Sweet potato fries are essentially a variation of regular French fries but with a noticeably sweeter flavor and a tendency not to crisp up as easily.
To achieve a crispy texture, you need to use a coating of cornstarch. Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes require parboiling before frying to ensure they cook through without burning, due to their lower moisture content.
While sweet potatoes are great when baked, you can elevate their flavor and texture by making fries. In restaurants, sweet potato fries often have a potato starch coating for added crispness.
Achieving the perfect deep-fried sweet potato fries involves a few key steps. Here’s a foolproof recipe to get you started:
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for a spicy kick)
Procedure
1. Boil the Sweet Potatoes
Begin by placing your whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes in a large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to fully submerge the sweet potatoes.
Bring the water to a boil and cook the sweet potatoes until they are fork-tender but not fully cooked, approximately 10-15 minutes. This parboiling step ensures the sweet potatoes are softened, which helps achieve a tender interior without burning during frying.
Once the sweet potatoes are partially cooked, carefully remove them from the boiling water using tongs or a slotted spoon.
2. Cool the Sweet Potatoes
Immediately transfer the boiled sweet potatoes into a bowl filled with ice water. This step stops the cooking process and makes the potatoes easier to handle.
Allow the sweet potatoes to cool in icy water for about 10 minutes.
3. Peel the Sweet Potatoes
Once the sweet potatoes are cooled, remove them from the ice water and pat them dry with a paper towel.
Using a vegetable peeler, carefully peel the skin off the sweet potatoes.
4. Cut into Fries
Place the peeled sweet potatoes on a cutting board.
Using a sharp knife, cut the sweet potatoes into uniform strips. Aim for consistent thickness to ensure even cooking. Strips that are too thin may dry out, while strips that are too thick may remain mushy inside.
2. Preparing the Seasoning
Mix the Seasoning
- In a small bowl, combine the following dry ingredients:
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp paprika (optional)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for a spicy kick)
- Stir the seasoning mix until all the spices are evenly distributed.
Dust with Cornstarch
3. Place the sweet potato strips in a large mixing bowl.
4. Lightly dust the sweet potato strips with 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Be careful not to overdo it, as too much cornstarch can cause the fries to become gross and caked up.
5. Toss the sweet potato strips gently to ensure an even, light cornstarch coating.
Season the Fries
6. Add the seasoning mix to the bowl with the cornstarch-coated sweet potato strips.
7. Toss the strips again, ensuring each fry is well-coated with the seasoning.
3. Frying the Sweet Potato Fries
Heat the Oil
- Pour vegetable oil into a deep fryer or a large pot. The oil should be deep enough to fully submerge the fries, about 2-3 inches.
- Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the oil temperature, as maintaining the correct temperature is crucial for achieving crispy fries.
Fry the Fries
3. Once the oil reaches 350°F, begin frying the sweet potato strips in small batches. Frying in small batches prevents overcrowding, which can lower the oil temperature and result in soggy fries.
4. Carefully add the sweet potato strips to the hot oil, using a slotted spoon or tongs.
5. Fry each batch for about 3-5 minutes, or until the fries are golden brown and crispy.
6. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fries from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
Serving and Enjoying
- For the best texture and flavor, serve the sweet potato fries immediately after frying while they are still hot and crispy.
Dipping Sauces 2. Pair the fries with your favorite dipping sauce. Some popular options include:
- Aioli
- Spicy ketchup
- Tangy yogurt dip
Special Treat 3. For an extra special treat, try dipping the sweet potato fries in a mixture of honey and sriracha. The combination of sweetness and heat is simply money
Sweet Potato Fries- Deep Fried
Equipment
- Large pot
- Slotted spoon
- Deep fryer or large pot for frying
- Cutting Board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp paprika optional
- 1 tsp garlic powder optional
- 1/2 tsp black pepper optional
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper optional, for a spicy kick
Instructions
- Place whole sweet potatoes in a pot of boiling water and cook until fork-tender but not fully cooked, about 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the boiled sweet potatoes to a bowl of ice water and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- Once cooled, peel the sweet potatoes.
- Cut the peeled sweet potatoes into uniform strips.
- In a small bowl, mix sea salt, paprika (optional), garlic powder (optional), black pepper (optional), and cayenne pepper (optional).
- Toss the sweet potato strips lightly in the seasoning mix, ensuring each fry is well-coated.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a large pot to 350°F (175°C).
- Fry the sweet potato strips in batches to avoid overcrowding, cooking each batch for about 3-5 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the fries and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Serve the fries hot with your favorite dipping sauces such as aioli, spicy ketchup, or a tangy yogurt dip.
Notes
- Boiling the sweet potatoes until they are fork-tender but not fully cooked helps achieve a tender interior without burning during frying. Cooling them in ice water stops the cooking process and makes them easier to handle.
- Lightly dust the sweet potato strips with cornstarch to help achieve a crispy texture. Be careful not to overdo it, as too much cornstarch can cause the fries to become gross and caked up.
- Maintain the oil temperature at 350°F (175°C) for optimal frying. Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the oil temperature, as it is crucial for achieving crispy fries.
- Fry the sweet potato strips in small batches to avoid overcrowding, which can lower the oil temperature and result in soggy fries. Each batch should take about 3-5 minutes to cook.
Nutritional Information
Below is an approximate nutritional breakdown for a serving of sweet potato fries made from 2 large sweet potatoes, assuming the recipe serves two people.
Per Serving
- Calories: ~470
- Total Fat: ~24g
- Saturated Fat: ~2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: ~500mg
- Total Carbohydrates: ~58g
- Dietary Fiber: ~8g
- Sugars: ~12g
- Protein: ~4g
- Vitamin A: ~768% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin C: ~10% of the DV
- Calcium: ~4% of the DV
- Iron: ~8% of the DV
Key Notes
- Calories: Sweet potatoes and oil contribute significantly to the calorie content.
- Fat: The oil used for frying is the primary source of fat.
- Carbohydrates: Sweet potatoes are high in carbohydrates, providing energy and fiber.
- Vitamins: Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins A and C.
- Protein: Sweet potatoes provide a small amount of protein.
These values are rough estimates and can vary based on the actual size of the sweet potatoes, the amount of oil absorbed during frying, and the specific ingredients used.
Links
Crispy Air Fried French Fries Recipe
