Crispy Sweet Potato Fries Recipe: Delicious Sweet Potato | So Good (2024)

FAQs

Why won't my sweet potato fries get crispy? ›

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.

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 ).

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The main secrets to achieving that incredible crispy texture, is to soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps remove the starch from the sweet potatoes so they´re not limp & soggy.

Don't try frying just once (or if you do… fry them starting off in cold oil). Sogginess is caused by moisture. You want to drive off the moisture from the outside but the inside also contains moisture which will turn to steam and evaporate through the crispy crust of the potato, turning it soggy again.

Additionally, restaurant fries are so crispy because, among other things, they use old oil continuously. 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 secret to crispy on the outside/fluffy on the inside is to cook them twice. Use russet (starchy) potatoes. Cut your fries and put them in an ice water bath to rinse off excess starch and prevent them from turning brown while you finish cutting. Try to keep the fries uniform in size so they cook evenly.

You can still eat sweet potatoes if you have diabetes, assures Huff. The fiber content in sweet potatoes, especially if you consume them with the skin on, can help reduce spikes in your blood sugar. Plus, how you cook your sweet potatoes can also help reduce the extent to which your blood sugar rises.

Cure sweet potatoes by keeping them at 80 to 85 degrees F and a humidity of 85 to 90 percent. After curing, wash well using a vegetable brush and cool running water. Cook before freezing; wrap in freezer wrap, place in freezer bags or vacuum package. If sweet potatoes are sliced or pureed, leave ½ inch of headspace.

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.

Are soggy or crispy fries better? ›

It shouldn't be too hard or crunchy, but at the same time not too soggy. The bottom line is that the perfect French fry should have a crispy outer with a fluffy potato mouthfeel and taste inside.

If they are still not crispy you might have skipped a step or you might not have let them cool down sufficiently. Make sure to cool them in a single even layer and also make sure that the oil has the right temperature. Or maybe you've used the wrong potatoes to make them.

Soggy fries have usually either been cooked in oil that isn't hot enough, or were cooked in too large a batch, overcrowding the pan and reducing the heat. The secret to getting tasty French fries that are crisp on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside is to fry them twice.

Fries have a very high starch content. When they are cooked at high temperatures, they absorb moisture which gives them their signature crispy exterior. When they are left out to cool, the starches secrete moisture, which eventually makes the fries' crust soggy.

Don't overcrowd the pan.

I use 2-3 baking sheets when making Oven Baked Fries because the more space between the fries, the more heat can circulate around each fry's surface. If you are short of baking pans, cut the potatoes in wedges. Rotate the pans between the oven racks during baking for even browning.

If roasted potatoes lack their crunchy sheen, overcrowding is usually the culprit. Just as overcrowding bacon or mushrooms in a saucepan causes disappointingly mushy results, placing potatoes too close to each other on a baking sheet will prevent them from crisping while they roast.