I am not quite sure how many recipes for oven-fried sweet potatoes I’ve tried in the past few years in a quest for the right amount of crunch outside, and a creamy, perfectly cooked interior. It’s not easy to get this combination. All my previous attempts failed to impress us, but this version was definitely blog-worthy.
(made on May 09th; blogged on July 24th)
CRISPY CORNMEAL SWEET POTATO FRIES
(adapted from My New Roots)
2 – 3 large sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
4 Tbsp. cornmeal
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp paprika (sweet, hot or smoked)
.
Scrub the sweet potatoes well under running water. Slice them into long sticks (thinner than 1/2 inch). Place them in a bowl of water, swish around a few times, then drain. Lay them on a clean tea towel and dry thoroughly. Let them air dry completely.
.
Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. On low heat, melt coconut oil in a small saucepan. Place cut potatoes in a plastic bag, seal and shake the bag vigorously to coat (this can also be done on a baking sheet, drizzle the oil over and toss very well to coat). Add cornmeal, salt, and smoked paprika to the bag and toss well to coat.
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Place potatoes on a lined baking sheet, making sure that they are not overlapping.
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Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
We are not too wild about buying frozen food, but Alexis frozen sweet potato fries are the exception to this rule. I have no idea what they do to make their sweet potatoes so crisp, without any apparent coating. Still, I am glad this recipe gave us a nice alternative, with the added bonus of being able to season them according to our mood, or what we are having as a main dish. In this particular evening, we had open-faced cheeseburgers with slices of avocado and tomatoes. The sweet potatoes with the amazing paprika our friend brought all the way from Slovakia were perfect alongside.
Dinner is served!
ONE YEAR AGO: Pan-grilled Tilapia with Smoked Paprika & Avocado Cream
TWO YEARS AGO: Golden Saffron and Fennel Loaf
THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, July 2011
FOUR YEARS AGO: Heavenly Homemade Fromage Blanc
FIVE YEARS AGO: A Perfect Sunday Dinner
Bewitching Kitchen 
I have a solid recipe on TIY for crispy baked sweet potato fries. Instead of cornmeal I use arrowroot powder, it works really well.
But once I’m back I’m definitely going to give this recipe a try. I’m intrigued by the combination of sweet potatoes and cornmeal…
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Solid recipe? I like solid…. will jump on your site and find your version, I am quite intrigued by the arrowroot, and I happen to have it in my pantry.
hope your trip is going great!
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Looks a lot better than any frozen ones out there!
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They were super tasty….. I intend to try Mike’s version this coming week…
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I’m an Alexia girl also, and I love that you gave these extra crunch from the cornmeal! The perfect crispy outsides, these are.
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I love the crunchy outside, to me it adds a lot to the fries.
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It is not easy to make these indeed. I like the idea of the crispy batter!
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It does help a lot to improve the texture, then all we have to do is make sure the interior is properly cooked.
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Sally, do you have to use coconut oil? Can you use vegetable oil or olive oil instead?
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Olive oil will be fine, I am on a coconut oil kick these days, love its subtle flavor, but any oil of your choice should work. I prefer to add very little, though, no need to add that much
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Great idea with the cornmeal! I agree with you about how difficult it is to get a good crunchy outside on sweet potato fries. (without a deep fryer) I’ll try this, I have two sweet potatoes in the vegetable bin right now!
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For a while we flirted with the idea of getting a small deep fryer, but decided against it, because we eat fried food so rarely…
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I had given up on sweet potato fries. I’ve been making chips in the microwave and that works very well. I will give your version a try. It is time consuming to make the chips for more than 2 people as they must be done in a single layer so I would be happy to have a good “fry” option.
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I never tried the microwave version, it seems like a ton of work for small portions each time…. This was good enough, 😉
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Sounds like a great idea. I like crispy outsides on my potatoes and mine usually end up mushy. I have coconut oil, purchased for another recipe which was a disappointment, but need to pick up some sweet potatoes. 🙂
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just remember you can always use another type of oil, if coconut is unavailable or just not your favorite ingredient.
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Who would’ve thought. Corn meal? But it makes complete sense. Thanks again!
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You are more than welcome! 😉
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Snap, I’ve just posted a recipe too…. mine are with vanilla… I don’t mind that they’re not too crispy. : )
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Great minds do cook alike! 😉
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Having just come from Liz’ I now really have to make a ‘comparison’ test twixt the ones with cornmeal and those with vanilla 😀 !! Fun for a gal who does not eat ordinary potatoes and has not had a chip in her mouth for decades!!!! Sweet potatoes I do use pretty much every week . . .
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Sweet potatoes are great, I am always trying to find ways to prepare them….
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My baked “fries” have always left me wishing I’d just gone ahead and fried them. I’ve always thought that I’d done something wrong being so many write how wonderful their “fries” were. Glad to read that I’m not alone, Sally. So, when you say these are really good and meet with your approval, I’ve no choice but to give them a try. Thanks for sharing.
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What I dislike the most about deep frying is….. the leftover oil! 😉
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They look and sound fantastic! A wonderful idea.
Cheers,
Rosa
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Thanks, Rosa! great to see you here…
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I’ve been waiting for this one. I can’t wait to try these. I’m obsessed with sweet potatoes and it works out well because no one else likes them, so they are all mine! 🙂 The coconut oil was clever for sure. Enjoy the weekend Sally!
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I would say I am a little obsessed with sweet potatoes too…. in my mind, they are way above regular potatoes….
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I’ve made a bazillion sweet potato fries but not once have I thought to coat them with cornmeal – So brilliant! I cannot wait to try this!
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Well, I wish I could take credit for their coating, but… I am just following a great idea along 😉
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Sally, they look delicious – I love sweet potatoes! I’m sure this recipe would work as well with the other varieties of sweet potato too! xxx
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No doubt, Celia! Nice to see you here!
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Sorry I haven’t been around more – I’m trying to cut back the amount of time I spend on the computer! xxx
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Oh, dear…. please, never apologize! Real life takes precedence over anything, I know you are going to be around at some point to say hello….
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Cornmeal! Yes. I will be trying this – and with coconut oil too.
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I hope you love it too!
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We don’t have many frozen vegetables that are worthy of buying here except peas. They should come to Australia. I love sweet potato fries and I’m going to give this a go.
I bought a sous vide machine yesterday. Can’t wait to try it today.
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WOW! You got a sous vide machine!!!!!!! yeah!!!!!!
I look forward to your adventures with it!
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And now I come here begging your forgiveness my lovely friend…. I’m not sure how, but I stopped receiving notifications from you. I’m now signed up again, and should be back on track! I love sweet potato fries…but you have taken them to that crispiness that we’ve all yearned for with them! LOVE this… I’ll be trying it for sure! Yum. ❤
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Go figure… these notifications can be iffy! But I am glad you found your way around here again, notifications or not
🙂
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Looks yummy!
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I’m with you, it’s practically Impossible to get crispy sweet potato fries. This coating sounds promising though, I’ll have to give it a try.
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