BBQ Sweet Potato Fries
This recipe for homemade BBQ Sweet Potato Fries are a healthy way to enjoy crispy oven baked sweet potato fries with a sweet and smoky kick. A secret ingredient makes it crunchy along with a perfect blend of BBQ seasoning. Air fryer option included!
Somewhere along the way, sweet potato fries became more valuable than regular fries and I am totally here for it. I love making sweet potato fries at home because I get to control the ingredients, the level of crispy and I get to flavor them exactly the way I want to.
🍠 Ingredients for BBQ Sweet Potato Fries
- Sweet Potatoes: For this recipe, make sure you use sweet potatoes and not yams. Yams have a slightly more dry consistency and they are less sweet. I have not tried this recipe with purple or white sweet potatoes, but the texture does vary in both so if you use them instead, I can’t promise the same results.
- Arrowroot or Cornstarch: This is the “secret” ingredient that helps make the fries crispy. The sweet potato fries are tossed in the starch before getting tossed in oil to seal in a crunchy layer that helps when oven roasting fries. Either or can be used however if you are following a paleo or grain free diet, arrowroot starch must be used. Recommendation: Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot Starch
- Olive Oil: This is used to toss the fries in after whatever starch you choose.
- BBQ Seasoning or Dry Rub: The beauty of this recipe is that you could use whatever BBQ dry rub or seasoning you enjoy. I really like the sweet and smoky flavor of The New Primal Classic BBQ Seasoning or Daks BBQ Queen.
Recommended Equipment
- 2 Sheet Pans: Yes, 2! In order for this recipe to work, the sweet potato fries must be in a single layer. This often means that the fries need to be split up into 2 sheet pans. *Recommendation: USA Sheet Pans*
- Parchment Paper: I like using parchment paper on the bottom of my sheet pans when I am making oven baked fries because it ensures that the fries won’t stick to the bottom of the sheet pan and it also allows for the recipe to not use any additional oil.
📖 How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries
1️⃣ Preheat Your Oven and Prep Your Sheet Pans: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
2️⃣ Prep Your Potatoes: Peel your sweet potatoes and cut them into slices that are ¼ inch wide and ¼ inch thick. The best length is 3-4 inches long.
3️⃣ Coat In Starch Then Oil: In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato fries in arrowroot or cornstarch making sure they are fully coated. Once this is done, drizzle oil on top and make sure they are fully coated as well.
4️⃣ Arrange On Sheet Pan and Bake: Arrange fries on sheet pans in a single layer making sure that no sweet potatoes are touching. This means they probably have to be split into 2 sheet pans.
5️⃣ Bake: Bake at 425 for 20 minutes, flip and bake another 20 minutes.
6️⃣ Season The Fries: Once they come out of the oven, distribute seasoning onto the sweet potatoes right in the sheet pan while they are hot. This will ensure the seasoning sticks better. Toss the sweet potatoes around in the seasoning with a spatula gently to make sure everything is coated evenly. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
👉 How to Make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potato fries can be made in the air fryer however because the size of the baskets run small, it may have to be cooked in several batches to make sure everything cooks in an even layer.
1️⃣ Prepare sweet potatoes as instructed in the recipe above.
2️⃣ Instead of cooking on a sheet pan, add them to the bottom of your air fryer basket and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flip or toss then air fry for an additional 15 minutes or until cooked through.
3️⃣ Season with BBQ seasoning while they are hot and serve.
*Air Fryer Recommendation: Ninja Foodi All In One*
🧑🍳 Tips and Q & A
- Nothing under 425 Degrees: If you ever see a recipe for baked sweet potato fries that calls for the oven to be less than 425 degrees, I do not recommend that you use that recipe! Baking in a temperature too low will cause the sweet potatoes to essentially steam instead of roast making for a mushy fry.
Soaking potatoes in water helps remove some of the excess starch in potatoes. While this may work for white potatoes, I have found that there is no benefit in soaking sweet potatoes for baked sweet potato fries.
Just like cooking at a lower temperature will cause the sweet potatoes to steam, baking on a sheet pan when they are too close together will also have the same effect. They need to be in a single layer to make sure the dry heat is getting all around the surface of the fries.
More Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes
Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Sous Vide Sweet Potatoes
Egg Free Mexican Breakfast Hash
BBQ Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Sweet Potatoes
- 1 tbsp Arrowroot or Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tsp BBQ Seasoning Blend
Instructions
- Preheat Your Oven and Prep Your Sheet Pans: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Farenheight and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Prep Your Potatoes: Peel your sweet potatoes and cut them into slices that are ¼ inch wide and ¼ inch thick. The best length is 3-4 inches long.
- Coat In Starch Then Oil: In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato fries in arrowroot or cornstarch making sure they are fully coated. Once this is done, drizzle oil on top and make sure they are fully coated as well.
- Arrange On Sheet Pan and Bake: Arrange fries on sheet pans in a single layer making sure that no sweet potatoes are touching. This means they probably have to be split into 2 sheet pans.
- Bake: Bake at 425 for 20 minutes, flip and bake another 20 minutes.
- Season The Fries: Once they come out of the oven, distribute seasoning onto the sweet potatoes right in the sheet pan while they are hot. This will ensure the seasoning sticks better. Toss the sweet potatoes around in the seasoning with a spatula gently to make sure everything is coated evenly. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
RECIPE TIPS
- Nothing under 425 Degrees: If you ever see a recipe for baked sweet potato fries that calls for the oven to be less than 425 degrees, I do not recommend that you use that recipe! Baking in a temperature too low will cause the sweet potatoes to essentially steam instead of roast making for a mushy fry.
- Do I Soak My Potatoes In Water First? Soaking potatoes in water helps remove some of the excess starch in potatoes. While this may work for white potatoes, I have found that there is no benefit in soaking sweet potatoes for baked sweet potato fries.
- Why two sheet pans? Just like cooking at a lower temperature will cause the sweet potatoes to steam, baking on a sheet pan when they are too close together will also have the same effect. They need to be in a single layer to make sure the dry heat is getting all around the surface of the fries.
AIR FRYER SWEET POTATO FRIES
Sweet potato fries can be made in the air fryer however because the size of the baskets run small, it may have to be cooked in several batches to make sure everything cooks in an even layer.- Prepare sweet potatoes as instructed in the recipe.
- Instead of cooking on a sheet pan, add them to the bottom of your air fryer basket and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flip or toss then air fry for an additional 15 minutes or until cooked through.
- Season with BBQ seasoning while they are hot and serve.
I made these today.. so delicious. Thank you for sharing and for the tips and tricks. They were si perfectly crispy just like how I like my fries.
I followed the directions exactly….my fries seems to brown quite a bit, but still tasted great. I’ve never used cornstarch on my sweet potato fries before, and I do believe they were crispier….but also browned easier. Loved the flavor and the ease of preparation and cooking. Thanks for sharing!
These were really tasty. I liked the cornstarch tip. I still need to perfect the size of my fries because some burn and others aren’t crispy enough. The bbq seasoning was so good. Thank you for that idea!
These came out great that I will be making them again. However, because I didn’t have access to an air fryer, used the oven method and added more bbq seasoning to taste. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.