I have a confession, and I realize this might be controversial, I don’t really like sweet potatoes. I’ve always found them to be too sweet and a little on the gummy side. However, Michael is a sweet potato fan, and I love French fries.
Crinkle cut are probably my favorite, but I’m also partial to shoestring, steak cut, curly, waffle, hand-cut … you get the idea, all the fries. My Seasoned Oven Sweet Potato Fries are a yummy compromise for us – the seasoning provides enough contrast to cut the sweetness of the sweet potato, making them a fry I enjoy. Oven fries can be sad, but I take three easy precautions to make sure they turn out extra crispy every time: (1) a short, cold soak before baking draws out excess starch and helps the fries get crispier in your oven; (2) arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) helps remove excess moisture from the potatoes, helping them to crisp; and (3) the high oven temperature and preheated baking sheet help ensure evenly crisped fries. Dip them in a Super Quick Sriracha Aioli, and they are irresistible. If you double this recipe, use a second sheet pan, rotate the pans during baking, top to bottom, front to back, and add an additional 10 minutes to the bake time – you don’t want the fries crowded or layered on each other because they won’t crisp up. I know cranking up your oven might not be what you had in mind as the weather starts to warm, but these Seasoned Oven Sweet Potato Fries really are the perfect side for all the burgers and brats you’ll be grilling soon.
Seasoned Oven Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
1 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes (2 Beauregards)
2 tablespoons avocado oil, or other neutral high-heat oil, divided
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (alternatively, cornstarch)
¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus additional for serving
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Optional Super Quick Sriracha Aioli
¼ cup mayonnaise (Sir Kensington makes a sugar free, grain free avocado oil mayo)
1 tablespoon sriracha
Pinch of coarse kosher salt and ground black pepper
How to make Seasoned Oven Sweet Potato Fries
Fill a large bowl with cold water. Peel sweet potatoes, cut into ¼ inch sticks (cut into ¼ inch thick slices lengthwise, then cut into ¼ thick sticks). Submerge cut sweet potatoes in bowl of water and soak for 30 minutes while oven heats.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place large, rimmed baking sheet on center shelf to preheat along with the oven.
While oven heats and fries soak, mix arrowroot powder, ¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
Drain sweet potato fries, layout on clean kitchen towel or paper towels and pat dry with paper towels. Rinse and dry bowl thoroughly. Return sweet potatoes to bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon avocado oil until evenly coated. Add spice mix and toss until fries are well coated and no dry seasoning remains.
Remove sheet pan from oven. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to sheet pan. Using a clean paper towel, carefully rub oil all over hot sheet pan. Spread seasoned sweet potato sticks across the hot sheet pan in a single layer so they are not touching or overlapping.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove sheet pan from oven, flip fries over with a spatula, and return to oven to bake for another 10 minutes.
Sprinkle fries with a generous pinch of coarse kosher salt and chopped parsley, toss to mix. Serve with sriracha aioli or other favorite dipping sauce.
How to make Super Quick Sriracha Aioli
In a small bowl, combine ingredients and whisk together until fully incorporated.
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