The BEST Crispy Homemade Sweet Potato Fries Recipe (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 ).

If you'd like, you can soak the sweet potato slices for 30 minutes up to 2 hours before frying to remove excess starch.

The Best Oil

You can also use canola or safflower oil. 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.

Though they can both be part of a healthy diet, sweet potatoes are generally healthier than regular potatoes, partly because of their incredibly high vitamin A content. Sweet potatoes are also lower on the glycemic index, meaning that they are less likely than regular potatoes to make your blood sugar spike.

Ensure that the fries are evenly spaced out on a parchment-lined baking sheet so that they aren't touching. If the fries are touching, they will steam rather than bake, which leads to soggy, sad fries. The parchment paper prevents the fries from sticking to the sheet.

If your air fryer fries are soggy, it is likely because you over-crowded them in the basket. The sweet potatoes steam when crowded together, instead of air frying. For the best, most crispy results, cook the fries in a single layer so that the air has room to circulate.

I wouldn't bother doing potatoes from the raw state, without soaking. It will take about a half an hour and the texture won't be nearly as rewarding. They just don't get very crispy without that cold soak.

Why do my air fryer sweet potato fries turn black? Sweet potatoes contain a higher concentration of sugar than standard potatoes, and caramelize as they cook in the air fryer. If you find the fries are darkening too quickly or deeply, cook at a lower temperature, or for a shorter period of time.

Why are my homemade fries never crispy? ›

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.

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.

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.

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.

Parboil them first if you're going to bake them

This can happen because the insides aren't quite cooked enough, but the outsides are beginning to dry out. Don't worry, sweet tuber lovers; there is a solution! This tip is a need-to-know to get the crispiest potato fries ever.

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.