Sides · American
Sweet Potato Fries (Oven)
Orange, crisp-edged fries from a hot oven, with a light coat of cornstarch and smoky paprika.
- Hands-on
- 12 min
- Hands-off
- 30 min
- Oven preheat
- 15 min
- Total
- 42 min
- Makes
- 8 side servings
- Serves
- 8
12 min hands-on (cutting, tossing, one flip) + 30 min in the oven. Preheat overlaps prep: switch the oven on before you start cutting. If your oven needs longer than your knife work, wait for it before the tray goes in.
Oven 220 °C · 200 °C fan (425 °F)
Pan 1-2 large baking sheets (about 45 x 33 cm), lined with parchment (US: 1-2 large baking sheets (about 18 x 13 in), lined with parchment)
- easy
- vegetarian
- vegan
- gluten-free
- side
- weeknight
- game-day
- kid-friendly
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? The coating scales in a straight line. Tray space does not: the fries must lie in one layer with gaps, so a bigger batch needs more trays, not a fuller one. With two trays, swap their positions when you flip. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: 1 or 2 large rimmed baking sheets · parchment paper · sharp chef's knife and cutting board · small bowl and large mixing bowl · tongs or a thin spatula · oven mitts
Contains: none of the 9 major allergens in the listed ingredients
Method
Heat the oven, line the tray
Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan, 425°F) with a rack in the middle. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (use two sheets if your potatoes are big; see step 5).
Ready when: The oven's ready light has gone off, or an oven thermometer reads 220°C (425°F).
Mix the seasoning
In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp paprika and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Mix in 1 tbsp (7 g) cornstarch.
Cut the fries
Cut the 4 sweet potatoes into planks, then into sticks about 6 mm to 1 cm (1/4 to 1/2 in) thick. Halve any very long sticks. Keep them roughly the same size so they finish together. Put them in a large bowl.
Otto tried this firstOtto cuts chunky wedges and skinny matchsticks in one batch. The thin ones scorch while the fat ones stay soft. Cut them all about the same thickness.Coat them
Drizzle 2 tbsp (30 ml) canola oil over the fries, sprinkle on the seasoning mix and toss with your hands until every stick has a thin, even coat.
Spread out in one layer
Lay the fries on the lined sheet in a single layer with a little space around each one. If they overlap, use a second lined sheet.
Bake, then flip
Bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Take the tray out and turn the fries over with tongs. If you're using two trays, swap their positions in the oven.
Ready when: The undersides are starting to brown and blister. They won't be crisp yet.
Finish baking
Bake for another 15 minutes, then serve hot.
Ready when: Browned in spots and crisp at the edges, and a knife slides easily into the middle of a thick fry. If they're still pale, give them a few more minutes and check again.
Swaps
- Instead of canola (rapeseed) oil: extra-virgin olive oil, same amount Olive oil and canola oil both work for oven sweet potato fries.
- Instead of cornstarch: leave it out The fries still bake up well without it; the cornstarch is there for a crisper coat. Without it, bake at 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F) for 30-35 minutes, turning them once.
- Instead of paprika, garlic powder and black pepper: a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat, or other dried spices you like Season to taste; cayenne is hot, so start small. You can add more seasoning after baking.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Frozen leftovers keep for 3 to 4 months.
- Reheat
- Reheat leftovers until they're hot all the way through (74°C / 165°F).
If something goes wrong
- Soft, steamed fries Why: The tray was crowded, so the fries steamed instead of roasting.
Spread them in one layer with gaps between them, and use a second tray if you need to. - Still pale after 30 minutes Why: The sticks are thick or the oven runs cool.
Keep baking and check every few minutes until they're browned. Next time cut them thinner, around 6 mm (1/4 in), because smaller pieces crisp faster.
Good to know
- Serve them hot with ketchup, ranch or mayonnaise for dipping.
- Parchment keeps the fries from sticking and makes clean-up easy.
Safety
- Raw sweet potatoes are hard and a knife can slip. Cut a thin slice off one side first so the potato lies flat, and keep fingers tucked. Kids can do the tossing, not the cutting.
- The oven, tray and parchment get very hot. Use oven mitts to flip and to take the tray out.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.