Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
Thin sweet potato fries with a cornstarch shell, topped with taco-seasoned beef, black beans, broiled cheese, pickled jalapenos, and a lime crema. Built to stay crisp on a crowded counter.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Fries
- 3 medium sweet potatoes about 2 pounds, cut into ¼ to ⅜ inch batons
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Topping
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning used dry, no water added
- 1 can black beans 15 ounces, rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ cups Mexican blend cheese shredded
- ½ cup pickled jalapeno slices drained and patted dry
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
For the Lime Crema
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Prep the Fries
- Cut the sweet potatoes into batons ¼ to ⅜ inch thick, keeping the thickness even. Cover with cold water and soak 30 minutes.
- Put a bare metal sheet pan in the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees F with the pan inside.
- Drain the fries, spread them on a towel, and blot every side until they are genuinely dry.
- Toss the dry fries with the cornstarch until faintly dusty, then with the oil until the dust disappears, then with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Bake
- Spread the fries on the preheated pan in one single layer with space between them. Use two pans rather than crowding one.
- Bake 18 minutes, flip with a spatula, and bake another 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are dark and the fries no longer bend when lifted.
Beef and Crema
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain off the fat.
- Return the pan to the heat, stir in the taco seasoning dry, and toast it for 1 minute. Do not add water.
- Whisk the sour cream, lime juice, and salt together for the crema.
Load and Broil
- Move the hot fries to an oven-safe serving plate in a rough single layer, not a mound. Scatter the beef and the drained black beans over them, then the shredded cheese across the whole surface.
- Broil 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and blistered in spots.
- Top with the pickled jalapenos, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro, then drizzle with half the lime crema. Serve the rest of the crema in a small bowl alongside.
Notes
- Cornstarch first, oil second: Onto dry fries, in that order. Reversed, it clumps into paste instead of setting into a shell.
- Cheese is a roof: Broil the cheese onto the fries before anything wet goes on. It is the layer that keeps the toppings off the crust.
- Split the sauce: Drizzle half, serve half in a bowl. Drenching the plate is what softens the bottom layer.
- Dry seasoning only: Cook the taco seasoning into the drained beef with no water.
- Holding: Baked fries hold up to 30 minutes uncovered on a rack in a 200 degree F oven. Covered, they steam and go soft.