Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato fries: you either love them, or hate them. I’ll help you love them with my 3 tricks for making crisp oven baked fries (instead of soggy), as well as my go to spice mix for them. 

I’ve been to plenty of restaurants where they serve a limp and sorry excuse for sweet potato fries. If this has happened to you, I can understand why you’d want to choose regular fries over their bright orange cousins. But, there is hope: I’m going to teach you my 3 tricks for making crisp sweet potato fries (without frying them!).

Benefits:

Now, before I can reveal the tricks, you know it wouldn’t be a Bombshell Blueprint post if I didn’t explain the health benefits of the dish, first:

Sweet potatoes are packed with Vitamin A which is necessary for clear and beautiful skin. They also contain other anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, and even help regulate blood sugar. 

For this particular version, I wanted to add some southwestern flavor. I paired cayenne with cumin, paprika, black pepper, and turmeric to deliver both heat and health benefits:

Cayenne increases thermogenesis and oxygen consumption for more than 20 minutes after consuming, which helps you burn more calories. It also fights inflammation, lowers blood cholesterol, clears congestion, and helps prevent stomach ulcers. 

Cumin offers powerful antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic effects. It aids digestion, can help prevent cancer, and is loaded with iron, which is needed for energy and immune function.

Paprika is bursting with antioxidants and delivers anti-inflammatory benefits. 

Black Pepper improves digestion, promotes intestinal health, and has antioxidant properties. 

Turmeric is being touted by researchers as a wonder spice for its anti-cancer abilities. It’s also highly anti-inflammatory, making it a great remedy for problem skin, a secret weapon to prevent wrinkles, and a pain reliever for inflammatory conditions like arthritis. It’s a potent detoxifier that also exhibits antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal activity. 

How to Make Crisp Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Alright, now on to the three tricks to make crisp, oven-baked sweet potato fries:

1. 1. Use a Shoestring Cut: Cut the sweet potatoes thinly into shoestring strips. Thicker cuts like wedges will result in a softer center. They are still good, but not what you want in a crispy fry. You can use a mandolin, or do it by hand, just make sure to cut all the fries as evenly as possible, so they cook evenly. Aim for about 1/4 inch, or just slightly larger. 
2. 2. Parboil: Sweet potatoes must be parboiled to remove some of the starch and help ensure that the edges aren’t burning while the center is still mushy. You only need to parboil for 3 minutes.
3. 3. Space Fries Out: Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet with fries, as this will lead to steamed potatoes instead of baked. Always do a single layer with space in between each. Using a corrugated baking pan allows for better air circulation and even crisping. (I must say, I adore my corrugated USA Pan baking sheet, it has made baking evenly so much easier.)

 

Alright, without further ado, here is the recipe for spicy baked sweet potato fries: 

 

Serves 4

Prep Time 20 min

Cook Time 25 min

Total Time 45 min

                    

Ingredients:     

2 long and thin sweet potatoes

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

   1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne (adjust according to your heat tolerance) black pepper, to taste

   2 tsp. olive oil

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 and bring a pot of water to a boil.

2. Peel sweet potatoes, and chop into 3-inch long sections, and then either use a mandolin or knife to cut into shoestring strips (about 1/4 inch or so wide)

3. Parboil the sweet potatoes, by dropping the strips into boiling water, uncovered for 3 minutes. Drain and let cool until they are no longer steaming, about 4-5 minutes.

4. Put the potatoes into a large bowl, add spices and oil and mix well until all pieces are thoroughly coated. You can use forks to mix, which will help abrade the potatoes and make a crispier fry. 5. Lay the fries out on a baking sheet, with at least a 1/4-inch in between. (Any closer and they will steam instead of bake). You may have to bake in batches, depending on size of your baking sheet.

6. Bake for 10 minutes, flip the fries, and bake again for about another 10 minutes, or until crisp.