French fries are a near-perfect food. It's hard to improve upon perfect, but when we're talking sweet potato fries, the old classic may have found its rival.
They're a little sweet, plus they offer plenty of vitamin A and beta carotene—something a french fry doesn't. However, none of that matters if they're swimming in fat and calories, which is an unfortunate reality for most things fried. At a restaurant, a small order of deep-fried sweet potato fries can set you back 260 calories and 13 grams of fat.
Luckily, making your own crispy sweet potato fries is easy to do in your oven. That means you don't need a deep fryer. You'll save 122 calories and 11 g of fat per serving when you "fry" them in your oven instead. Here are the best tips for making perfect crispy sweet potato fries.
Whether you cut your fries into sticks or wedges, the pieces need to be the same size. This ensures that the fries cook at the same rate. Remember: You're cooking at 450°F—that's high heat. If you cut the pieces too big, they'll be overdone on the outside and underdone on the inside. If you're going for the classic "fry" shape, 1/4-inch-thick matchstick slices work. A medium sweet potato cut lengthwise into eight wedges works well too.
2. Coat the Fries with Oil (But Not Too Much)
To successfully oven-fry, you still need to use oil—just not as much as you'd need to fill a deep fryer. About 2 teaspoons of canola oil should be enough to coat one medium sweet potato cut into fries or wedges. Toss your oil and sweet potato pieces in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix them together to distribute the oil more effectively. This is also a good time to add seasoning since the oil will help it stick evenly to the food. And while you're at it, a little oil or cooking spray on your baking sheet is a good idea to prevent the fries from sticking. Cooking spray will give you the best coverage using the least amount of oil.
Salt is a must for seasoning fries (don't go overboard—about 1/4 teaspoon is enough for one medium sweet potato), but you don't have to stop there! Paprika is a nice mild spice to add to sweet potatoes—and it looks pretty too. Garlic powder makes them extra savory, and if you like a little kick, chili powder is a great addition. Just make sure that whatever spice you add doesn't contain added salt. If it does, adjust the amount of salt accordingly.
4. Don't Overcrowd Your Baking Sheet
The secret to crispy (instead of soggy) sweet potato fries is to spread them out in an even layer with enough room so that they don't touch. This is especially important if you're making a big batch of fries. Instead of just piling more onto one baking pan, spread them out over two baking pans or cook them in batches. If they're all crammed into one pan, they'll steam instead of bake, and you'll end up with soggy fries.
We tend to cook most things on the middle oven rack, but sweet potato fries cook best above the middle position, farther away from the heat source. Since sweet potatoes are, well, sweet, the sugars tend to "caramelize," or brown, more quickly than a regular potato. A little caramelization is a good thing—but too much and you'll get burning instead. Moving sweet potato fries higher up in the oven slows the caramelization process. If you're making two baking sheets' worth at once, position one oven rack in the middle and one above. Be sure to switch the pans' positions during baking and also to stir all the fries at least once so they cook evenly.
The secret to crispy (instead of soggy) sweet potato fries is to spread them out in an even layer with enough room so that they don't touch. This is especially important if you're making a big batch of fries. Instead of just piling more onto one baking pan, spread them out over two baking pans or cook them in batches.
As oil heats up it breaks down—cooking oils with a high smoke point will break down more slowly—and that creates crispier fries. The general rule of thumb is that you can reuse frying oil three or four times, or for a total of six hours cooking time.
Try not to overlap the fries so they brown equally, and don't crowd them too tightly in the pan as you'll need to flip the fries halfway through the baking time. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Sweet potato fries are slightly higher in calories and carbs but also more nutrient dense than French fries. The greatest nutrient difference is that French fries have no vitamin A, while sweet potato fries are high in this nutrient. Vitamin A is important for your vision and immune system ( 2 ).
The cold water bath helps rinse the starch off the sweet potatoes so they're a bit more crispy. That said, if you do not have the time, you can still get crispy baked sweet potato fries by using high heat and a little drizzle of olive oil.
Long accepted as a standard deep frying oil because of its neutrality, high smoke point, and ready availability (on the bottom oil shelf of most grocery stores), peanut oil is the choice of home fryers as well as chains such as Five Guys Burgers and Fries.
The perfect temperature for frying foods is 375°F (190°C). This temperature provides the ideal combination of heat and oil saturation to achieve a crispy, golden-brown texture.
Because our coated fries are covered in a very thin, practically invisible, layer of potato starch, they're transformed into what you could call 'super-fries'. Firstly, they benefit from a longer holding time as the batter acts as a 'protective jacket' that keeps them warmer for longer.
"Baking frozen fries on an oven rack ensures even cooking and allows air to flow all around the fries, which increases your chances of getting golden-brown fries from the oven," Harvey said.
The broil setting on your oven cooks food quickly with direct heat—typically at 550°F (289°C)—and produces a seared finish that's similar to grilling. Smaller or countertop ovens usually preheat to the broiling temp faster, so you can quickly finish baked or slow-roasted dishes with crisp browned edges.
First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Then, spread your French fries out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure none of them are touching (if they're too crowded, they won't get as crispy). Heat them in the oven for about eight to ten minutes, then give them a quick toss.
Hannahs are dense, firm, and creamy, and much less prone to becoming waterlogged than orange sweet potatoes. Their firmness and dense texture makes Hannah sweet potatoes ideal for roasting in chunks, turning into fries, or mashing as a side dish.
Double Fry Method = Crisp exterior, fluffy interior – If you want the best homemade french fries, you really need to cook them twice. First at a lower temperature to make the interior soft like a baked potato, then a second time at a higher temperature to crisp the edges.
Because of their fiber and vitamin contents, sweet potatoes are often considered the healthier choice between the two. Sweet potatoes are likely healthier than regular potatoes. They have a lower GI, more fiber, and large amounts of beta carotene.
My guess is you aren't blanching the sweet potato fries before you are frying them. In order to get crispy fries, of any type, you need to cook them twice. You begin by either boiling them in water, or frying them at 325, until they are just cooked through, but not so much that they lose their shape.
Old, oxidated, and irregularly filtered frying oil can really affect the quality and taste of your fries. A well-used fryer oil should be filtered at least once a day, making sure any free-floating bits and slivers are removed completely.
To help the flavor pop, sprinkle the fries with a pinch of additional kosher salt immediately after removing them from the air fryer. Banish Soggy Sweet Potato Fries. If your air fryer fries are soggy, it is likely because you over-crowded them in the basket.
This sure sounds a lot like potatoes that have been stored too long, in too cold of an environment before cooking. When potatoes are held below 41°F for too long a period, the starches convert to sugar and it changes the cooking chemistry.
Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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