Sweet Potato Wedges

These sweet potato wedges are an easy, healthy side dish made with lightly spiced sweet potatoes that are roasted until tender and golden.

Sweet potato wedges piled on a white serving platter.

Talk about finger food! These sweet potato wedges look incredible stacked high on a platter. They’re soft and sweet, as much candy for the mouth as they are for the eyes. Chili powder makes this deliciously easy, but experiment with other seasonings such as paprika, cinnamon, cumin, chopped fresh rosemary, or fresh thyme leaves. For dunking, ketchup always works, or try a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a British chips-and-vinegar effect.–Allison Fishman

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.

☞ Contents

Sweet Potato Wedges

Sweet potato wedges piled on a white serving platter.
These sweet potato wedges are an easy, healthy side dish made with lightly spiced sweet potatoes that are roasted until tender and golden.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Total 35 minutes
Sides
American
6 servings
173 kcal
5 / 3 votes
Print RecipeBuy the You Can Trust a Skinny Cook cookbook

Want it? Click it.

Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds (about 4 small) sweet potatoes scrubbed and, if desired, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

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.


Print RecipeBuy the You Can Trust a Skinny Cook cookbook

Want it? Click it.

Show Nutrition

Serving: 1portionCalories: 173kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 31g (10%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 5g (8%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 673mg (29%)Potassium: 519mg (15%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 21599IU (432%)Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)Calcium: 47mg (5%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

#leitesculinaria on Instagram If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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.

Surprisingly seductive, and I don’t really care for sweet potatoes. Sweet potato fries are usually too soft for me, so I took the author’s advice and did not turn the wedges, hoping for a bit of “crust”. This resulted in a really nice texture with a chewy, almost caramelized surface on one side, with the others soft.

I ate them hot, warm, and room temperature and would have eaten them cold had there been any left. The chili flavor wasn’t very noticeable, so I’d probably change up the seasonings next time.

Wow, these were great! Having been on a healthier eating plan since January, I sure have missed regular fries and sweet potato fries, so I just had to give this a shot. VERY pleasantly surprised.

The recipe worked well as written, but doubling the mix of oil and chili powder makes it still fairly healthy and a little more tasty. I used “true” sweet potatoes, which are light in color, not the very orange yams some people think of as sweet potatoes.

For ease of preparation, I just tossed the potato slices in a big bowl with the oil and chili mix to coat them, instead of trying to brush each one. I did turn them to get them browned on both sides, definitely a plus. Good timing, good temp, excellent product.

As promised, these tasty and simple-to-make wedges were also very pretty on a plate. These had just the right about of warmth from the chili powder, crispness from the high heat of the oven, and saltiness.

I liked the idea of adding some of the salt to the oil mixture and then sprinkling the wedges with a bit more salt before eating them. I’d love to try these tasty treats again with a dip of sour cream and lime zest—I think that would be a great way to enjoy them even as an appetizer.

I’ve been trying to get my kids to eat sweet potato fries for years to no avail, until this recipe. They were sweet and spicy, and the kids ate them up.

The only thing I would change is to add a little brown sugar. That would help to caramelize the tops and add a bit of sweetness with the chili powder. I had to cook them longer than directed to get a crust on the top.

Simple and delicious. We love baked sweet potatoes and sweet potato fries. This was a great combination of both. I used two large sweet potatoes, which made enough for six servings. A little curried ketchup for dunking, and dinner was a hit. A real winner recipe in my book.

I left the skin on, but removed the end pieces. The chili spice was apparent, but not overwhelming. When I checked at the 20-minute mark they were done, but not near crispy. I let the wedges go to 30 minutes and the edges did crisp up a little bit. Not that it mattered. They made a great side for broiled burgers.

Although this is the simplest of recipes, the results are great. It’s a terrific way to prepare sweet potatoes and much healthier than regular potatoes as a side dish. This is a very easy and tasty way to make sweet potatoes that will become a weeknight staple in my kitchen.

To make it a little quicker, I put the oil and chili powder in a big bowl and tossed the wedges in it instead of brushing them with the oil. The addition of chili powder keeps them from being just a plain, sweet side. I also tried this with bittersweet smoked paprika and liked that even better. A dip of mayo with more smoked paprika in it was an indulgent addition. Without the chili powder, I wonder if a dip made of marshmallow creme might be reminiscent of sweet potato casserole with those mini-marshmallows.

This super easy recipe is fantastic. The spice counter-balances the sweet potato perfectly. Rather than brushing the sweet potatoes with the olive oil mixture, I drizzled it over the potatoes right on the sheet pan and mixed it all together with my hands.

I recommend turning the potatoes over halfway, as it really crisps them nicely. Very simple and delicious. Will definitely make this one again! Oh yeah, no ketchup necessary.

I make sweet potato fries often, since my daughter and I have loved them for years. I’ve made them with some of the spices and herbs suggested in this recipe, including the chili, but usually with other spices at the same time. I made a half recipe of these for myself since hubby doesn’t like them. They were heavenly, as expected.

I did just use chili powder and the salt instead of trying one of the other seasonings, and I was a happy girl. I love the technique of mixing the chili, salt and olive oil together and brushing on the wedges, since this gives an even coating to all of them. Simple, but hadn’t occurred to me since I usually just toss them in the oil and sprinkle on whatever seasonings I plan on using. I like the brushing method better, and will do that from now on.

25 minutes was the perfect time, and I chose to not turn half way through to get the flesh blistered and golden brown, as suggested by the author. I was surprised to see the author suggest ketchup for dunking, since my family makes fun of me for eating sweet potato fries with ketchup. My daughter eats mayonnaise on hers. Give these a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, no matter what you choose for your dunking.

These were quick and easy. The chili powder provided a nice little kick and complemented the sweetness very nicely. About half the wedges were in direct contact with the pan and those wedges were quite lovely—with a blistered side that was a little crispy. I enjoyed my sweet potatoes with a nice green salad and found that they made for a satisfying meal.

Sweet potatoes are so versatile, nutritious, and delicious, and this recipe really highlighted them. In addition to the chili powder, I used garlic and rosemary. That is what I like about this recipe—the possible flavor combinations are endless.

When roasting vegetables, my favorite part is the blistering so I allowed the wedges to roast on one side. There is something about that smokiness that really gets me. I had made a lemon aioli for another dish so used it for these, too. Very good.

This is a very straightforward and simple recipe (or almost a procedure) that can be tweaked to your heart’s delight (although the version with chili powder is very good). I also sprinkled the wedges with fleur de sel after removing from the oven, for more crunch and little salty explosions.

Simple to make and satisfying, this sweet potato recipe is a great weeknight side. I made half of the recipe and it was a hearty side for two people. I also tried the recipe with dried thyme as the seasoning, and it was great. That would work well for those that don’t like the kick of the chili powder. I think a chipotle chili powder would be even more delicious and hope to try it.

Next time I make this recipe, I think I’ll just put the olive oil, salt, and seasoning directly on the baking sheet and then coat the wedges by turning them in the oil, like I do with other roasted vegetables. Also, it helped to sprinkle the thyme on after the oil but before you bake the sweet potatoes to ensure each piece has thyme on it. The salt at the end is a nice touch, but I think I’ll use less next time.

These sweet potato wedges were very simple to make and tasted very good. I did use the chili powder, a spicy one, because we like spicy.

They weren’t as crispy as I would have liked, but it might have been because I crowded the pan a little too much. I would definitely make these again.

I’ve been roasting everything this winter, and I love sweet potatoes. I really enjoyed the flavor of the chili powder with the sweetness of the potato.

This recipe is flawless as is, and well worth the (precious little) time it takes to put it together. Sweet potatoes, particularly the lighter-colored (read: anything that is not a Garnet) can be on the dry, bland side. This recipe eliminates the risk by augmenting whatever natural flavor exists with just the right amount of chili powder.

Folks who don’t like spice quite so much or are sure they have a great-flavored sweet potato and don’t want to risk masking the flavor, can use just a sprinkling of chili powder instead of the full amount. I admit that I had doubts about using any at all, and definitely won’t use it every time I make the recipe, but it’s great to keep in mind for the sake of variety.

Delicious, nutritious, easy, and fast! I’m not sure about this serving six, but otherwise the instructions are clear and accurate. My two pounds of potatoes were three medium, and I didn’t peel. I turned them once, from one flesh side to the other, at the ten-minute mark. I tasted at 20 minutes, but left the rest in for the full 25 minutes. While they were tasty at 20, they were soft and sweet as described at 25. It was hard to wait for them to cool a little, and I served them hot, not warm.

They were so tasty I neglected to put out the suggested ketchup or fresh lime juice for dunking, but I’m thinking the lime would have been terrific! One of the best features is the wedge-sized pieces of sweet potato, and I can imagine how incredible they would look stacked high on a platter, which didn’t happen in my case since they were eaten before they could be placed upon a serving dish. Next time—lime, wait to cool just a little, present on a platter. This time, the first time out—bake and devour!

HUNGRY FOR MORE?

#leitesculinaria on Instagram If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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.

  2. 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.

    1. 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.

  3. 5 stars
    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.

    1. LOVE this, Marilyn! Absolutely love you crisping the sweet potato wedges in your wing oil. Brilliant!

  4. 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?

    1. 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.

  5. 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?

    1. 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….

Have something to say?

Then tell us. Have a picture you'd like to add to your comment? Attach it below. And as always, please take a gander at our comment policy before posting.

Rate this recipe!

Have you tried this recipe? Let us know what you think.

Upload a picture of your dish