If you are looking for how to make your homemade sweet potatoes crispy, you have come to the right place. Read our tips on what you can do to make your next batch better, whether that be roasted or baked in the oven or in your air fryer. You don't need any corn starch or flour.
The key is to used purple sweet potatoes or Japanese, which can be either purple or white inside.
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I have witnessed a trend lately of using sweet potatoes in applications normally reserved for the standard potato.
Even fast food restaurants like Burger King and Culvers have ventured into offering sweet potato fries as an alternative at times to different levels of success. A lot of people like to make those fries in their own kitchen.
Many are trying to do that with using too much fat. Which means deep frying is out.
Roasting would be the easiest option but it comes with an issue - getting the fries crispy on the outside. We set out to find a way to accomplish this.
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? The Secret
It's tricky to make them crispy without frying them in fat.
Roasting or baking them (either word is used!) rarely turns out a fry as crispy as people want. The moisture in the sweet potato means you have to cook them longer to make them crisp.
But if you do, they are easy to burn because of the natural sugars found in the sweet potato. Sugar likes to burn in the oven.
Is there anything you can do to overcome this problem? I have come up with a solution - change the variety!
? Purple Sweet Potatoes
The Stokes Purple Sweet Potato is a non-GMO variety that is purple both on the inside and out. This variety is just beginning to grow in popularity.
The reason why this potato makes excellent roasted sweet potato fries is because it is drier than other sweet potato varieties. It is moisture that gets in the way of a crispy fry. Since this variety starts out with less moisture to begin with you don't have to cook them as long to crisp them up, thus decreasing the likelihood they will burn first.
? Other Varieties
Not every place carries these type of sweet potatoes. Whole Foods Market is the best place to find them. They have the best selection of sweet potatoes outside of a good farmer's market including the Japanese Sweet Potato which is purple outside but white inside.
If you can't find them, see if your store carries white sweet potatoes, I found them at Kroger. Sometimes Trader Joe's carries Murasaki sweet potatoes, which is another purple variety that is white on the inside.
The standard orange sweet potato are harder to get crispy, but if that is all you can get your hands on I have another tip for you.
?? Roasting Tip
Salt has been used for centuries to draw moisture out. The concept can be applied here.
Most people probably put salt on their sweet potato fries before baking, so that really isn't revolutionary. The secret is to put salt on them and leave them out of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. This will give the salt a chance to draw water out of the potatoes before you bake them.
Kosher salt is the best salt for the job. Kosher salt will stick to the sweet potatoes better. The moisture on the surface will evaporate when you put them in the oven. This way you are starting out with a drier sweet potato to begin with. This gives you a better chance of making them crisp before the sugars within burn.
Check out this recipe --> Baked Potato Fries
? Gluten Free
Some recipes call for you to use flour to create a batter that will get crispy. My recipe does not do that so it's naturally gluten free.
You don't need corn starch either.
? Air Fryer Method
Another way you can make crispy sweet potato fries is to turn to use an air fryer. This even works well with the standard orange sweet potatoes as seen in the photo above. I would still recommend the purple if you can. Still follow the same salt trick, just cook them in the air fryer instead of the oven.
To make them set your air fryer to 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I would be a good idea to flip them half way through.
? For Serving
I am still all about the ketchup, goes well even with sweet potatoes. You might consider a smoky ketchup! Also these choices are popular.
- Sriracha (or sauce made from it)
- Garlic Aioli
- Cinnamon Sugar (not my thing but some like to make them sweeter)
- Mustard dipping sauce
- Lime dipping sauce
➕ More About Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Tots
- Difference Types of Sweet Potato
- Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Purple Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes preferably Stokes Purple
- kosher salt
- grape seed oil or your preferred cooking oil
- freshly ground black pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
- Cut the sweet potatoes into even sized fries. You can peel the sweet potatoes first if you prefer, I just leave the peel on.
- Place onto a half sheet pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Drizzle the oil on top of the fries.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip and bake until brown about another 10-15 minutes. Check frequently so they don't burn.
Oakley @ Friedas
You like us! You really like us! Thanks for sharing your Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato recipe. We'll definitely share this with our fans.
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