No need to fry when you can make these crispy baked sweet potato fries! Spicy and tangy and served with fresh cilantro they take sweet potato fries to a whole new level!
Sweet Potato Fries
What side dish do you mostly order at restaurants? Fries, right? I love french fries, especially if they are thin and crispy.
My husband always chooses sweet potato fries. The problem is that I think they are a little tricker to get right. Some restaurants do them perfect – thin, crispy and seasoned.
Some are more like wedges and while they are still good, they are not my fave.
These homemade sweet potato fries are my new favorite, they are everything I want in a sweet potato fry!
Ingredients for Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Lime – I used one lime for this, but I think you could definitely up it to two. Slice the second one and roast it with the fries and then use it to drizzle at the end.
- Olive oil.
- Chili powder and cayenne powder. You could also use cumin.
- Cornstarch – this helps them crisp up.
- Sweet potatoes – I used two large sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes vary so much in size, some are huge, some are small. You want to have about 1 cup of fries per person.
- Cilantro – not pictured. Sprinkled on at the end.
How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Fries
To get crispy fries you need high heat so preheat the oven to 450.
While the oven is preheating, scrub the potatoes. I don’t bother peeling them, but you can if you want to. If the potatoes are long, I first cut them in half crosswise so that the fries aren’t too long. Then cut them into small fries about 1/2 inch thick. The thinner they are the crispier they will get.
Place them in a bowl and toss with the cornstarch, chili powder and salt and pepper.
Drizzle the fries with the olive oil. Cut the lime in half and drizzle the lime juice over the fries. Toss to combine.
Another tip for making crispy baked fries is to spread them out. I used two baking sheets. If you crowd the fries they will steam and not get as crispy.
Brush the baking sheets with olive oil, or use a cooking spray, or use parchment paper. Spread the sweet potatoes out in a thin layer making sure they aren’t touching.
Drop the lime halves on the tray. If you are using an extra lime, lay the wedges on the tray too.
Roast for about 20-25 minutes. At the halfway point, use a spatula to make sure they aren’t sticking and to turn them a bit.
When they come out of the oven, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and squeeze the lime wedges over.
These spiced sweet potato fries were everything I hoped they would be! They were crispy, spicy, and tangy. Don’t skip the cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice at the end, it really brightens them up.
Also the photos only show one lime being used, but I am going to put in the instructions to use 2. I think having the second one cut into wedges and then roasted would give you an even brighter lime flavor at the end.
If you have any extra sweet potatoes we love this easy pasta recipe and don’t forget they make the best sweet potato noodles!
Even more easy side dish recipes.
This Creamy Parmesan Rice is ready in about 30 minutes and is rich, buttery and cheesy!
Another go to at our house is these Garlic Smashed Potatoes – crispy, garlicky and so easy!
Don’t forget your instant pot! It makes the best quinoa pilaf in minutes!
If you make this I would love it if you would follow me and tag me on Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook
Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes large, enough for about a cup of fries per person
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 limes
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450. Coat two baking sheets with olive oil, cooking spray or line with parchment.
- Wash and scrub sweet potatoes. Cut in half crossways and then cut into 1/2 inch fries.
- Place sweet potatoes in a bowl and toss with the cornstarch, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper.
- Add the olive oil and the juice of one lime to the potatoes and toss.
- Spread them out on two cookie sheets. Toss on the spent lime halves (from being juiced) and cut the other lime into wedges and add them to the pan.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cilantro and squeeze the lime wedges over the fries.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2010 and has been updated for 2019.
This is such an easy crowd pleasing recipe. The sourness of the limes against the spiciness of chilli and sweet potatoes is a flavour riot!! Brilliant recipes!!
This is a flavorful starter. Sweet Potato is an healthy snack too.
Love the brilliant tip of adding cornstarch to crisp up these sweet taters! Love the lime and spices to flavor up the sweet potatoes also! I can tell this is going to be my favorite sweet potato fries recipe!
I just recently realized how much I like sweet potato fries. These sound fantastic with the lime and spices.
Oh there is nothing I love more. Mine always seem a little soft though so I can’t wait to try your recipe. Cornstarch sounds like the secret. 🙂
Mmm we love sweet potato fries! Looks like a great, simple recipe!
Alexis is going to love these!
When we lived in Minnesota, I had the best sweet potato fries I’ve ever had at a restaurant there. How could that BE?
The chef said it was because he used New Jersey sweet potatoes–they have less water, so are less apt to be soggy.
I think the problem is that they were so delicious, you didn’t want to postpone eating them. Sweet potatoes fries are the best. I really should eat them. Hourly.
I do love sweet potato fries! You gotta love anything that is so simple and so good.
I really like sweet potatoes fries. I really hate when I forget to get a photo of my creation. :0( Thanks for the great recipe. I can almost taste them now!
And they are SO MUCH HEALTHIER for us than regular fries….. I think I would really like them!!!
Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Betsy
I can’t believe it took me so long to try sweet potatoe fries but we’re hooked on them here too. Sometimes I add a little cumin and cayenne pepper to kick them up a notch.
I’m a recent convert to sweet potato fries – soo yummy.
Sweet Potato fries are delicious! We love them. They are accompanied by a yogurt-curry dipping sauce at our house…so good. Thanks for sharing.
Even my Thanksgiving sweet potato hater enjoy sweet potato fries.
Mimi
oddly enough, i’ll eschew regular fries every time, but sweet potato fries are always welcome. why my mind thinks they’re less sinful, i’ll never know. 🙂
Sweet Potato Fries are my favorite! When you don’t have the time to slice and bake your own, Trader Joe’s frozen sweet potato fries are wonderful! We eat them as a side with our veggie burgers!
I’m a somewhat recent convert to sweet potato fries. I love their natural sweetness, and I try to convince myself that they are much healthier than regular fries. I guess they would be…. if I had any self-control and could just eat a few of them.
I have to remember that last line:) I pride myself on keeping secrets and discretion..but now instead of sounding like a “woossie”(?Sp? word?)..I can just say that:)
We love sweet potato fries..and we bake ours too..:)
CRS- Can’t Remember Sh*t!!! Fries look killer…
Wonderful! I love sweet potato fries too, but I always forget about making them.. thanks for the reminder.. I know what you mean about forgeting.. you know, shampooing your hair, or shaving under your arm… but just one arm. Sigh.
“Feel free to tell me your secrets, I will forget them in minutes.” – LOL! That’s priceless:D
I love sweet potato fries too. Sounds like a great idea for the two lonely sweet potatoes in my pantry.
Oh Pam, I love that you forgot. I forget all of the time. Now I’m writing down things wrong. I wrote bathroom soup on my shopping list – meant bathroom soap.
I’m seeing sweet potato fries on so many more restaurant menus today. When we do fries, I always “fry” them in the oven like you do. I think they are better and not as greasy as the deep fried ones.
Sam
My mother in law says it’s a “senior moment.” I tell my kids that my alzheimers is kicking in, and they are required under state statute number 2 to be nice to me.
I’ve never had sweet potato fries. I love sweet potatoes any way I can get them.
I forget to have them! But we love, love, love them!
We like sweet tater fries around Almost Heaven South and uh, er, I forgot what else I was going to say.
LOL about the “secret telling” comment. I’ve been meaning to make sweet potato fries. There’s a huge frozen bag of them that is calling my name at Costco, but I’ve resisted thinking I can make my own. Isn’t it a pain to cut up the potatoes though? I think that’s why I’ve been resisting.
Wish you had posted this yesterday before I went to the store last night. Because I will forget that I want sweet potatoes by the time I go to the store next week. 😉