These sweet potato wedges are an easy, healthy side dish made with lightly spiced sweet potatoes that are roasted until tender and golden.
LC Voluptuous, Curvy, and Substantial Note
While these you’d-never-guess-they’re-good-for-you fries of sorts will help you on your quest to be skinnier, these aren’t your skinny French frites. They’re chunky-wunky, thick-cut steakhouse-style potato wedges. As such, they’re curvy. Voluptuous. Substantial. Purposeful. While we like us a crisp skinny stick of potato now and then, what we really crave is something full of character.
Sweet Potato Wedges
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
On a cutting board, cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise, then place it flat side down. Cut each potato half into 1-inch-wide (25-mm) wedges.
In a small bowl, combine the oil, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Place the potatoes on a roasting pan and brush them with the oil mixture, turning to coat all sides. Turn the potatoes flesh side down.
Bake the potatoes until softened, 20 to 25 minutes. If you want your sweet potato wedges sorta soft, turn them once. If you want your wedges blistered and golden brown and crisp on one side, don’t turn the wedges.
Remove the panful of sweet potato wedges from the oven and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a brown paper bag and let them cool just a little. Serve warm.
Recipe Testers' Reviews
Quite lovely. I peeled all but one of the potatoes, and preferred the ones without the skin. I also followed the advice to leave the potatoes on the roasting pan without turning them, and the flesh blistered beautifully, which I think is important with sweet potatoes, as they tend to be on the softer side anyhow.
The chili powder was an easy way to add a little smoky flavor. The next morning, we chopped up the leftovers and made a hash to go along with fried eggs.
I must admit I wasn’t too sure about this recipe, but I guess I was wrong. I must say, DO use the chili powder, as that is what makes them AMAZING. This is such an easy and healthy side dish to go along with, say, a grilled steak.
YUM. I made these with light sweet potatoes and, instead of regular chili powder, I used khalta hara (cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, black lime, and silk chile) and smoked pimentón paprika from Burlap & Barrel. Unbelievably good. I skipped the paper bag step because I started eating them as soon as they came out of the oven. We ate them with homemade chicken nuggets, and it was a nice grown-up twist on a classic kids’ meal. I’ll be making them again with other spice and chile blends.
Thanks, Leah. Those look fantastic!
I first fell in love with sweet potato fries at a local restaurant years ago, that were served with the perfect dipping sauce. Before they closed their doors for good, we were able to find out the ingredients to the sauce…mayo thinned with maple syrup. I know it sounds strange, but I haven’t been able to hear of sweet potato fries without thinking of that sauce! And, it’s so easy to make.
Interesting, Anne! Although it does sound very unusual, I can see how the maple flavor would pair extremely well with the sweet potatoes. We’ll need to give that a try.
Delicious. Sweet, creamy insides. Crispy, salty, peppery crusty outsides. They’re best straight out of the oven so when they sat around for awhile on Super Bowl Sunday I warmed them up by putting them in the deep fryer after the chicken wings were done and they were great. Not one left.
LOVE this, Marilyn! Absolutely love you crisping the sweet potato wedges in your wing oil. Brilliant!
I’m curious now to try this with the regular, pale sweet potatoes since I usually only buy the Garnet. If they cook in the same amount of time with the same good effect, they’d make a prettier presentation with the mixed colors, don’t you think?
Completely agree, ruthie. And have you tried purple sweet potatoes? I find them in Chinatown. When roasted, they are, I kid you not, sweet as candy.
I certainly do, ruthie. Please let me know what you think when you make them.
I would like to try this recipe as we LOVE sweet potatoes. I’m curious though – what is the purpose of placing the baked wedges in a paper bag after they’re done? Is it to extract any extra moisture from the sweet potatoes? Is this step absolutely necessary?
You guessed it, Natalie. The brown paper sack absorbs any excess oil but, unlike paper towels, won’t render the fries soggy. And no, it’s not essential, especially since this sweet potato wedges recipe calls for very little oil. Let us know how it goes….