Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Your family will love these oven baked sweet potato fries which are dusted in a special seasoning and baked until crispy and delicious.

These sweet potato fries are a flavorful side dish to pair with homemade burgers, a mouthwatering steak sandwich, BBQ chicken drumsticks, and more! They are an incredibly versatile dish that will complement many of your favorite meals.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Oven baked sweet potato fries are a great alternative to traditional deep-fried French fries. They are easier to make, less mess, and better for you. I would argue they taste better too! I've been making this recipe in particular for years. The special seasoning blend and unique dipping sauces really makes these fries a crowd-pleaser.

How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries

To make the best sweet potato fries there are a few tips and tricks you can incorporate for best results. Anyone can cut sweet potatoes and toss them in the oven, but if you follow these extra tips, your fries will go to the next level.

Cut Evenly

Using a sharp knife cut the sweet potato fries ¼" thick. Unless you have a high-quality mandoline I find a knife works better. Sweet potatoes are too tough for my Oxo mandoline. If desired, you can cut them thicker, but expect the baking time to increase accordingly. Just be sure to cut them into a uniform thickness so they cook evenly.

You can keep the skin on the sweet potato, or peel it off. Personally, I take a hybrid approach where I square up my sweet potato slightly before slicing. This removes a large amount of the outer skin, while leaving some intact.

Toss in Cornstarch

Sweet potatoes don't naturally bake up as crisp as russet potatoes, but tossing them in cornstarch can help improve the exterior texture and crisp them up a bit more. I use roughly ½ tablespoon cornstarch per pound of sweet potatoes. It is important to dust the fries before tossing them in oil and seasonings because you want the cornstarch underneath so the fries don't taste like cornstarch.

Don't Overcrowd the Baking Sheet

Place your fries on a large baking sheet lined with greased parchment paper to prevent sticking. You want to leave space in-between each fry to allow air to circulate. They won't bake as evenly or get as crisp if you crowd them. For two pounds of fries, I typically need two baking pans.

Bake Sweet Potato Fries at 425 Degrees

Place your sweet potato fries in the oven preset to 425 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Flip halfway through cooking, and if using two baking pans, rotate which one is on top and bottom. The fries are done when tender on the inside and dry and slightly crisp on the exterior.

Sweet Potato Fries Seasoning

For years I have been using my own custom blended seasoning for sweet potato fries. It is so good I nickname it "magic dust". Use 1 teaspoon of the fry seasoning per pound of sweet potatoes. This seasoning blend recipe is good for a little more than three pounds of fries:

• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Dipping Sauces for Sweet Potato Fries

I find the best dipping sauce for sweet potato fries is my cilantro lime sour cream sauce. It makes the fries so bright and fresh tasting! Plus, it takes no time at all to whip up a batch!  If sour cream isn't your thing, I recommend using a sweet BBQ sauce as an alternative.

This recipe was originally published on FoxValleyFoodie.com June 3rd, 2015.

If you enjoyed reading my oven baked sweet potato fries recipe then you should probably like me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest too. That’s what I would do at least, because if you don’t get to know me but you still use my recipe it is kind of like taking candy from a stranger, and your mom taught you not to do that. Don’t disobey your mom, subscribe to Fox Valley Foodie today.