Simple Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

I could eat baked sweet potato fries morning, noon, and night. At home, we bake them all the time as a side to any dinner or just an after school snack. Some links in this post earn me a commission if you purchase through them.

At Thanksgiving, someone always makes and brings a sweet potato casserole, but I never touch it. It’s too sweet for my tastes, but I make up for it with all the sweet potato fries I devour.

My baked sweet potato fries have way fewer ingredients, leaving the wholesome vitamins and minerals from the sweet potatoes. That’s how I justify eating so many, right?

My son loves these absolutely baked to a crisp and almost blackened. I like them cooked so they’re soft inside and crisp outside.

The trick? Don’t overload your pan. If you have too many, they steam and stay soft as they bake instead of crisping on the exterior. Make sure you have a single layer and space between them.

Along those lines, I found a really cool pan that has a raised rack to hold my baked sweet potato fries that lets me bake them without flipping them. I use this now for everything from homemade chicken fingers to bacon wrapped dates to bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and more.

Because my son likes his crispier, we tend to cut our baked sweet potato fries fairly thin for him. Cut yours a little wider and cook a little longer, or make wedges to prep them even faster. Make sure to adjust your bake time to account for this.

I can eat an entire potato – or two – myself, but generally a potato serves two people as a side. If you need more, bake in rotation with multiple baking trays. I put one on a top shelf and another on a lower shelf and swap half way through baking.

How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Wash your sweet potato. Slice off a thin edge, and cut that into matchsticks. 

Turn your potato to rest on the flat side, and repeat. For safety, always cut with a flat side on your cutting board.

As you get to the end, turn it so that the long cut edge lays on the board for stability. This makes it so much easier to cut and keep your slices the same size, which is critical for even baking.

Place potato slices into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat so that each slice shines with just a touch of olive oil. If you use too much, they’ll be soggy.

Transfer potato slices to your baking sheet and ensure they are in an even, not touching layer. Bake for a total 30-35 minutes.

Halfway through, flip them so to ensure even baking and keep one side from getting soggy. If you use a baking sheet with a rack, you can skip this step, as the air circulates around the baked sweet potato fries.

Once you see them crisped, remove from the oven and serve immediately.

My son loves his with simple salt and pepper. I usually add paprika, and sometimes garlic powder or cinnamon. Go with your favorite to flavor them as much as you prefer!

Have you ever made baked sweet potato fries?

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