I don’t do side dishes often (I’m more of a “bowl meal” type person), but when I do, I make sure to keep them simple. If I’m already going through a lot of trouble to make a main dish, I’m not going to pull out ten more ingredients just for the supporting actor. No, side dishes are to remain as simple as they come! These Spicy Sweet Potato Fries are the perfect example. They transform any sandwich or wrap into a full meal and add a lot of color and flavor to your plate without a lot of extra work. Plus they’re just super tasty. ;)

Baked Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

After living in south Louisiana for 16 years, I ate my fair share of sweet potato fries. They were always deep fried, and always seasoned with tons of Creole or Cajun seasoning. Now that I’ve moved away, I still want that sweet-spicy-salty flavor whenever I have some sort of sandwich or burger, so I make this baked version at home!

Are These Sweet Potato Fries Crispy?

No. Sorry if I got your hopes up, but they’re not crispy like deep fried sweet potato fries. I’m a firm believer that sweet potatoes can not be made crispy in the oven. I’ve tried every technique from soaking to cornstarch coating, and more, and none have produced a crispy sweet potato fry in the oven. Honestly, even deep fried sweet potatoes are quite a bit softer than deep fried white potatoes. So as long as you go into this not expecting a crispy fry, I think you’ll be able to enjoy them for what they are.

What do Sweet Potato Fries Go With?

This awesome combo of sweet, salty, and spicy goes really well with anything BBQ. So, BBQ Bean Sliders, BBQ Beef and Beans (you can serve the beef and beans over the fries instead of over rice), or BBQ Chicken Quesadillas are all great mains for this side. But they also go great with all sorts of other sandwiches, like Green Chile Turkey Burgers, Sloppy Joes Plus, or Baked Chicken Sandwiches.

Pictured above with a BBQ Bean Slider.

Just How Spicy are these Spicy Fries?

I would call them “medium” spicy. I used Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning to season the fries, and they do make a “more spicy” version of their seasoning, if you want something hotter. If you want something mild, you can switch it out for your favorite seasoning salt, like Lawrys.

What if I Can’t Find Creole Seasoning?

You can add just about any seasoning salt to sweet potato fries. Other brands of Creole or Cajun seasonings (Slap Ya Mama is really good) will work fine, or as I mentioned above, a basic seasoning salt like Lawrys will also work. If you’re using a different seasoning, make sure to check the salt content. If it does not contain salt, you’ll want to add salt to the fries in addition to your seasoning. 

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

 

How to Make Spicy Sweet Potato Fries – Step by Step Photos

Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and slice two sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs. total) into “fries” about ¼-½ inch wide.

Place the cut “fries” onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of your preferred cooking oil and toss until the sweet potatoes are well coated in oil. Spread them out so they are in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Bake the sweet potatoes for about 45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until they are browned and blistered.

Season the fries to your liking with a spicy Creole or Cajun seasoning salt (or your preferred seasoning salt).

Enjoy the sweet potato fries while still warm!

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