Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

How to make crispy sweet potato fries for any occasion! This easy photo tutorial includes all the tips and tricks you need to know to make the crispiest, most delicious baked sweet potato fries! If you have an air fryer, this post includes instructions for air fryer sweet potato fries!

If there’s one food against which I’m completely defenseless, it’s sweet potato fries.

The crunch. That sweetness. The goo. Hand me a small bowl (or vat) of ketchup and it.is.over.

While the simple pleasure of dipping a perfectly crispy sweet potato fry in ketchup or chipotle dipping sauce is marvelous enough on its own, I am fully obsessed with any sort of loaded fry situation.

Cheese? Meat? Caramelized onions? Pepperoncinis? Extra sauces? Something I’ve never even heard of? Let.me.in!!

I’ve been making oven baked sweet potato fries for over a decade, and along the way I learned two key tricks to making them extra crispy and perfectly cooked:

1. Soak the cut sweet potatoes
2. Tapioca flour

Let us discuss.

Tricks For Making Sweet Potato Fries Crispy:

1. Soak the sweet potatoes: After cutting, soak the fries in cold water for 15-20 minutes. This helps draw out excess starch, preventing sogginess and encouraging that coveted crispy texture.
2. Tapioca flour coating: This simple ingredient creates a delicate, crispy coating that locks in moisture and crisps up beautifully in the oven.
3. Use avocado oil: Its high smoke point makes it perfect for high-heat baking, ensuring your fries get crispy without burning. Olive oil burns at a relatively low temperature, so skip it this time.
4. Avoid over-oiling and under-oiling! You want them to be noticeably coated but not overly oily before going into the oven. I use 3 tablespoons of avocado oil per two large sweet potatoes. Prevent soggy fries by using just the right amount of oil.
5. Space them out: Overcrowding traps steam and results in limp fries. Spread the fries in a single layer, with space between each one.
6. Don’t flip: Sweet potato fries are delicate – leave them alone in the oven to keep their coating intact and allow them to crisp up evenly.

I usually make 1 whole sweet potato per person; however, most people could probably allot one large sweet potato per two people.

I provided the measurements based on 2 large sweet potatoes, which results in about 5 to 6 cups of cut fries (pre-baking).

Let’s discuss the reason all of this works like a charm…

Ingredients for Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries:

Sweet Potatoes: That amazingly flavorful tuber that becomes sweet like candy on the inside and crispy-crunchy on the outside when baked to perfection. I personally prefer sweet potato fries over regular fries, but that’s neither here nor there.

Purple sweet potatoes work too, but they have a slightly longer cooking time.

Tapioca Flour: This simple ingredient is a starch that sticks to the sweet potatoes and coats them with a protective sheath that not only produces a crispy exterior, it helps the potatoes bake evenly so that the interior is molten sweet goodness.

I haven’t tested the recipe using arrowroot starch or cornstarch, but I suspect these would work too.

Avocado Oil: We need a high temperature cooking oil to protect the sweet potatoes through the baking process, and avocado oil is my favorite for said task. It has a high burn temperature, so it withstands the 415 degrees needed to make these baked fries nice and crispy.

Sea Salt: Super key to achieving a delicious fry!! Sea salt also helps with the cooking process so try to not forget it! If you prefer less salt, use 1 teaspoon instead of 2.

If you use iodized salt instead of sea salt, cut it down to ½ teaspoon and adjust up to taste. Iodized salt is much saltier than sea salt.

Sprinkle in some garlic powder, black pepper, chili powder, or your favorite spice mix for added flavor.

How to Make Crispy Sweet Potato Fries:

Cut the sweet potatoes into fry shapes using a sharp knife on a cutting board. Aim for fries that are about ¼ inch thick and 3 to 4 inches long. The exact size doesn’t matter so much as long as all of the fries are about the same size so that they bake evenly.

Once your sweet potatoes are cut, transfer the pieces to a large bowl and fill with water.

Soak the sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes.

After the sweet potatoes have soaked, Preheat the oven to 415 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Drain the sweet potatoes into a colander. Use paper towels to pat the fries dry. You want them as dry as possible.

Transfer the sweet potatoes back to a mixing bowl and add the tapioca flour, sea salt, and avocado oil.

Use your hands to toss everything together until the sweet potatoes are well coated.

Spread the sweet potato slices on two oiled (or parchment-lined) baking sheets and spread them into a single layer. Try to leave space between each slice so that the fries bake evenly – if they are touching each other, they won’t crisp up as well.

Bake for 25 to 32 minutes, or until the fries have reached desired done-ness.

Remove the fries from the oven. Use a metal spatula to scrape underneath the sweet potato wedges to release them from the baking sheet. Some of them will likely be stuck. This is normal.

For the best results, serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauces and enjoy!

There you have it! The best sweet potato fries for a tasty appetizer or side dish. No deep frying needed!

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries:

1. Follow all the same instructions above to pre-soak the fries. Coat the fries in oil and seasonings only – no tapioca flour.
2. Heat your Air Fryer to 380 degrees F. 
3. Transfer fries to the air fryer basket in an even layer. This will need to be done in two to three batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook for 12 minutes (or until they’re crispy) giving them a shake half-way through.

Also try my Crispy Baked Avocado Fries , Cream Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers, and Animal Style Fries!

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

5 from 5 votes

The crispiest, perfectly baked sweet potato fries for an irresistible side dish or appetizer!

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Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes cut into ¼-inch thick fries*
• 3 Tbsp tapioca flour
• 3 Tbsp avocado oil
• 2 tsp sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Cut the sweet potatoes into fry shapes. Aim for fries that are about ¼ inch thick and 3 to 4 inches long.
• Once your sweet potatoes are cut, transfer the pieces to a large bowl and fill with water. Soak the sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F. Drain the sweet potatoes into a colander. Use paper towels to pat the fries dry. You want them as dry as possible.
• Transfer the sweet potatoes back to a mixing bowl and add the tapioca flour, sea salt, and avocado oil. Use your hands to toss everything together until the sweet potatoes are well coated.
• Spread the sweet potatoes on two oiled (or parchment-lined) baking sheets and spread them into a single layer. Try to leave space between each slice so that the fries bake evenly – if they are touching each other, they won’t crisp up as well.
• Bake for 25 to 32 minutes, or until the fries have reached desired done-ness. Note: there’s no need to turn/flip/stir the fries partway through! In fact, they turn out best when you leave them be.
• Remove the fries from the oven and use a metal spatula to scrape underneath the fries to release them from the baking sheets (some of them will likely be stuck. This is normal, and it is why a metal spatula comes in handy!).
• Serve with your choice of dipping sauces and enjoy!

Notes

*Two large potatoes results in about 5-6 cups when cooked. Adjust the oil and tapioca flour according to how many potatoes you use.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4 · Calories: 284kcal · Carbohydrates: 49g · Protein: 3g · Fat: 7g · Fiber: 2g

Author: Julia

Course: Side Dishes & Snacks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer sweet potato fries, baked sweet potato fries, crispy sweet potato fries, sweet potatoes

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