Author:
Kevin Curry
Easy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
It’s no secret (by now) that one of my favorite foods of all time is sweet potato. I can pretty much eat it every day along with avocado. So, it should be no surprise that I love sweet potato fries. I’ll admit, greasy sweet potato fries are one of my favorite treat meals of all time; but, why should I have to wait for a treat meal to enjoy a food that I love so much?
I SHOULDN’T. AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU.
Here’s one – oh yes, I have several versions – of my easy oven baked sweet potato fries recipes. It’s minimal, simple, and makes a perfect game day recipe. Plus, with only twenty minutes of prep time and thirty minutes of cook time, you’ll be enjoying these tasty, crispy fries in under an hour.
Here are some tips to remember:
- Dry out the sweet potatoes before baking. Potatoes hold a lot of water. After slicing them into fries, sprinkle some sea salt on them and let them sit for about 20 minutes on paper towels. You’ll notice after you do that there’s a lot of moisture on them. Pat them dry before proceeding with the recipe.
- Smaller fries are less likely to be limp. Even though longer more uniform fries look delicious, after baking they can quickly become limp and soggy. This is less likely with shorter cut fries. The solution? Cut the longer strips (matchsticks) in half.
- Halfway through, make sure you flip the fries unless you’re using a baking rack. This is a great thing to do even if you are using a baking rack because you’re forced to monitor the fries and can remove any that are about to burn. Plus, you’ll have a more even faux-fried coating on them.
- Use an oil with a high smoke point. While olive oil is great for roasting, it’s not so great for creating a faux-fried coating – for that, you need oils that have a higher cook point such as avocado oil, refined coconut oil, ghee or peanut oil. These will help give you that crispy on the outside, DELICIOUS on the inside effect that we’re going after.
- Use a sharp knife or mandolin to cut the sweet potato. This is CRUCIAL. You can avoid a really tragic kitchen accident by having the proper tools. Make sure the sweet potato is firmly in place before beginning to cut and make sure you have moved all of your fingers out of the way.
Ingredients for 5 servings:
- 2 large sweet potatoes, sliced into matchsticks
- sprinkle of sea salt
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch (powder)
- Substitute: tapioca starch, corn starch
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (OR chile powder)
- pinches of sea salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- Substitutes: refined coconut oil, peanut oil, extra light olive oil (if you must), ghee
- Garnish
- fresh chopped rosemary
- sea salt & pepper to taste
- low calorie condiment
STEPS
Step 1
Set oven to 420F.
Step 2
Chop the ends off the sweet potato, then slice it vertically into stacks or layers. Then, cut those into vertically into thin matchsticks. If the sweet potato is pretty long (about 4 to 5 inches), then slice the matchsticks in half for regular sized fries.
Step 3
Generously sprinkle the sweet potato with sea salt and place them on a paper towel (or bowl) to dry out for 20 – 30 minutes. Pat them dry with a paper towel afterwards.
Step 4
Dust the slices with arrowroot powder. Since arrowroot starch can be messy, I recommend using a sealable plastic bag and adding both the sweet potato arrowroot to it. Seal it and shake it up. Add the slices back to the bowl and add paprika, pinch of sea salt & pepper and avocado oil. Toss them in the bowl. It’s ok if they are kinda sticky while some parts are “white” with arrowroot.
Step 5
Add the sweet potato to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a baking sheet with a baking rack on top. Spread out the fries giving them breathing room – do NOT let them be too close together. If your baking sheet is small, you may have to bake in batches.
Step 6
Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Flip halfway through and continuously monitor to remove any pieces that are burning.
Step 7
Let them slightly cool but enjoy while they are hot. Sprinkle on some fresh rosemary and eat with your favorite low-calorie dipping sauce.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, I'm Kevin
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle.
By experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my meals on Tumblr, I learned healthy eating is not boring! By making a few adjustments to my favorite foods, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my wellness goals while satisfying my desire for BANGIN food! 😅 Now I try to help people around the world realize that same level of freedom in eating regardless of budget. Welcome, let's #DemocratizeWellness together!