Crispy Spiralized Sweet Potato Fries
Curly sweet potato shoestrings tossed with cornstarch and roasted hot in a single layer, so the edges shatter and the centers stay tender. Oven and air fryer times both included.
Servings 3 servings
Ingredients
For the Fries
- 2 medium sweet potatoes about 1 ½ pounds, long and straight, peeled
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or another neutral high heat oil
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt for after cooking
Optional Dipping Sauce
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
Spiralize and Season
- Heat the oven to 425F and line two large sheet pans with parchment.
- Peel the sweet potatoes, slice both ends flat, and cut long potatoes in half crosswise so each piece is short enough to drive through the blade easily.
- Spiralize on the 3 mm small noodle blade, usually marked C. Snip the ribbon with kitchen shears every three or four rotations so you get fry-length strands instead of one long spiral.
- Spread the strands on a clean towel and pat the surfaces dry, then pile them into a large bowl and shake them loose with your fingers.
- Toss with the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and black pepper until no dry cornstarch is visible. Add the oil and toss again until every strand is glossy. Do NOT add the salt yet.
Roast or Air Fry
- Oven method: spread the strands across both pans in a single layer with space between them. Roast 18 to 22 minutes, flipping once with tongs at 12 minutes, until the edges are deep and crisp.
- Air fryer method: cook at 380F for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the basket at 6 minutes, using no more than half a potato per load. This gives the crispiest result.
- Deep fry method: fry small handfuls at 350F for about 2 minutes, then drain on a wire rack rather than paper towels.
- Salt immediately while they are still hot, and serve right away. Stir the sour cream, lime juice, adobo sauce and salt together for the dip if you are using it.
Notes
- Blade choice: use the 3 mm small noodle blade, usually marked C. A thicker blade gives chewy noodles and the flat ribbon blade gives chips.
- Do not soak: soaking helps russet potatoes because it rinses surface starch. Sweet potatoes have far less of it, so a soak just adds water you have to cook off.
- Single layer: crowding traps steam and steam is why fries come out limp. Use two pans.
- Salt last: salt pulls moisture to the surface, so season with everything else first and salt the moment they come out.
- Honest expectation: a 3 mm strand has almost no interior, so it crisps at the edges and stays tender in the middle. It will not eat like a thick cut fry.
- Storage: best eaten immediately. Reheat only in an air fryer at 400F for 3 minutes. Raw spiralized strands keep 2 days in cold water in the fridge, dried hard before cooking.