Best Yam Fries Recipe - Share Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What makes sweet potato fries better? ›

Sweet potato fries are slightly higher in calories and carbs but also more nutrient dense than French fries. The greatest nutrient difference is that French fries have no vitamin A, while sweet potato fries are high in this nutrient. Vitamin A is important for your vision and immune system ( 2 ).

The secret to crispy (instead of soggy) sweet potato fries is to spread them out in an even layer with enough room so that they don't touch. This is especially important if you're making a big batch of fries. Instead of just piling more onto one baking pan, spread them out over two baking pans or cook them in batches.

No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.

Cornstarch really helps to get the outsides crisp!

I've played around with various amounts of cornstarch and olive oil and found the perfect ratio. I've experimented with arrowroot starch as well, and it produced fries that were somewhat less crisp, but it's worth using if that's what you have.

Freeze Time for Sweeter Sweet Potatoes

So if you want a sweet, sweet potato, you have to cook it until it reaches 135–170°F (57–77°C). And you want to keep sweet potatoes in that range for as long as possible. That will maximize how sweet the potatoes taste.

3. Do I need to soak sweet potatoes before baking? Many readers ask if they really need to soak the sweet potatoes before baking to get that great crunch. I've tried it both ways and found that soaking the sweet potato fries for about 30 minutes or so in plenty of cold water does help them crisp up a bit more.

Deep fried french fries are often double fried (once at a lower temp, once at a higher temp to crisp) I found out that the same thing works magically for oven fries! You can make oven french fries so good and crispy. Soak the potatoes in cold water after cutting for at least 30 minutes.

What about soaking? Some recipes for homemade sweet potato fries ask you to soak the fries before cooking. The theory is that soaking draws out starch from inside the potatoes, helping them crisp up.

NOTE: Sweet potato is a lot more tough to cut than regular russet potatoes. To make it easier to cut, just slice a small piece off the long side of the potato to create a flat surface. This way, the potato won't wobble when slicing it.

You may not want to substitute true yams in your Candied Yams recipe since their flavor isn't the same as the sweet potatoes in the dish. They can be substituted for sweet potatoes in more savory dishes. Treat them like potatoes to make mashed yams or yam fries.

Which is healthier, yam or sweet potato? ›

Although both veggies are very close in fiber, protein, vitamin C, and magnesium, sweet potatoes are the healthier option because they are lower in overall calories, lower in carbohydrates, and higher in beta carotene (vitamin A).

Like white potatoes, sweet potatoes are high in carbohydrates. Even so, people with diabetes can eat them in moderation.

Give them a cold water bath: Once your fries are chopped, toss them into a large bowl. Then cover the fries completely with cold water and let them soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight). This will help to rinse off the excess starch and help the potatoes crisp up beautifully in the oven.

When serving loaded sweet potato fries, some popular accompaniments are chile con queso, sour cream, chili, bacon, guacamole, jalapenos, shredded cheese, and onion. You can also top them with other classic favorites like chili, salsa, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, scallions, or olives.

Sweet potatoes are not as starchy as russet potatoes, which yield best results when soaked in water before cooking to remove the starch from the surface area and cook to a crisp. Soaking sweet potato fries could produce steam in the air fryer, which could make the fries soggy.

The starchy and tuberous root of the sweet potato is hard when raw, but when deep fried it becomes crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The fry is cut into a square or cylindrical shape and is 2-3 inches in length with a very thin width. The color is a dark orange-brown and the flavor is sweet, and salty.

NOTE: Sweet potato is a lot more tough to cut than regular russet potatoes. To make it easier to cut, just slice a small piece off the long side of the potato to create a flat surface. This way, the potato won't wobble when slicing it.

For an even more robust flavor, you can try using beef tallow or lard, which produces crispier French fries with an authentic fried taste. Both beef tallow and lard have a very high smoke point (400°F/200°C), making them ideal for deep-frying without smoking.

This reaction causes food to brown when sugar reacts with amino acids under heat. So adding that sugar ensures that browning will occur, leading to that golden crisp exterior you want from a good french fry.