Baked, not fried, with the perfect kick of heat, these Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries are crispy, crunchy, and 100% gluten-free!
One of the most tragic things about being gluten-free? The fry situation. There are seriously a lack of dedicated fryers in this world, and sometimes a girl just needs a big heaping pile of fries with for dinner.
Specifically, sweet potato fries. I don’t know about you, but if there is ever the option for sweet potato vs. regular fries, I am ALWAYS going sweet potato and, if we’re being honest, it’s probably going to be a double order.
While I’m sure you’ve sniffed out every establishment within a 25 mile radius that has a dedicated fryer AND serves sweet potato fries (I’m not the only one, right??) sometimes you just need to be able to answer that hankering at home. You know, without a 30 minute drive or an extra delivery surcharge of $20 for being out of their normal range. Not that I know anything about that…. 🙈
Enter: Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries!
These bad boys are sweet potato perfection, and no gluten worries! They are perfectly crispy-crunchy, they’re extra spicy (just the way I like them) and they are BAKED which means my usual double order can easily turn into a triple serving. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Now you may be thinking: “Leah, I’ve tried this homemade baked sweet potato fries thing, and I don’t care what you say – it doesn’t work.”
We’ve all been there: we’ve attempted gloriously crispy sweet potato fries but were left with a slightly-soggy and definitely-not-crispy pile of baked sweet potato slivers. While still delicious, they weren’t exactly what you hoped for.
Well, that’s probably because you didn’t know the baked sweet potato fry trick: A good soak, and cornstarch!
To get the crispy exterior that you’re looking for, soaking and corn starching is an absolute must. Many recipes don’t call for the the soaking portion, but I’ve found it to be a key to crispiness. Sure, it takes a little extra time, but it is 100% worth the wait. And don’t skip or go light when tossing the sweet potato slices in corn starch either! That’s even more crucial to the crisp.
My big piece of advice between these two steps? Make sure you dry the sweet potatoes off very well before tossing them in the corn starch. If you don’t it’s just, well, not pretty….
I must, must, must address the spiciness on these fries. I LOVE my sweet potatoes with a little bit (ok, a lot a bit) of a kick, and that’s what’s going on here. 🔥
If you are a little heat averse, or prefer your sweet potato fries more on the plain jane side of things, feel free to up the salt a little, but back off of the other spices a bit – or entirely! Completely up to you.
But if you’re like me and crave a little bit of spice in life, just about anywhere you can get it, go for the full spice. You’ll love it. Promise.
These are the PERFECT side dish with a big, juicy, burger (check back on Thursday for my favorite match for these fries!) OR simply as dinner itself.
Just be sure to make at least 4x the amount that you think you’ll want/need. They have a way of disappearing before your eyes!
Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 3-4 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Preheat your oven to 425℉. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Peel your sweet potatoes, and cut into thin wedges, about ¼ inch thick and wide and the length of the potato.
- In a very large bowl, submerge the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes to an hour. Remove from the bowl and dry very well.
- In a small bowl, combine all of the spices and set asde.
- In a very large bowl with a tight fitting lid or a large zip-top plastic bag, place the sweet potatoes, and then toss with the cornstarch, until all wedges are evenly coated. I usually do this in two batches to more evenly distribute the corn starch.
- Drizzle the cornstarch coated sweet potatoes with olive oil, tossing well, and then add the spice mixture and toss well again.
- Evenly place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, making sure not to crowd them together, and make sure that none of the wedges touch.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the sweet potato fries, and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden and crisp on the outside.
- Enjoy!