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Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potato Fries are a delicious variation of classic French fries. Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries are cut wedges of sweet potato tossed lightly in oil and coated with spices. They’re baked, so they’re a bit healthier than their fried counterpart.

sweet potato fries in a basket

February 22nd is National “Eat a Sweet Potato Day.” Celebrate by making oven baked sweet potato fries with your dinner tonight! You can also honor the sweet potato by eating some sweet potato chips, making mashed sweet potatoes, bake whole sweet potatoes, make potato skins, spiralize your sweet potatoes or bake a sweet potato pie. Use the hashtag #eatasweetpotato or #nationaleatasweetpotatoday if you are sharing on social media.

“Sweet potatoes in their jackets have a large comfort value built into them.”

-Bryce Courtenay

About Sweet Potatoes:

Sweet potatoes are a sweet, starchy root vegetable. You’ll see them in orange, white and purple. The orange variation is often referred to as a “yam” in the United States, but is not related to real yams in any way!

Sweet potatoes are distantly related to the common white potato. A lot of people turn to sweet potatoes for their nutritious value.

ingredients displayed for oven baked sweet potato fries

Ingredients needed:

  • orange flesh sweet potatoes
  • vegetable or canola oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • paprika
  • garlic powder
  • dipping sauce of your choice
cut sweet potatoes soaking in water in bowl and then drained with added spices

How to make Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries:

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into wedges. Make them all pretty uniform in size so they’ll cook evenly in the oven.

Next, soak the cut sweet potatoes in a bowl of ice water for about 40 minutes. Drain the potatoes and then toss them with oil and spices.

Why do you soak potatoes in water before making fries?

This is an important step! Soaking sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes) in water before baking will draw out some of the starch in the potato. This will help your oven baked sweet potato fries to have a crispy texture (instead of soft or soggy) when baked.

cut sweet potatoes on a baking sheet with second photo showing them roasted

Spread the potatoes out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at a high heat (425 degrees F) until crisp and lightly browned- 10 minutes and then stir and flip and bake 10 minutes more.

dipping oven baked sweet potato fry in dipping sauce

Serve your oven baked sweet potato fries with your favorite dipping sauce. Some people like classic ketchup or ranch dressing, but I prefer thousand island dressing or burger sauce. That’s the best pairing for sweet potato fries!

sweet potato fries in a basket

Nutritional facts about Sweet Potatoes:

  • Sweet potatoes are slightly higher in calories and carbs than white potatoes, but they are more nutritious.
  • They are rich in beta carotene (an anti-oxidant), which converts to Vitamin A. This helps with vision and a healthy immune system.
  • The high fiber content in sweet potatoes is good for gut/digestive health. Eating a sweet potato helps you feel full and can help your digestive system to run more smoothly.
  • Sweet potatoes are still high in carbs, but they’re better for your blood sugar. They have a low glycemic index and will not trigger hunger and contribute to obesity as much as higher glycemic index foods.
  • Sweet potatoes are gluten-free.
  • They are a low fat food! 1 cup of sweet potato has 180 calories, 41.4 carbs, 4g protein, .3g fat and 6.6g fiber.
sweet potato fries in a basket

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Super easy recipe for roasting sweet potato fries in the oven!

Ingredients

  • 2 large (orange flesh) sweet potatoes, cut into 1x3-inch wedges
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Thousand Island dressing, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for 45 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Toss again.
  4. Arrange the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer so that none of the potatoes are crowded or touching. Bake about 10 minutes, then turn them all over and bake for another 10 minutes- until golden and crisp.
  5. Serve with thousand island dressing as a dipping sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 173Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 297mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 2g

Nutritional information is estimated using a nutrition calculator.

Joyce Kardell

Thursday 5th of August 2021

Try using apple butter to dip your sweet potato fries in. Awesome! No other dip compares.

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