Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce
These spicy sweet potato fries get baked in the oven, using my special trick to make them ultra crispy! Served with a creamy cilantro-lime sauce, the yummiest dipping sauce for sweet potato fries!
It's sad to think back on all the mediocre food I regularly ate in college, simply because I thought it was healthy. Soggy turkey subs (with lite mayo of course) were low fat, therefore the panacea of health. My dinnertime standard jarred spaghetti sauce over a pile of white noodles was vegetarian and also low fat, so, obviously nutritious. I snacked on high fiber granola bars, fat free yogurt, and big bags of baked barbecue chips. And when I went out to dinner, it was always a turkey burger instead of a regular burger with sweet potato fries instead of regular fries.
For most people, I'm sure it's fairly obvious sweet potato fries are still fries. But at the time, with my lack of knowledge and disordered relationship with food, I put sweet potato fries in the same category as celery sticks and salad with fat free dressing because they were sooooo much healthier than regular fries because SWEET POTATOES. It’s funny how with diet culture, we have these assumptions about the health (or lack thereof) of certain foods, that really don’t stand up to scrutiny. Like, if I thought high fat foods were bad for you, why did I think deep fried sweet potatoes were a health food???
(For the record, I do not categorize food as healthy or unhealthy anymore, and do not think of fried foods as bad or unhealthy - just pointing out the hypocrisy of diet culture beliefs.)
Anyway, the funny thing about it was that while I was chomping down on sweet potato fries in the name of health, I actually didn’t even like them! I know sweet potato fries are one of those things most people geek out over, but all the places we went out to eat in Clemson served them with this weird cinnamon-sugar topping. You want dessert after your burger, not next to it.
Why I Love These Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
It wasn't until I tasted spicy sweet potato fries that I got what all the fuss is about. Sweet and spicy? Now that's a flavor combo I can get down with.
These spicy sweet potato fries are tossed with a combination of spices that bring heat and smokiness to the naturally sweet spuds. With chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic powder and cayenne, these baked sweet potato fries have a complex flavor, and trust me when I say you’ll want to double up the spice mix to put on basically everything!
The other thing I love about this recipe is the creamy cilantro-lime dipping sauce for the sweet potato fries. It’s bright and fresh, and pairs perfectly with the rich spicy fries. Made with a creamy blend of mayo and Greek yogurt, and brightened with citrus and herbs. If you’re used to eating fries with ketchup, you’ll love this fun twist.
How to Make These Spicy Sweet Potato Fries Extra-Crispy
The biggest problem with baked sweet potato fries is that they often turn into a soggy mess. Getting that crispy exterior and creamy interior is tricky, but after some trial and error and a couple batches of seriously charred fries, I finally found the trick - cornstarch! Toss the fries in a little bit of cornstarch before drizzling with olive oil and spices and they'll crisp right up in the oven.
You also want to make sure you’ve got the right oven temperature for these spicy sweet potato fries. I like it at 425, a little hotter than my usual vegetable roasting temperature of 400. After about 25 minutes in the oven (tossed halfway!), they get nice and crispy and slightly caramelized with a tender interior.
How to Make This Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce for Sweet Potato Fries
I made a creamy cilantro-lime dipping sauce for . The creaminess and bright flavor from the herbs and citrus goes perfectly with the sweet and spicy fries. To make the base for this sweet potato fry dipping sauce, I used a mix of Greek yogurt and mayo. The mayo adds richness, while the Greek yogurt adds a bit of tang and lightens the consistency a bit. For a vegan version of this dipping sauce for sweet potato fries, I’ve used 1/2 cup soaked cashews blended with the rest of the ingredients. Soaked cashews are a secret ingredient I often use in vegan cooking to add richness and creaminess. I use it in lots of different recipes, like my creamy spinach-apple soup and a creamy salsa dressing for my taco salad. I love how it adds a slightly cheesy flavor! To make it, just blend cashews that have been soaked for a couple hours in water with cilantro, lime juice, garlic powder and a dash of apple cider vinegar.
Use leftover sweet potato fry dipping sauce as a salad dressing (it would be great with my cornbread tomato salad or kale tortilla salad), as a spread for sandwiches, or with raw veggies as a snack.
How to Serve Spicy Sweet Potato Fries (and Dipping Sauce!)
These spicy sweet potato fries would be perfect served alongside my grilled portobello mushroom burger or lentil and mushroom veggie burger. You could also top this dish with black beans and avocado or my quinoa chili and serve it as a main dish, and still use the cilantro-lime sauce as a dip or drizzle for the sweet potato fries. Or hey, I hear there's this sporting event going on this weekend that you might need some tasty appetizers for!
If you like this recipe for spicy sweet potato fries, check out my Pinterest board with other easy and healthy potato recipes.
This recipe for spicy sweet potato fries and cilantro-lime dipping sauce for the sweet potato fries has been updated to give you the best possible content.
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
Fries:
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into fries/batons
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/3 cup cilantro, packed
1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degres.
In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with cornstarch to coat evenly. Drizzle in olive oil and toss evenly to combine.
Mix spices together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over potatoes and toss together until evenly coated. Spread evenly over 2 large baking sheets, leaving plenty of room between fries. Overcrowding causes them to be soggy. Place in the oven and roast 12-15 minutes until tender. Flip, and change positions of the potatoes in the oven, and continue roasting an additional 10 minutes until crispy and golden.
While the fries are baking, blend the dipping sauce ingredients together in a food processor or blender until pureed. Season with salt to taste.
Serve sweet potato fries with dipping sauce. Garnish with green onions and cilantro.
If you like these spicy sweet potato fries, you might also like:
Southwestern Sweet Potato Hash with Chili and Orange
Vegan Chipotle Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Loaded Greek Fries with Garlic-Scallion Dipping Sauce
