Why Your Sweet Potato Fries Keep Turning Out Soggy

Sometimes it feels as if a dish we make is as second nature to us as putting butter on bread... only for that meal to end up being a soggy mess anyway. For many, this perfectly describes their experience with making sweet potato fries. The delicious appetizer, which is so similar to french fries (its not-so-French sibling dish), is best when it has a satisfying crispiness to it. 

To obtain this ideal level of crispiness, we asked Grace Vallo, founder, chef, and recipe creator for Tastefully Grace, to give us some tips. The three pieces of advice were actually quite simple and revolved around the shape, heat, and quantity of the fries you're making.

Above all, the biggest mistake you're making pertains to how many fries you're making at once. "Overcrowding equals steaming, not crisping," Vallo explained. "If the fries overlap, they'll trap steam and soften instead of crisping (which as mentioned earlier, you don't want)." So, keeping each of your fries separated — whether you're making them in the oven or the air fryer — is the key to ensuring they don't turn out soggy. "Each fry needs direct heat from the baking sheet for a perfect, golden, crunchy texture," Vallo continued. "At least a ¼-inch gap between fries is ideal."

Beyond the amount of fries you make at once, there are a few other ways to guarantee your sweet potato fries are as crispy as your homemade french fries are. As you first embark on your journey to better sweet potato fries, Vallo suggested that the first thing to do is to keep the size of the individual fries in mind. "Thicker fries hold more moisture," she noted. "So thinner fries crisp up better." Unless you're making the sweet potato fries steak fry-style — which often resemble sweet potato wedges more than fries — thinner is better to ensure they are perfectly crunchy.

Finally, it's important to keep the temperature of the sweet potato fries in mind during the entire duration of the time they're baking. "Roasting at 425 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit or using an air fryer allows moisture to evaporate quickly, creating that coveted crunch," Vallo said. Using the air fryer to make sweet potato fries also means using less oil, resulting in less mess and a healthier dish. This, alongside the crispier results, makes the popular appliance your best bet for perfection when it comes to homemade sweet potato fries.