Sweet Potato Fries

By Mark Bittman

Updated April 15, 2026

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
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Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(7,512)
Comments
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These addictive seasoned "fries" from Mark Bittman are actually baked, but we promise you won't miss the grease. The spice mix – garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper – can be used on regular potatoes as well (you'll just need to increase the baking time a bit).

Featured in: Yes, Healthful Fast Food Is Possible. But Edible?

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

31 grams carbs; 173 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 365 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400.

  2. Step 2

    Cut the sweet potatoes into sticks ¼ to ½ inch wide and 3 inches long, and toss them with the oil.

  3. Step 3

    Mix the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl, and toss them with the sweet potatoes. Spread them out on 2 rimmed baking sheets.

  4. Step 4

    Bake until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
7,512 user ratings
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Comments

Patrick

I find using parchment paper helps with the crisping. And sliding parchment paper onto a pre-heated stone rather than a sheet pan yielded the crispiest (but keep an eye on them, they cooked a bit faster this way). Lastly, thinner cuts = crispier.

Rosemarywc

great seasoning! to make the fries crispier, I heated the baking sheets until a drop OF water bounced on them then tossed the fries on - cooked till crisp then turned. Preheating the sheets really helps the crisping.

Jen

Soaking them in water beforehand to reduce starchiness (a few to several hours is good), slicing them thinly, and lastly, using 1-2 teaspoons of corn starch (use tea towel to dry first, put in ziplock bag with the corn starch and shake, then add oil and seasonings) will increase the crispiness of your sweet potato fries. My two kids can polish off three sweet potatoes by themselves this way!

Jennie Phipps

I grew sweet potatoes in my garden. I have about a bushel. These sweet potato fries were OK -- but they still aren't nearly as crispy as the frozen ones. Don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Debbie

I agree that the seasonings are spot-on....But I still couldn't get them crispy. I tried soaking, using parchment paper, preheating the pan, coating with cornstarch, and slicing them thin. They were still mushy...delicious, but mushy. Maybe I tried too many suggestions at once. I've gotta try that air-fry feature on my toaster oven next time.

Dianne

The dip served alongside looks so good in the picture......what is is?

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