornstarch and then the deep fryer! ~ karen
Sandy
Also found you via Pinterest. I looooove sweet potato fries, but usually buy the kind in a bag in the frozen section of the grocery store. I am so going to try this. BTW, I make my dipping sauce as follows: 4 tbsp. lite mayo, sriracha sauce (to taste) and some lime juice… delicious!!
Gabbi
Best online sweet-potato recipe I found! Thank you so much for the share. I made it today and had a bit of a tough time figuring out at what degree to set the oven, maybe putting that and how many sweet potatoes per spoonful of olive oil would be a help for other first timers?
Karen
Hi Gabbi – Sorry, you must have missed it. Right in between the pictures of the olive oil and the cut fries it says to preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. And yes, I’ll amend the recipe to say 2 Tbsps oil per pan of fries. It can be more … it just shouldn’t be less. Glad you managed to figure them out regardless! ~ karen
Holly
Yep, used way too much cornstarch I think. Had to bake them for about 30 mins, and they still didn’t get that crispy (I even made sure to spread them out). They weren’t too bad, but after you ate one you would get this film on the top of your mouth (thanks to the cornstarch). It’s too bad because I did the exact ratio this recipe calls for. I’d say start with 1 tbsp MAX of corn starch for all your fries to lightly coat them. Looking forward to giving this another go sometime.
Karen
Holly – Yes, I always have leftover cornstarch in the bag. It’ a matter of throwing a few in and quickly shaking them and removing them. Then again with the next handful. The problem is, if you don’t use extra cornstarch, you have trouble coating all the fries. Well … like I said, there’s a learning curve. :) Also, feel free to use more oil. Did you try the sauce? ~ karen
Skinny Fat Kid
This may be life changing…can’t wait to dive into that box of sweet potatoes I have on my counter!
Patrick
Thats a great idea! Sadly I made my first attempt before looking at your recipe and didn’t do the cornstarch coating part… I’m going to try it again tonight. Your sauce sounds delicious, I’ve been making a chipotle mayo, but i will have to give your sriracha mayo a try. Would i be correct in assuming if you are deep frying them, you can skip the oil coating? thanks!!
Karen
Hi Patrick – You’re right. If you’re gonna deep fry, you don’t need to coat the fries in oil. You *do* need the cornstarch and you *do* need to soak them in water. Good luck! ~ karen
Trish
I JUST had a major sweet potato fry fail last week. They came out totally limp and soggy. A total disappointment. But now I’m totally excited to try out your technique. I wish it was closer to the end of the day so I could get home and make these :)
Marg
Pinterest follower, too! I am definitely going to try this. thanks!
sawyer
Tried these. AWESOME! So far it’s the best method I’ve come across.. although I just learned of another one where you toss them in beaten foamy egg white. I’m going to give that a go as well and see what happens. But your method was very tasty.
Karen
Glad to hear it Sawyer. Did ya deep fry or oven fry? People seem to have trouble with the oven fry but it just takes a bit of practice. ~ k!
sawyer
Baked in the oven. I made sure not to overcoat with corn starch and made sure they were fully coated (but not over-coated) with olive oil.
Karen
GREAT! You’re a good example for everyone else. :) ~ karen
Karen Le Billon
Great recipe – just tweeted about you! :)
Karen
Thanks Karen! Did you try them or do they just *look* good to you? The sauce is FANTASTIC. ~ karen!
Steph
I have a ton of sweet potatoes in my fridge from my CSA share- now I have a new recipe to try! Thank!
Kris
Just made these. Mine turned out perfect! Thanks for the wonderful guidance!!
Karen
Excellent! I’m glad they worked out for you. You must have a knack for the sweet potatoes. ~ karen!
Susie
I noticed in your Nov. 16th response to Patrick you mention soaking them in water. I don’t see that mentioned in the original instructions. Am I missing something? Thanks!
Karen
Susie – I’ve looked and looked and I can’t see my mention of soaking the fries in water first either! I don’t know if I accidentally erased it or not so I’ll have to add it back in. Yes, it’s best if you soak your fries after they’re cut for at least an hour, preferably half the day. Just cut them when you decide you’re making sweet potato fries and stick them in a bowl of water until they’re ready to use. ~ karen!
Sarah
Was Googling a “crispy sweet potato fries” recipe and found you! Can’t wait to try this tonight. But I must share my dip recipe with you: 1 heaping tablespoon of mayo, 2 heaping tablespoons of horseradish sauce (not plain horseradish, but the sauce you put on a roast beef sandwich) and 1 heaping teaspoon of brown mustard. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of dried dill & blend. (I never actually measure so this is my estimation and you might wish to readjust portions to taste) It is SUPER yummy for dipping sweet potato fries!
Karen
Thanks Sarah! – My boyfriend will hate the sauce, and I will *love* it! He’s not much for horseradish or dill. I could eat the two of them as a meal. :) ~ karen
alsmouse
I LOVE!! SP fries. I will be trying this very soon. For an extra yummy dip, try mixing plain youghert or sour cream with a healthy pour of REAL maple syrup. It elevates SP fries to perfection.
~C8>
Elayne
These were amazing! Maybe I lucked out with the right proportion of cornstarch. I love sweet potato fries but since i don’t use a deep fryer they are always soggy. These were crispy and delicious. I heated a little oil in the bottom of the pan while the oven was warming up so I put them in hot oil and then drizzled a little bit more on top. The sauce was also really good, although I may have put a teensy bit too much hot sauce in….:)
Karen
That’s great Elayne! Glad to hear it. Some people get it right away, others take a few gos. ~ karen
Megan Thompson
Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I love sweet potato fries but I can never get the darn things crispy!