I’m kind of a sweet potato fiend. Sweet potato oats, granola, muffins, tater tots, smoothies, salads, soups, chips, burgers, Mediterranean style, CHOCOLATE COVERED. How have I not made fries on Minimalist Baker before? This has to change.
Because sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, they beckon to be tossed in all things spicy. Enter, a simple cajun spice mix, comprised of things you likely have sitting in your pantry right now.
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Cayenne
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Thyme
Who knew getting down ‘n’ dirty cajun style was this easy?
Speaking of easy, so is this recipe! Just 9 ingredients (give or take a spice) and roughly 30 minutes required. That’s my kind of soul food.
Origins of Cajun Seasoning
For seasoning these fries, we opted for cajun-inspired flavor!
Cajun food originated in southern Louisiana. It’s named after the French colonists (Acadians) who settled in the area after being forcibly removed from the Acadia region of Canada. (source)
Along with onion, celery, and bell peppers, cajun seasoning is one of the main ingredients used to add flavor to cajun cooking. It typically includes spices such as paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, and herbs such as thyme and/or oregano. You can learn more about Cajun seasoning (vs Creole seasoning) and ways to use it here.
Our cajun-inspired blend strays a bit from traditional, skipping the onion powder and opting for smoked paprika for a more smoky flavor.
These fries are amazing!
Savory
Naturally sweet
Perfectly spiced
Amazingly flavorful
Simple
Quick
& Perfect for snacking / appetizers / a side dish
My favorite way to have sweet potato fries is alongside a hearty veggie burger. But these really are perfect as is as a snack or appetizer. And if you aren’t into super spicy foods, just scale back on the cayenne for slightly less heat without sacrificing flavor.
If you try these gems, let us know! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see. Cheers!
Cajun Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes (scrubbed clean // organic when possible)
- 2 Tbsp olive, avocado, or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme*
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper*
- 1 Tbsp sugar of choice (optional // (coconut + cane are best)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C).
- Leave the skin on and cut sweet potatoes into thin, even match sticks with a very sharp knife.
- Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Then sprinkle with seasonings, sugar and toss.
- Transfer fries to 1 large or 2 baking sheets (or more if making a larger batch) and arrange in a single layer to ensure they crisp up.
- Bake for 15 minutes and flip/stir to cook on the other side. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until brown and crispy. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are dark brown and crispy.
- Remove from oven and either serve as is or drizzle with a bit of maple syrup (or honey if not vegan) to offset spiciness.
- Serve plain or with your favorite dip, such as Whiskey BBQ Ketchup.
Notes
*If you aren’t into super spicy foods, just scale back on the cayenne a bit for slightly less heat without sacrificing flavor.
*Cajun spice mix adapted from bon appetit.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional sugar.
Dalatias says
Haven’t made this yet, but have read the recipe and have a question. Step 3 says to transfer the cut potatoes “to two baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil. Then sprinkle with seasonings, sugar and toss.” But then the next step (Step 4) also says to transfer the fries to baking sheets:
“Transfer fries to 1 large or 2 baking sheets (or more if making a larger batch) and arrange in a single layer to ensure they crisp up.”
I’m wondering if maybe Step 3 meant to say that the fries should be placed in a bowl, for seasoning, and then tossed?
Sorry for the confusion and thanks for letting us know about the error, Dalatias. You’re correct – toss in a bowl! We’ll get that updated.
William Brown says
Planning on cooking this for my mother and sisters along with some Cajun Chicken and rice (with Cajun sauce) Hope they enjoy it :)))
Sounds lovely! Let us know how it goes, William!
Chelsea says
I LOVE this spice mix. All the flavor and just the right amount of heat.
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Chelsea!
Amy S says
I made this last night. it wasn’t crispy enough but still pretty good. I will bake them longer next time. love it with the skin on.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Amy! To encourage them to crisp up, make sure there’s plenty of space between the fries on the baking sheet.
Christi says
I have made sweet potato fries in the past, but they always turned out limp. After making this recipe, I realize slicing them thin, cooking them longer, and keeping them in one layer really helps! Can’t stop eating these. Thanks!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Christi! xo
Beth says
Yum yum and yum
Reinelle Robinson says
What can I substitute for oil? Would love to try these.
Sweet potato fries don’t do so well without oil in my experience (they get dry and tough). So I’d say reduce but keep a little.
Reinelle Robinson says
Thank you
Pamela says
I am not a big fan of sweet potato fries but I LOVED this recipe! I didn’t have any oregano or thyme so I did 2 tsp of italian seasoning and it was still very good! This will be my go to recipe for sweet potato fries!
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Pamela!
Linnea says
I’ve probably made this 3 or 4 times by now. (A batch is currently in the oven).
Would absolutely recommend! 👍
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Linnea! Thanks so much for sharing!
Mary Louise Smith says
Loved the Cajun flavor. I actually cooked mine at 400 degrees for 10 minutes each side.
Sheri says
I’ve made sweet potato fries a handful of times for my husband and me, and he was never a big fan until I found this recipe. I made it for the first time last night, and he loved them so much that he saved his last few fries for the very end of his meal so they could be the last thing he tasted! I am diabetic so I omitted the sugar completely, but they were sweet enough without it and the spices were delicious! Thanks for this! I’m bookmarking it for future reference.
Yay! So glad to hear it, Sheri! Thanks for sharing!
Scott says
I made them twice, with the second batch having a tablespoon of tapioca flour . It added the perfect crunch, and had virtually no impact on the already fantastic flavour.
Terri Bush says
I made a garlic dipping sauce to go with it and it was amazng
Olena says
Really loved this recipe and I’ve already made it 2 times. Will make again
Talia says
This recipe totally satisfied my sweet potato craving. I don’t think of myself as a cook, but these were honestly the tastiest sweet potato fries I’ve ever had. Looking forward to making this recipe again!
Thanks for sharing, Talia!
Lynn says
DEEEEELICIOUS!!! I left the sugars out and enjoyed spicy… So good! When spaced apart to bake, in a single layer, they crisp up nicely. Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Lynn! xo
Sheila says
Hi Dana,
I’ve scrolled through your followers comments and couldn’t find anything on air fryer as opposed to using a traditional oven.
I’d like to make this for my next pot luck at my fathers, and he doesn’t have a working oven right now.
Thanks!
Hi Sheila, we haven’t used an air fryer and don’t have any tips! Sorry about that! Let us know if you give it a try!
Susan says
I liked these ‘fries’ a lot, however, for our tastes that’s a lot of oregano and thyme….next time I think I’ll up the heat and lower the savory….but I particularly liked cutting them thin. I had to cook them a lot longer to get them to be very slightly crisp.
Susan says
Sorry, after reading other comments I thought I’d mention that I used avocado oil and at 425 the fries did not burn and I cooked them twice as long in a gas oven that really gets things brown. Oven fries are indeed ard to crisp up no matter what you do. Next time I may try a spicy vegan aioli I want to test out which looks tailor made for these. Thanks!
Nisa says
Thank you for this recipe! It was pretty good, except that I definitely would have enjoyed the fries if they were thicker. Making this made me realize I am not a fan of crunchy sweet potato. I very much prefer them soft :) Nevertheless, this recipe was very tasteful and I would definitely make it again. Also, I had no issue with burning my fries. I used the same temperature in my small toaster oven & these turned out great! Maybe, the thinner the fries are, the more cautious one should be with how long these are baked. Just keep an eye out! I also added corn starch as one of the comments below suggested – I’m not sure it made much of a difference.
mindy says
Did you put cornstarch on them before or after coating with oil?
Leigh says
These were very good! Will definitely be making these again!
Solaire says
Dear Minimalist Baker team!
I want to thank you so much for this great recipe, I tried it today and these cuties literally turned out to be the best fries ever! ❤
So simple, enjoyable, real sun and soul food!
\[T]/ praise these fries!
I enjoyed them with my syrup tahini sauce – unbelievable!
My sincerest gratitude and best whishes to all of you,
Solaire
Yay! We are glad you enjoyed these fries, Solaire!
Sophia says
So i’m just going to start off by saying that I HATE sweet potato with a passion. I know it is such a healthy vegetable, however I just can’t stand it! The taste, the texture, just everything about it makes me gag. I have tried so many variations of this vegetable – mashed, baked, slathered in excessive amounts of butter, and even a few different types of fries. I vowed long ago to never to eat sweet potato again.
However after trying your shawarma roasted Cauliflower which I loved, I was looking through your website and I saw this recipe, the photos made these fries look so tasty! So I broke my vow, went to the store and bought myself some sweet potatoes.
I am now raving about this recipe to all of my friends, I have made it three times (yes three times) in the past two days. I didn’t do anything fancy for a dip either, just a little bit of mayo was a good pairing for me. My mom and I are hooked, and i’m probably going to make it again tomorrow. I never thought that I would be having cravings for my least favourite vegetable!
Thank you so much for posting!
Lex says
I love these sweet potato fries! I’ve made them several times now. Sometimes, I cube the potatoes instead, apply the spices and pan fry them. Both are equally good. The pan fried ones are especially good with bacon and eggs!
Rita says
Hey there!! Lovely looking recipe! I’m eager to try it!! Do you think this would pair well with hunmus? :)
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
xX Rita
Oh yeah, totally!
Glory says
So yummy! I just dipped them in some trader joe’s organic ketchup instead of making my own. It was such a lovely addition to the meal, and will definitely make it again!
Desiree says
Love these keep jumping back to this recipe whenever I have a few extra sweet potatoes. This recipe is perfect. Thank you for posting.
Leah says
This was delicious! Made an aioli (mayo + garlic + lemon + honey) to pair with – loved the sweet and spicy.
Veronica says
I made these last night without the sugar, and they came out great! I made the mistake of not spreading them out enough on the baking sheet, so they didn’t get very crispy. It didn’t matter though because they were awesome. I paired this with garlic bok choy stir fry on the side. Great vegan meal!
Dennis Liss says
DO YOU REALLY LEAVE THE SKINS ON THE POTATO – YOUR POTATOES DON’T LOOK LIKE THE SKINS ARE STILL ON. ALL OTHER RECIPES SAY TO PEEL THE POTATOES. I DON’T UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ANSWER. DENNY LISS
Hi! Yep, leave those skins on and you’re good to go! Happy cooking!
Tash. says
Yummy! I tried these tonight since the recipe looked promising and there were nothing but good reviews about them. I’m officially saving this recipe. They were very delicious and flavorful. My family really liked them.
AT says
I’ve tried to make these twice, in a toaster oven, & they don’t get crispy enough until they turn black ?
I’m trying tonight in the real oven, if it doesn’t work I hope someone can give some advice please! I like the way they turn out, just isn’t a crispy fry.
Tash. says
I’m not exactly sure if you’ll achieve crispy with sweet potato fries. They’ll always have that softness on the inside, unless you’re cutting them paper thin and completely drying them out, and in that case, you’ll end up having sweet potato chips.
AT says
Thanks Tash. I’ve made them again, and have realized they won’t have the desired crispiness, so I now just ditch the whole matchstick thought of fries, cube them instead and enjoy them for what they are… this seasoning also works awesome with cubed beets!
Naheema says
Just made these! An amazing snack!
Jo Anne says
I’ve tried this recipe several times and it is one of the best out there! Thanks for posting this :)
Bea says
Used the Cajun spice mix on Salmon, and it has become a fam favorite! It is also delicious on the sweet potato fries!
Deborah says
2nd time trying sweet potatoes baked fries n love’n the ingredients in this recipe !!
Tina says
Ummm. So, you saved my life. I love you from the depths of my soul and want you as my best friend forever! In all seriousness though, my personal trainer put me on a cleanse (brutal) and said sweet potatoes were ok (nice!). I found your recipe and with great anticipation I omitted the salt and held my breath. They were amazing!! Thank you so much! I just may survive. I’ll be looking for more of your recipes on the other side of the dark abyss that is my cleanse.
Edward says
Recipe did not work as listed!! Unfortunately we read what Derek & Craig both said – that they were burnt – AFTER we made them. – We went outside and came back in after exactly 14 minutes and they were burnt. Solid black – completely burnt at 425 degrees with olive oil. Two cookie trays full of burnt fries after all that careful chopping to get them all equal in size & equally coated. …unfortunate!
Bruce Sheffler says
I like roasting sweet potatoes with just olive oil, but this gives some zing! Sweet potatoes are a great snack because they are low glycemic healthy carbs.
Curtis says
Mine did not turn out crispy. I cooked as per directions and lightly coated in coconut oil. I tried using the broiler at the end with the second batch but to no avail. Any suggestions?
Stephanie Raye says
Just made these and they’re delicious and so easy to make! I used Honey for a dipping sauce; Yumm! Thanks for the recipe!
Molly says
My previous attempts at fries, russet, sweet, or otherwise, have failed. (Oh, I still ate them, because…fries) Can’t wait to try this one. I’ve done curry powder on sweet potatoes but it never occurred to me to give Cajun spice blend a whirl. And boy would this be good with a grilled flank steak!
kushi says
Amazing recipe and Lovely clicks. Wish you a very happy new year!
Craig says
Not the best recipe. Oven is well beyond the point of burning point for olive oil…and the fries come out soggy. Better options out there, avoid this.
Derek says
Any suggestions? I followed the recipe exactly and it gave my smoke alarm quite the workout. Many of the fries were burnt and that was with stirring and flipping after 15 minutes. The fries that survived were crisp and delicious.
tiranda says
Perhaps avocado oil? I have some that says on the label, safe for high heat cooking to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
charlie says
good fries, but i don’t think the cooking times are correct…i’ve now made these twice and 30 minutes at 220C (the equivalent to your F value) is not enough…they just come out soggy. the second time we actually raised the temp to 250C and even then they were soggy! still going to try different things to see if i can make these come out as nice as they look in your pictures!
Susmita says
you should try soaking them for 30-45 minutes prior to seasoning to get rid of the starch.
Karen says
Came across this searching for a sweet potato fries recipe….OMG they were delicious! Now following you on twitter and instagram :-)
Glad to have you, Karen! xo
Stephanie says
If I put them at 375 will it change anything except for the cooking time?
How long should I put them in for?
Thank you, it looks delicious!
Shelby says
I made these for dinner the other night and they were superb!
Bryanna says
I just made these to take on a picnic with my guy tomorrow and they’re soooo goood! They have quite the kick but in a good way! And roasting with a dry pan made them crispy like the restaurants! Thank you!!
Yay! Thanks Bryanna!!
Carolyn Jacobson says
I’m making these tonight but my fiance doesn’t like sweet potatoes, so I’m thinking of doing a regular potato for him.!think it’ll be good the same way? Thanks!
I think so! Let me know how it goes!
Trang's corner says
I’m so excited to try this recipe. So delicious! So inspirational!
Alexandra says
I never ate sweet potato, so I guess I am in for a treat! I’m just back from the grocery store buying the ingredients. I am going to make this recipe tonight. Beautiful pictures by the way, it makes it very inviting. Can’t wait to try it.
Trish says
YUM! Somehow, I ALWAYS have a problem making fries come out great. They always get super mushy. These look delicious!
Trish
KristyTennessee says
A healthy win with the vegetable avoiding, strictly vegetarian husband! Don’t ask.
Katie Albert says
These look like yams because of the orange flesh…..sweet potatoes have white flesh.
Does it matter?
Thanks!
Eileen says
Sweet potato fries are my favorite! I haven’t had them in way too long. Love the idea of punching them up with lots of spice!
Nikki says
These sound delicious!
I just have to say I love your photos – as a blogger they are quite inspiring :)
Thanks!
Emilie @ The Clever Carrot says
I actually want to dunk these in my coffee right now… omg. xo
Lynsey T // One More Slice says
Absolutely love love love sweet potato fries!! I can never seem to get them as crispy as they have in restaurants but will try this method! and the spice mix they are covered in sounds delicious!! L x
Chelsea Dinsmore says
That container?! I LOVE! Beautiful pics :)
Safia says
I’ve never been able to make sweet potatoes all that crispy and I think it’s because I tend to cut them to a thicker more wedge like size. Will definitely be trying them fry size!
Vrekje says
Definitely going to try this one. I love the spice mix, can’t wait to try it.
Lee says
I want to make this when I can get a hold of sweet potatos because I love sweet potato fries! Ugh thinking about it makes me hungry for something healthily naughty hehe
Lee
Ashlee says
I am a sweet potato addict. I’ve been on a sweet potato fry making spree lately. I’ve been using almost this blend of spices, but I’m going to have to try this one out!
Cassie @ Cassie's Kitchen says
Yum! these look incredible. I usually just add salt and pepper as a seasoning for baked sweet potato friends, but this flavor combination looks delicious! I will have to try this recipe!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Your sweet potato obsession makes me so happy!! This recipe looks perfect!
Nicola says
These look absolutely delicious. Whenever I make sweet potato fries, I can never get them crispy enough, but yours look perfect! Any suggestions on how to get them crispy? Also, lovely photos!
all the dry spices in this recipe help them crisp up quite nicely. And I find baking them at a semi-high temp on a bare baking sheet is best. Keep them in a single layer as well. Good luck!
Lizbeth says
This will be perfect for the super bowl tomorrow! Yum!!
Mariane M says
A flavor blast! I think i’ve decided to try a new MB recipe every week! Uber excited.
Favorite reader award! xoxoxo
Somer says
Love it! Any thoughts on subbing yams for sweet potatoes here? I loooove me some sweet potatoes but they’re hard to come by in my area, any advice would be welcome :).
Ashley says
I had this same question when preparing a different dish recently and, after doing some research, I realized that a lot of what are called yams in grocery stores are actually what most people consider to be a sweet potato. Yams are actually far more rare in US grocery stores. Here’s an article about it that explains it very well: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-yams-and-sweet-potatoes-word-of-mouth-211176. Hope that helps! :)
truly, Addia says
i love sweet potatoes!
Lisa Jayne says
These are so delicious!!
Yay! Glad you liked them, Lisa!
Elizabeth says
I saw this recipe this morning and then immediately made it for lunch! So tasty. I also made chipotle mayo to go along with it. Amazing recipe; will definitely be making it again!
Nice! So glad you enjoyed them, Elizabeth. Thanks for sharing!
Lina says
Just made them and they taste delicious!
I do wonder how to get them crispier, cause mine are pretty soft, maybe turn up the heat? or is there is special position in the stove?
If you wanna see my pic, I just tweeted it https://twitter.com/alittlesnowball/status/561562219759292417
They look good! Just slice them more evenly and a bit thinner. Also, put them on a bare baking sheet. Looks like yours has parchment? Hope that helps!
Lina says
Yes, I used parchment paper but next time I am gonna try it without. And I guess I will have to work on my slicing skills :D
Thanks for the reply!
Deba says
coat your fries in corn starch before tossing them into the spice mixture..they crisp up nicely!
Jill Groth says
before or after the olive oil coating?
jenna @ just j.faye says
Ooohhhh yum!! I’m going to make these today!!
Chandra@The Plaid & Paisley Kitchen says
I love sweet potato fries! I am totally going to try these for dinner!
Millie | Add A Little says
Looks amazing! I love sweet potatoes so I’d be ALL over these!
Cheryl says
Love sweet potatoes and this is an awesome recipe :}
Valérie says
One of my absolut favorite ways to eat sweet potatoes and ten times better than usual fries. I already did them a couple of times, preferably served with some Greek yoghurt and salad. Next time I’ll give your spice mix a try and let’s see which version tastes better!