A Cornstarch Bath Is the Secret to Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

Gather the ingredients. The Spruce Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. The Spruce Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1/4-inch sticks about 3 to 4 inches in length. The Spruce Put the sweet potatoes in the ice water and let them sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The Spruce In a large food storage bag or bowl, combine the cornstarch with the cold water; stir until smooth. The mixture will be quite thin. The Spruce Place the potato strips in the cornstarch and water mixture. If using a bag, flip over a few times to make sure the potatoes are well coated; if in a bowl, stir to mix evenly. The Spruce Pour the vegetable oil into a large, heavy pan or Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil to 325 F. The Spruce Working in small batches, remove the potatoes from the bag or bowl and carefully place them in the hot oil. Fry the sweet potatoes for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir them a few times to keep them from sticking together. When done, the fries should be tender but not browned. The Spruce Using a metal slotted spoon, lift the potatoes out onto paper towels or brown paper to drain. The Spruce When all of the potatoes have been fried once, raise the temperature of the oil to 350 F. Working in small batches, fry the sweet potato sticks again for about 1 minute. The Spruce When the fries are golden brown, remove them to paper towels or brown paper to drain. The Spruce Sprinkle the sweet potato fries with kosher or seasoned salt or dust lightly with a cinnamon-sugar blend. The Spruce Serve hot and enjoy.