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
Sue
I just cooked a batch. The had the perfect crisp to them unfortunately, I went a little over board on the cornstarch. I think next time I will get it right. That is the secret ingredient I was looking for. I ate them like this at a restuarant at Stone Mountain Park (GA) – The Commons, I think, on the golf course. I have been looking for a way to make them crisp like theirs. You nailed it. I tried cooking them many different ways and coating them lightly with flour, sugar….awful! Thank you!!
Karen
Glad to hear it Sue! That’s kind of my thing. Figuring out the perfect way to do stuff. I’m currently working on the perfect regular french fry. ;) ~ karen
Liz @ Here's to Handy Andy
Thanks for sharing this! I tried it tonight and blogged about it, but it was an epic failure! I’ll have to try it again soon!
http://herestohandyandy.blogspot.com/2011/11/pinterest-thursday-fail-christmas.html
Rai hanby
Wow! These were absolutely flawless.
Karen
Great. I’m glad they worked for ya! ~ karen
Megan
Just a suggestion… while you toss them with olive oil add fresh black pepper, sea salt, and garlic powder. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory!
Julie
Will try this tonight! We have Sweet Potato Fries about once a week with Turkey Burgers. I mix the turkey with Cavenders Greek seasoning, an egg, and feta cheese. Cook in a grill pan with a little olive oil. We NEVER have them without our Sweet Potato Fries, but ALWAYS wish they were a little crispier!! :) Thank You!
Chad
Hi Karen,
What do we do after we have left the potatoes to be soaked for 1/2 a day? Do we pat them dry on paper towels before throwing them into the corn starch?? Please help!! Thanks and your website is amazing :) can’t wait to try this!
Karen
Hi Chad! Thanks! No need to pat them dry. Just drain the water well and throw the cut fries in the cornstarch. Make sure not to overcoat them. One way to make sure of this is to put all the fries in the bag and shake. If you add only a few at a time, they get completely coated with all the cornstarch. And then they are gross. :) ~ karen!
Casey
Hey Karen, thanks for this awesome recipe! It led me to a small revelation. We tried the fries last night, water soak + corn starch + deep fry and they were great! I mixed the sauce up too, but it wasn’t a hit as a dipping sauce. I think we just don’t like mayo enough; I tried various ratios of sriracha and mayo and it just didn’t spark with us as a dipping sauce for the fries. The sriracha was, of course, awesome as usual, so we made some other combos, one mixed with some low carb ketchup and another with a little ranch dressing. Despite not enjoying it as a dipping sauce for the sp fries, we do not waste perfectly good condiments in this house, and we were able to use the extra sriracha mayo on our jalapeno cream cheese burgers…it was a perfect combination! Now I wonder why I wasn’t using sriracha on or in my burgers all along. There, revelation. Thanks :)
Karen
LOL! Glad to help. In a completely random, roundabout way. ~ karen!
Marie
Karen,
I tried the sweet potato fries tonight. I bought sweet potatoes and yams. The sweet potatoes were the color of idaho potatoes, not orange. I washed the cut potatoes off so they were wet, and then I kept sprinkling on the cornstarch on them in a bag until all of the potatoes were covered. I mixed in oil, but ran out of olive oil so used some vegetable oil as well. I used miracle whip, hot sauce, and some lime/cayenne pepper for the sauce. I would love to taste your sauce. My teenager loved them too.
Painterchic
You stopped me in my tracks with the awesome photo on Pinterest, but then I knew I had found home sweet potato home when I read you used to love fries with gravy in high school! Haven’t heard that in 20 something years, especially having moved from Canada to the south USA. My recent addiction to sweet potato fries and several failed home attempts finds me here, armed with hope and and refusal to give up and use the fryer. WIsh me luck!
Karen
Painterchic … Hold on. JUST HOLD ON. Do they not have fries with gravy in the States? If that’s true, that’s just plain craziness! Glad you found the site. ~ karen
Mamak
While yours look delicious, mine did not turn out at all. I followed your directions on two separate attempts and both were soggy and not crisp at all. (My previous attempts with just evoo and salt turned out much better.) I think I will try one more time and skip the pre-soak. I think the extra moisture might have been a problem. ?
Karen
Mamak – No. The soaking shouldn’t have been a problem. The potato doesn’t absorb the water. It could be your oven isn’t getting hot enough? ~ karen
Shannon Meyer
Does this work with the white sweet potato fries too? I did it the other day with regular orange sweet potatoes and they were great. I just bought some white ones and wonder if it would work the same way?
Karen
Shannon – I’m not sure what you mean by white sweet potato fries? Do you mean regular potatos, LOL? Or do you mean light fleshed yams? If you’re talking about yams, they’re much sweeter and they have a higher moisture content, which makes them more difficult to get crispy. BUT … as I always say … give it a shot to find out! That’s the only way to figure stuff out. Especially with cooking. I easily serve one dinner a month that ends up being disgusting in the name of experimentation. :) ~ karen
Donna Garbe
I discovered Pinterest today, this recipe (which I’m going to try – looks wonderful). Where did you find those cute white serving pieces???
Karen
Donna – I got the french fry cups at a local gardening store (oddly). They’re by Maxwell Williams and are available online at a variety of places … like here .. http://www.tweedandhickory.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/white-basics-french-fries-cup-and-sauce-dish-by-maxwell-and-williams.html . They used to be on Amazon as well. Glad you found Pinterest and my site! ~ karen
painterchic
haha Karen, well USA has gravy at our house, as well as imported packages of Swiss Chalet sauce. (And Tim Hortons coffee…)You can take the girl out of Canada…
But I don’t recall seeing gravy and fries around here!
Maybe more north. Can’t blame the whole darn country quite yet…
They make a fine biscuit to make up for it.
Off to try the fries right now. Wish me luck!
J
MountainMan
Sounds great, anyone tried these with a different dip. I had them in Whistler once at the apré ski spot at the base and it was served with a sweet chili sauce. I have tried many different ones with mayo and other dips but nothing touches the sweet chili one in my opinion. The mayo is good but the sweet chili is god
Manon Visconti
Thank you for this recipe! I’m in love with sweet potatoes and cooking like french fries it’s so original! i’ll do this tonight for my family :)
John
Karen,
I have been scouring the internet for a recipe like this. I am making SP fries in a few hours for a cookout for about 15 ppl. So I only have one shot. I have read the recipe and the comments. I still have a few questions:
1. What happens when you add the oil before the cornstarch?
2. If you don’t dry the SP’s off before tossing them in the cornstarch, won’t too much cornstarch stick to the potato?
3. Can I blanch instead of soaking in cold water? I ask because it seems that blanching would reduce the time for removing the starch from the SPs.
4. How much oil is enough for the coating? In your pics, the amount doesn’t seem too excessive, but from the posts, a lot of people came up short on the oil.
Please help!
John
Karen
Hi John. O.K. Here we go … 1. Don’t add the oil before the cornstarch. Add it after. 2. Nope. No need to dry the potatoes. Just shake them dry and toss with the cornstarch. 3. No. Blanching won’t get rid of the starch. Soak em if you can. 4. You can add as much oil as you like. I just try to keep it low if I can. And finally … If you want to absolutely guaranteeeeee they’re going to work the first time out of the barn, deep fry them. (soak in water, coat with cornstarch … then deep fry) Good luck! ~ karen
Whitney
Thanks – working on this tonight! Been wanting to try something like this for a while now, thanks for sharing:)
Vanessa
Hello! I did indeed pop over from Pinterest and am happy to do so. It is a common complaint that my sweet potato fries are too soggy. At first I thought it was a problem with my cooking. Was something wrong with me? Did the sweet potato just not like me? :P Now after reading your article, I can live happily knowing it is indeed possible to render a sweet potato fry crispy.
Wanted to compliment you on your comical style of writing and on the very helpful tip regarding the inclusion of corn starch. Thanks!
Karen
Thanks Vanessa! Good luck with the fries. ~ karen
Mandy
I made the fries last night. They were yummy but stuck to the cookie sheet really bad. They did not turn out like yours. Tips?
Thanks,
Mandy
Karen
Mandy – There are 2 reasons for that … not a very good cookie sheet (I have 3 non stick cookie sheets and only one of them is *actually* non stick) and not enough oil. The better your cookie sheet, the less oil you have to use. Next time just use more oil. You can actually use as much oil as you want, I just try to keep it low ’cause it seems the smart thing to do. But if it makes your fries stick it isn’t so smart at all, is it? ~ karen
Mandy
Thank you!!!
BreAnna
Can you cook them with the skins on them, or do we have to peel them entirely first?
Also, do you prefer the ones with red or orange on the inside?
Can’t WAIT to try these tonight!! :D
Karen
BreAnna – I’ve never tried these with the skin on. It never occurred to me for some reason! I buy whatever sweet potatoes are available. Sometimes they’re darker inside, sometimes lighter … always good. Good luck! You *have* to make the dipping sauce with the Sriracha sauce … it’s the best part. ~ karen!
Cheryl
Do you have a print ready recipe card for this?
Karen
Hi Cheryl – Not yet, no. Sorry. I haven’t had time to make all my recipes printable. I’m workin’ on it. ~ karen
David C Fox
if it’s not too late you might consider putting the info about drying the SP in the recipe, for ppul like me who like lots of instructions.
or if you don’t those kind of ppul will just read in the comments looking for the info and discover what a nice person you are who answers so many comments.
it’s 4:45 a.m. i would make these right now but my wife probly wouldn’t appreciate me wakening her. but she might not might if i had SP fries waiting. hm-m-m…
LauraMSRD
If you deep fry, try frying them in coconut oil. Not the hydrogenated processed stuff, but the kind you find at Trader Joes or Whole Foods. Absolute deliciousness as the flavors are quite complimentary (coconut oil doesn’t really taste like coconut, but it does have a very rich flavor). Also, coconut oil has TONS of protective and beneficial health benefits, much like olive oil, but you can use it at temperatures much hotter than you can use olive oil. :)
Glenn
Thanks so much!!!
I just made them and I’m in heaven. What an excellent recipe.
Cheers
kathy
great recipe…but what attracted me are the gorgeous french fry mug and matching condiment bowl. What’s the source of these?????
Lynne
I have 4 sweet potatoes in the house just begging me to become fries. This looks like just the method to use.
Thanks!
Lynne
Tammy
The sauce I like to use is honey mustard thinned with a little bourbon. Spice it up with bbq seasoning, or garlic
Alexa
Do you soak the whole potato in water or soak it once they’re cut up into fries?
Karen
Hi Alexa – Once they’re cut up. ~ karen
Alexa
how do you cut them up when they’re so hard?
Karen
Alexa – Just use a sharp knife, cut a small section off one edge of the potato to make it flat, put that end down on the cutting board so the potato doesn’t slip around and start cutting away. ~ karen
Angie
Hi! First, let me preface by saying I enjoy to cook when I have time but I am not very good :) I decided to make these for my hubby’s birthday dinner on Thursday. And I just had to comment! After reading some of the comments I was a little nervous….but….mine turned out perfectly!!!! I quickly realized the cornstarch goes a LONG way! I put 1 TBS in a bag and put a handful of the potatoes in there and they were completely white! So..I added more potatoes until they were just lightly coated. I used 2 large potatoes and 1TBS+ a little more was all I needed. I deep fried mine. They were sooooo good!
The sauce is my new favorite on anything! I used the greek yogart with Frank’s hot sauce. Yummy! I made it again the next night and we dipped veggies, pretzels, for a snack and also used it on our steak.
I printed out your recipe but just had to find this site again to tell you it was a success and so delicious and I don’t even like sweet potatoes! So have faith…even bad cooks can make it happen! LOL.
Karen
Thanks Angie – I’m glad they worked out! I try to only post recipes that I *know* will work and most people will like. You should try the spaghetti and meatballs next! ~ karen
Diane
So thrilled to find this recipe! We love SP fries and every attempt to make them at home has been disappointing. Thanks for taking the time to figure out what works and sharing it with everyone!
Karen
Diane – You’re welcome. :) Good luck with the fries. ~ karen
raquel
To evenly coat each fry could you use a small basting brush or an oil spray bottle?
Beth
I just found this recipe ONE day too late LOL. I made soggy sweet potato fries for dinner last night. My family is gluten free so I hesitated to even look at your recipe-everyone adds wheat to their recipes! Thank you so much!!!!!! We’ll be having crispy fries from now on!!!
Lynn @ Order in the Kitchen
OMG I love you… i just tried to make sweet potato fries last night and they were a gross soggy mess…thank you SO much for this… i’m forever indebted to you! :)
Lauren
What temperature do we set the oven to? 350F?
Also, do you coat the pan with non-stick spray before putting the fries on it to bake?
Thanks!
Lauren
Karen
Lauren – Somewhere about halfway down the recipe I show you to set the oven to 425. HOT. (400 for convection) No need to coat the pan, although you can if you like. They tend to want to stick no matter what. I have one pan, which is actually made of stone which is the best non stick pan I have! ~ karen!
Kim
Made these last night and they turned out pretty well. Here’s what I learned: I should have used less cornstarch and more oil, should have dried them better post soak, use convection oven, turn trays, do not crowd trays. They definitely took longer than 15 minutes in my oven and Reynolds Non-Stick Foil is a lifesaver with these. Made a chipotle-garlic mayo and they were crunchy and yummy! Thanks!
Tracie
Prepping this recipe now. Can’t wait for some crispy sweet potato fries! :) Thanks for sharing!
Heather
These came out so good!!! Great recipe and easy to follow. I love sweet potato fries but don’t like how they’re soggy when I’ve tried making them in the past. I made up a batch of these to have with lunch yesterday for myself and my husband. Since they aren’t terribly greasy or fried (mine were baked) I gave a few to my 19 month old son who couldn’t get enough :) Thanks for the great recipe. I blogged about them and included a few pictures there, they came out perfectly crispy! :) http://oursucculentlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/homemade-sweet-potato-fries.html
Karen
Glad to hear it Heather! ~ karen
L Ooi
Found you on pinterest, have made these fries 4 times already. The second time I made them with white Japanese sweet potatoes, they caramelized at the bottom, they were extra good!! I don’t cook a lot, and even I can make these good, this recipe is fool proof! My husband said he could eat these fries everyday! ;-)
Karen
L Ooi – Glad to hear it! As you may have seen in the comments, a few people have had problems with them, but that’s because they didn’t follow the instructions exactly. Not a lot of cornstarch, thoroughly coat with oil, do NOT crowd fries on pan. Tell your husband I could eat them every day too. Really. I could. ~ karen
Kevin (Closet Cooking)
Those are some amazing looking fries!
Karen
Kevin – They’re pretty darn good tasting too. (frying is the foolproof method … oven baking takes a bit more finesse) ~ karen!
Melanie Senko
Will be making these tonight. I am not going to lie, I am pretty excited to try your cornstarch-crispy-fry-method Karen!
Karen
Melanie – It may take a couple of shots to get it right. When in doubt, add more oil and less cornstarch. When really in doubt use the deep fryer. :) ~ karen
R m
Tried on the top rack…soggy, tried on the bottom rack…burned???? Followed directions to the word. Must have a dis functional oven.
Karen
R m – Well. I think I’d go for the middle rack then. :) Do you have convection? Use that if you do. And if the fries were soggy it’s possible you had too many of them on the pan, which causes them to steam instead of bake. Or … it could be your oven. ~ karen!
phil
Should you season the fri or the cornstarch with s&p?
Karen
Phil – Leave the seasoning til the fries are cooked. Salt brings out moisture in foods so I’d be afraid they’d encourage the fries to be soggy. It’s hard enough to get them crispy without salt having its way with them! ~ karen
Ashli
I am sorry to report. I followed your recipe EXACTLY, and my fries were far from crispy. :-(
Karen
Ashil – Impossible. :) Could be your oven wasn’t hot enough (even if you set it to the right temp the gauge could be off) or you or you crowded the pans. You really can’t put a lot of fries on the pan or they steam. If you want it to be fool proof do the same thing with the cornstarch coating and deep fry. ~ karen
candace
Alright, I need a little bit of guidance. I tried these babies tonight. I used true sweet potatoes (light yellow in color, instead of yams which are bright orange) and I’m not sure if that was part of the problem. I could REALLY taste the cornstarch (I used 1 T). Not sure if I should just try less cornstarch or yams instead of sweet potatoes, or both, next time… thoughts?
Karen
Candace – Yes, just try less cornstarch. The fries do need to be completely dusted with the stuff though. Maybe try a bit more oil too. If all else fails eat twice as much dipping sauce on them. :) ~ karen
harry
I can’t believe all these stupid posts about, “Oh I have the perfect sauce” or “mayonaise this and mayonaise that”. All I want to read is whether or not your stupid recipe works on getting crispy yam fries! All you people that says “Oh I can hardly wait to try it” I say, why don’t you try the bloody recipe first, and then post on its success or not. Talk about a lot of nothing!! Get real guys!
sara
I know this is WAY LATE, but i just made these for the first time and they were AMAZING. i can’t believe all the comments this got saying it didn’t work! i made them in the oven, and they had to stay in there a little bit longer, but we loved them. also, you were totally right, that sauce is perfect. lastly, i’d like to inform you that we eat antojitos a couple times a week, so basically we would starve without you and your blog.
Karen
OH you wouldn’t starve. You might end up eating each other, but … you wouldn’t starve. ~ karen
jd
Spray olive oil works too. I u s e this in oven wi t h regular fries all the time. Makes em crispy like fried.
Kendra
Phenomenal website! (Found you through Pinterest, and I’m so glad!) The kids were thrilled to help with the sorting of the sweet potatoes and putting them in the water, then they helped me to shake the bag as well. I had a little trouble with cutting them uniformly, so the littler ones burned and the biggest ones are a little squishy (any suggestions for that?) but overall, just amazing! If nothing else, I know that shaking with the right amount of corn starch will always help (and we started with way too much per fry but just added fries to the bag and kept shaking until the ratio worked itself out). And I had never realized that I probably had been cooking them way too close together. Now we’re experimenting with dips, my preschooler’s favorite part of the day so far!
Karen
Thanks Kendra! Pinterest is my best friend, LOL. I can’t believe how many people find my site from people pinning it. Glad the fries worked out for you! I’m so in love with the dipping sauce every time I try to make a new one, I can’t bring myself to do it. I could eat the mayo/cayenne/sriracha by the spoonful! ~ karen
Angie
How many sweet potatoes did you use?
Karen
Hi Angie – I can’t remember, but probably 2 or 3 large. ~ karen!
Kristi
My work used to sell sweet potato fries, but instead of dipping them in something, they’d sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on them. Very good!
Christiana
I wish someone would have mentioned that you have to dry the sweet potatoes off thoroughly before putting them into a bag with cornstarch. When cornstarch and water mix, it makes a gooey paste, not a nice powder as pictured. Wish I would have known to dry them beforehand!
Karen
Christiana – I don’t dry my sweet potatoes before hand. I drain the water off of them, pick them up out of the bowl, shake them out a tiny bit and then throw them in the bag. My guess is you may have used too much cornstarch. ~ karen!
Christiana
I only used 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Oh well, I guess I’ll try less next time! They still tasted good, just a little mushy.
Erin
I recently discovered Japanese Kewpie mayo, which takes the Sriracha/Mayo dip to a whole new level! Kewpie is healthier than regular mayo (no unsaturated fats) and is umami at it’s finest. Yum!
Karen
Where did you discover this exactly? Where might I discover it? Have other people also discovered this? ~ karen!
Erin
I’ve seen it in a lot of different recipes and Asian sauces. You can find it at Asian groceries in a bottle with a..Kewpie baby..on it. That’s a bit different, but you should try it out! It really takes mayo to a whole new level!
Erin
Patee
Just tried this – my husband and I are still in shocked that it actually worked! It’s like the 4th SP fry recipe that I’ve tried. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!!!
Karen
I’m glad they worked out for you Patee! You must have followed the instructions to the “T”. Yeah … I kind of made it my mission to figure out a Sweet Potato fry recipe that actually *worked*. ~ karen!
M
You rock! I am so pinning this and trying it asap! Thanks! Your humor is welcome and make the adventure all that more welcome!
Karen
LOL, Thanks M! Pin away. I love people pinning! Lemme know if you have any problems with it. :) ~ karen
Olivia
Made these last night, and they turned out amazing!! Who knew it could be so simple to make crispy sweet potatoe fries? Thank you!
Karen
Olivia – I’m glad they worked out for you! ~ karen
Tracey
Going to make these tonight, will go very easy on the cornstarch and make sure there is adequate oil, as I will be oven baking. I’ve tried before with the egg wash but not with success :( Excited to give this a whirl! I have a bottle of Roasted Garlic & Chili Aioli by Culinary Treasures that I brought back from the US, specifically as a dip for sweet potato fries, cause I am lazy like that but next time, I will make your sauce because I do LOVE Sriracha sauce and have a big bottle of it in the fridge :-) I am sure it is delish! I also found you on Pinterest :-)
Karen
Good luck Tracey! Lemme know if you need any pointers. ~ k
Tracey
OK…bought pre cut SP at grocery store, perfect size. Soaked in water for one hour. Dusted lightly in cornstarch, drizzled with olive oil and tossed, preheated oven to 440F (as I am in Calgary and everything seems to need higher heat and longer cooking time), placed on baking sheet with parchment. They are soft and ‘slightly’ crunchy….I am wondering if they need higher heat yet? They were in for 20 minutes. They look perfect but are slightly limp.They are awesome with my garlic and chili aioli, regardless :-) I may just buy a deep fryer so I can have them perfect!! Thanks for recipe! :-)
Karen
Tracey – They *are* pretty perfect with the deep fryer. Just cook em a bit longer, or use convection if you have it. Also try foregoing the parchment paper. And the darker your baking sheet, the better crispiness you’ll get. ~ karen!
Lauren
Karen…. This IS amazing. My boyfriend hated sweet potatoes until I baked these with a touch of cayenne. It’s perfect for our diet (minus the dip) and makes me so happy I can indulge in my sweet potato obsession in a crunchy way! Thanks :)
Tammy
Was so excited to try these, but gotta say, in my (convection) oven, at 425, these were still NOT crispy! :( Tasted delicious, but didn’t stand up like they should. Next time I would use a little less cornstarch (had to brush them off cuz I used too much) and use a 500 degree oven! I think a deep fryer would be ideal (which I don’t have). Added a little sea salt and cayenne. Tasty! But still soft.
Karen
Tammy – Try more oil. I wouldn’t move it up to 500 degrees unless your oven thermometer is off and that’s why they aren’t crisping up at all. At 500, they’ll just burn. Go for more oil. ~ karen!
Rebecca Jeanne
Hey! I’m off all grains, corn and white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are fine, do you think I could use some almond or coconut flour instead of the cornstarch? I would LOVE some super crispy sweet potato fries!!
Karen
Um I have no idea Rebecca. I’m guessing no. But that’s just a guess. All you can do is try. If it doesn’t work out all you’ve lost is a sweet potato. And dinner for that night. And possibly a pound or two. ~ karen
Rebecca Jeanne
Okay! I guess I’ll have to try it and see what happens!!! :)
Joanne
I’m about to make these (sweet potatoes are julienned and standing by in some water) and decided to read some of the comments first…and wow, some of these people are rude. Anyway, I’m excited to try these out, we’ll see how it goes! I’ll let you know =)
Karen
LOL. I take it in stride Joanne. Well. Usually. :) People are passionate about their Sweet Potato Fries. Lemme know how it goes. ~ karen!
Joanne
They didn’t turn out crispy, but I’m almost positive I didn’t add enough cornstarch. I wanted to go on the low side though because I read about other people putting too much and them being inedible (my under cornstarched ones may not be crispy but they still taste good lol). I’m looking forward to trying these again the next time I get sweet potatoes from the store. It’s a work in progress!
Joanne
Also have you experimented with baking these on a wire rack set above the sheet pan? I wonder if that would make it better or worse. I’ll have to try.
Karen
Joanne – I have one pan that works perfectly for these fries and 2 that aren’t as good for getting the fries crispy. Don’t forget, you really can’t overdo it on the oil. The amount I talk about is a minimum. ~ karen!
Gigi
Hi Karen – I am a 1st time visitor from Pinterest! Thank you for posting the fantastic pics along with the written directions. I love crispy, good for you food. I just tried crispy kale this week which I also love. I’ve been disappointed w/ sweet potato fries in the past. I am so excited to try your method. I’ll give you an update!
Karen
Thanks Gigi! Glad you stumbled upon my site. Or Pinterested I guess. Lemme know how it goes and I’ll see if I can make any further suggestions. ~ karen!
Cat
This is SOOOO GOOD! And simple! And cheap! Thankyou thankyou THANKYOU!
Karen
LOL. You made it I take it? ~ karen
Cat
Yes I did! I was surprised to find that I had everything to make this and decided to make it for dinner….was not disappointed! This will forever be in my recipe box!
Karen
Excellent. I *try*, to only print recipes I know are delicious and have worked for me for years. How good is that Sriracha sauce dip? LOVE it. ~ karen
Cat
HEAVENLY! Thanks for the 10 lbs I’ll gain now :p
Jackie
Thank you so much, I tried them tonight and they were great. Made an adjustment I used the cornstarch and crushed a few walnuts to add to the cornstarch, sea salt and pepper mixture. I also put them in the refrigerator for a few hours prior to baking. I could have used a bit more oil when I baked them. They were very tasty.
Mandy
These are better than any restaurant fries I’ve ever had!! Thank you!
Stephanie
These are fabulous! And yes they do get crispy – my mother was amazed that it uses cornstarch. She didn’t believe me. Brilliant recipe!
Karen
Thanks Stephanie. Cornstarch also works for getting a crispy crust on chicken, for Chinese food and such. If you search my “Cashew chicken recipe”, you’ll see I use it there too. ~ karen!
Kenner
Why can’t I coat them in oil first, then toss them with cornstarch?
Karen
Kenner – Well, … why would you want to? ~ karen
Kenner
Better cornstarch adherence? More on the fries and less on the bottom of the cookie sheet? Just a thought as I was pouring over the photos….
Karen
Kenner – You actually don’t want better cornstarch adherence. You’d end up with wayyy to much cornstarch sticking to the fries and it’d also turn into a gloppy mess that would never get crisp. You just want a light dusting of cornstarch, not a thick coating of it. ~ karen!
Kenner
Thank you, Karen!
Sherrie
I can’t wait to try these! Has anyone tried adding brown sugar? Would that be added along with the corn starch or after they’ve cooked? Sweet potato newbie here!
Karen
Hi Sherrie – I probably wouldn’t add brown sugar to the corn starch. If you’re looking to sweeten them up even *more* eliminate the Sriracha sauce from the mayo dipping sauce and substitute with a dip made with mayo, a tiny bit of lemon juice, and brown sugar. Good luck. ~ karen!
Connie
yes, ma’am you are a bonafide professional and I am forever in your debt! I must, however, add that IF you ever get a hankering for the very best baked sweet potato please find a specimen from Vardaman, Mississippi – par excellance. The soil there produces a potato that, when baked, is truly sweet and creamy, no butter or brown sugar or anything else needed to create perfection! bon appetite.
Karen
Thank you Connie. More fry information coming up in a week or so. ~ karen!
Valentina
Hello, I’m from Italy. I saw you on pinterest and I want you to know that I’m going to try right now whit my sweet potato ;o)
Karen
Let me know how it goes Valentina! ~ karen
Linda Gold
I don’t know what went wrong but I followed the recipe exactly. I even used $$ organic yams and organic cornstarch. What did I get? A greasy, soggy, sticky mess! Expensive garbage.
Karen
Linda – Well, organic is good but it wouldn’t have any factor in whether or not you get crispy fries unfortunately. I’m guessing you used too much cornstarch. I may have to have a group video lesson on how to do these fries for the people who are having trouble. Sorry ’bout your fry disaster. :( ~ karen
Rebekah
Hi Karen,
I would love to try and make these fries but I don’t have any cornstarch. Is there a substitute for this ingredient, like breadcrumbs?, or can I just leave it out?
Thanks so much!
Rebekah
Karen
Hi Rebekah – I’m afraid cornstarch is the key ingredient. If you leave it out, the fries won’t get crispy. Not in the deep fryer or the oven. If I were you, I’d just wait until you can get to the store for some cornstarch. :( Sorry! ~ karen
Lindsay
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I bought sweet potatoes today to make fries to dip into a cilantro/lime/garlic mayo and just happened upon your pinterest post. I can’t wait to try them out!
Becky Schaaf
I’m making them for supper tonight – can’t wait! Thanks!!
Karen
I could eat the dipping sauce by the bucket. Don’t forget. Soak. Drain & shake dry with your hands. Lightly toss in cornstarch. Coat with oil. You an use more oil than I specify if you want. Cook! ~ karen
Cookanista
I like serving sweet potato fries or chips with a variety of sauces, such as wasabi mayo, cream cheese & green onion and sour cream with curry.
Wolfgang Loss-Wells
Very nice change from the usual sweet potato mush!
Karen
I’m having them tonight as a matter of fact! Can’t wait. ~ karen
matt
Great Sauce
Karen
Thanks Matt. I know! Isn’t it good? I could eat it by the bucket. ~ karen!
Matt
I thought I was emailing myself the recipe but evidently, I was posting a message… Excellent sauce is a more accurate discription… so simple and flavorful. Will definitely use it on a number dishes. Thanks Karen
Cathy
sp fries recipe
Heather Colombatto
REALLY good… I made it with the lemon aioli sauce below to dip:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Easy-Aioli-242695
Karen
Excellent. I’ll give it a try. Maybe. I’m kind of addicted to the Sriracha sauce dip. :) ~ karen
Karen Elizabeth
Hi Karen!
These look INCREDIBLE. Our local favourite restaurant, Cafe Hollander, makes the most wonderful sweet potato fries in the world… And i’ve been looking for a great recipe for them!
ONE QUESTION: I can’t eat anything with corn in it. Is there any alternative to corn starch that will work with this and still get crispy, wonderful results?
…
Karen
Karen – I’m afraid cornstarch is the magic ingredient. The only other thing I can think of is another similar starch like potato starch. Although I have NO idea if it will work or not. Give it a shot and let me know. :) ~ karen
Krystal
I will definitely have to try these. My husband and I both enjoy sweet potato fries although he prefers them more crispy, the less sweet potato-y the better he thinks. I think the Siracha Mayo will make them taste great. Less of a sweet, sugary side dish for the holidays and more of a hamburger and hot dogs kinda side.
Karen
Hi Krystal – Yup. The dipping sauce *makes* them! I’m not a huge fan of “sweet” either, but THESE I love. ~ karen
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma)
I listed this recipe on my “favorite recipe finds” post today! I want my readers to see this yummy one! :) http://vegetarianmamma.blogspot.com/2012/04/favorite-recipe-finds-week-of-41612.html
Cindy :)
Karen
Thank you Cindy. :) ~ k
Meagan
Hey there! I saw this recipe on Pinterest and tried it tonight. I baked them, and they turned out GREAT! Not as crispy as your picture seems, but still crispy enough. I also substituted nonfat plain Greek yogurt for the mayo to make it healthier, and the dip was still delicious. One tip: bake the fries on your lowest rack in the oven, it makes them crispier. Thank for sharing your recipe!!!
Tim
Karen,
Would you mind please sharing with us the approximate number of potatoes you used? That should give us all a baseline for your 1-2 tbsp of corn starch and 2 tbsp. I’ve tried this recipe a few times and still end up with burnt, soggy fries.
Perhaps add it to directions so you are asked this over and over? Something like “I used 3 medium sized sweet potatoes”
Karen
Tim – To be honest, I can’t remember how many I used. Chances are it was 2 or 3 very large sweet potatoes, but it should really matter. When I make these I rarely measure the corn starch. I just dump a bunch in the bag, throw ALL of my fries in, making sure there’s a lot of air in the bag, shake quickly then pull them out. It’s one of those things, where if I’m not there seeing exactly what’s going on it’s hard to determine what the problem is. It could be an oven that’s running too high a temp., not enough oil, too much cornstarch left on the fries etc. etc. Sorry I can’t be more help. ~ karen
Tim
Also, you say the soaking in water is optional…what benefit does it/should it provide?
Karen
Tim – Soaking potatoes (either sweet or regular) removes starch from the potato. You know how the water gets all cloudy? That’s the starch. Starch retains moisture basically, so the more starch you get out of the potato, the drier it will be, therefore making crispiness easier to attain. Don’t forget the size of the fry is important too. ~ karen!
Donna
I don’t know, or honestly care, where you grew up, to think that it’s ok to come off with such an egotistical opening to this post. But my Grandmother, that was born in 1906, made “fried” sweet potatoes EVERY Sunday for US, her grandchildren, before anyone EVER thought of “sweet potato fries”. So maybe you need to SERIOUSLY “back up”. And remember that there were a LOT of really incredible cooks out there providing for their families before you were ever even thought of. AND, don’t even TRY to throw the “I know french fries” card with me. That’s the only thing I ever made myself as a snack when I came home from school. You will never win this arguement with me. Your post insulted me. And I’ve told you why.
Karen
Wow. Um. You’re kindda nuts. ~ karen
Ann
These look good! Can you add sea salt to the oil? And what is sriracha sauce? I have never used it or actually I’ve never heard of it! I have baked the frozen sweet potato fries and look forward to trying your recipe. Thanks for sharing. Ann
Karen
Hi Ann – You’ll find Sriracha sauce in the “hot sauce” or Asian/International aisle. I wouldn’t add sea salt to the oil if I were you. Salt draws out water from the surface and will do nothing to crisp up your fries. Leave the sea salt until after you’ve cooked them. And like I tell everyone … if you want to absolutely guarantee success … do the cornstarch method, but fry the in a deep fryer. That method is foolproof, while the oven method takes a bit of finessing and following EVERY direction I give you. Good luck! ~ karen
Renee
We made these using the deep fryer method yesterday (after being continually disappointed with soggy SP fries before coming across this recipe) and they were AMAZING! We must have gotten just the right amount of cornstarch coating because we couldn’t taste the cornstarch at all but they were perfectly crispy and cooked through all the way! So glad we found this!
Also, we toss ours with chili salt after they come out of the fryer and then dip them in a roasted garlic chipotle mayo – delicious!
Karen
Hi Renee! Thanks for letting me know. Yup. It’s almost impossible to screw up the deep fry method. They’re always good. The oven method takes a little more finesse. I made them last night actually and I was greedy putting too many in the oven. They didn’t turn out well at all. You CANNOT crowd the pan. :/ ~ karen!
Shayla
For those who want the crispy fries without the gluten…
Tapioca starch works perfectly! I followed the recipe exactly, but just substituted tapioca starch and they were devilishly delicious! Thank you so much for helping me indulge in one of my favorite comfort foods!
Karen
Thanks for the Tapioca tip! ~ karen
sara
i make these constantly, and they’re always awesome, but the best part is that my kid loves them. he’s ten months old and it’s so nice to have a snack i can throw in a container and take with us and not worry about whether or not it’s healthy and how big a mess he’s going to make. thanks!
Karen
I’m glad they work out for you Sara! ~ karen
hanhnee
I got this on the first try THANKS!!!
I had a little bit of TEMPURA powder mix leftover from making tempura shrimp the other night and decided to use that instead of cornstarch. Tasted amazing!!! I can’t imagine it tasting any better, so I will continue using the tempura mix instead of cornstarch because i’m worried it might taste starchy.
Thank you so much for the “shake n’ bake” trick. I deep fried at the highest setting as you suggested and they were perfect in minutes.
Karen
Great! If the tempura powder works … then no need to change it. :) ~ karen
Shannon
Oh man! Found this on Pinterest and just made them for my daughter for lunch. Neither of us are sweet potato fans — LOVE french fries, though, so I was looking for something healthier with the same crunch. I cut them more like shoestring (as that’s what we prefer), so probably didn’t need the full 15 minutes. Coated them with the corn starch, as well as a pinch of salt and some lemon pepper. Crispy and delicious! My daughter (and I) may be converted sweet potato fans afterall, thanks to this great recipe! THank you for sharing it!
Karen
Glad you liked them Shannon! ~ karen
Bakeaholic
Enjoyed reading your post. Made me laugh. It’s true that most people looovveee sweet potatoes fries because they are suppose to be healthy. But Really? When they’re breaded, fried and dipped in a mayo sauce, that all goes out the window.
Your fries look delicious. Making mine this way tonight!
chip
All these sauces for SP fries??? doesn’t anyone use a scoop of whipped butter and a drizzle of honey over them >>??<<
Karen
Chip – Dunno. I use the hot mayo sauce I’ve given the recipe for. I find sweet potatoes sweet enough, so I like to cut the sweet with a lotta spice! :) ~ karen
Timothy Hudacek
Karen,
Your recipes are the BOMB! Made them tonight and both the fries and the sauce were fantastic. Deep fried them in olive oil. Have you ever considered the food concession business? What other amazing recipes do you have to offer?
Thanks again,
Timothy “Hudy” Hudacek
Shugness
I found these from Pinterest and just had them with our dinner tonight – they were great! I read the reviews so I was very careful with the corn starch – I tried just a few initially and determined I had too much in the bag. I poured most of it out and got them lightly coated. I used Canola Oil. My fries were a little thicker than pictured, so I ended up roasting for 30 minutes total, turning them every 10 minutes. I just kept baking them until they got crispy! Also – I sprinkled salt and pepper on mine before I baked them. Very yummy!! Could be my new favorite thing.
Karen
Thanks Shaugness – You are proof that following the instructions (*and* having a little common sense) works! Glad you liked em. Did you make the sauce? ~ karen
Shugness
Yes! The sauce was awesome and really complemented the fries. I’ve been using mayo made with Olive Oil, so that helps with calories! And it tastes just as good as regular mayo in my opinion. Thanks!
Tammy
sounds great, I can’t wait to try,,,, however i will sprinkle with powdered sugar… yall should try it southern way