Tantalize your tastebuds with this aioli sweet potato fries recipe! The natural sweetness of the fries pairs flawlessly with the rich, zesty, and spicy aioli, promising the perfect side dish, or snack.
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why you will love this recipe
Homemade sweet potatoes are baked until they reach the perfect level of crispiness and then served alongside some spicy aioli! The sweetness of the sweet potato fries is the perfect counterpart to the richness and zesty kick of the spicy aioli.
To me, this dipping sauce is the true star of the dish! When it comes to the sweet potato fries, you can either choose to oven-bake them, or even air fry them. Paired up together? You have a wonderful dish that you will be coming back to!
what is aioli
Aioli is a sauce that originated from the Mediterranean, particularly in the cuisines of Spain, France, and Italy. The term "aioli" comes from the Provençe (in Southern France) and translates as "garlic and oil"; which were originally the fundamental ingredients of this sauce.
Traditionally, aioli is made by pounding garlic with a mortar and pestle, then slowly incorporating oil to form an emulsion. Some traditional recipes also include egg yolks to help create a creamy, stable emulsion, similar to the process of making mayonnaise. It's commonly served with vegetables, fish, and meats, or used as a spread in sandwiches.
Today, many variations of aioli exist, with some even omitting garlic! And as is the case with most dipping sauces, it can be flavored with different ingredients like herbs, or even vegetables.
ingredients you will need:
To make this recipe, you will require two sets of ingredients; a set to make the fries, and another set to make the aioli dipping sauce.
Here is what you will need to make the sweet potato fries:
- medium-sized sweet potatoes
- seasoning - salt, black pepper, ground paprika and ground garlic.
- cornstarch – arrowroot starch is a great alternative that you can use here if you want to avoid grains.
- olive oil – or your preferred choice of cooking oil (here, you want to make sure that you choose a cooking oil with a high smoking point such as sunflower, canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil).
And here is what you will require to make the spicy aioli:
- mayonnaise - if on a special diet such as the paleo diet, make sure that you are using compliant mayonnaise, made without for example, added sugars or soybean oil.
- Sriracha hot sauce.
- juice of one lime.
- garlic powder (not pictured).
- granulated sugar (optional - not pictured).
The above is a summary of the ingredients you will need to make this recipe, including possible substitutions, if any. You will find the complete list and detailed step-by-step instructions in the recipe card provided below.
how to make aioli sweet potato fries
- Slice the sweet potatoes – For evenly cooked fries, slice sweet potatoes into uniform sizes, about ¼-½ inch thick. Clean, peel, and trim the ends. Cut in half lengthwise, then into 0.6-1.2 cm slabs. Finally, cut these into sticks for fries. Avoid cutting too thick to ensure crispiness. (You can watch how to cut sweet potatoes to fries here).
- Soak the sweet potatoes in cold water (optional): - For crisper fries, optionally soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes to an hour before baking. While optional, I do not recommend skipping on soaking.
- Pat-dry the fries - preheat your oven at 425°F / 220°C. You can also make your fries using an air fryer (see useful tips below). To prevent getting soggy fries, pat-dry the fries after soaking.
- Season - transfer fries to a bowl, season with salt, pepper, and toss in cornstarch. Add oil and toss again.
- Bake – Arrange sweet potato fries in a single layer on two parchment-lined baking trays. Do not to overcrowd. Bake until cooked, flipping halfway for even cooking. While baking, prepare the spicy aioli. Once baked, top the fries with ground paprika and garlic.
- Make the sauce: To make the aioli sauce for the sweet potato fries, combine mayonnaise, Sriracha, and lime juice in a small bowl. Serve the aioli sauce as a dipping sauce with the fries.
Craving more easy recipes? Then check out our air fryer sweet potato cubes, cassava flour crepes, and mascarpone chicken, next!
serving suggestions
You can enjoy the sweet potato fries with the dipping sauce as a complete meal or serve them in combination with other recipes. Some of these combinations include:-
- As a Side Dish: Serve the sweet potato fries as a side to grilled meats, poultry, vegetables, or fish, or simply enjoy them with some air fryer salt and pepper chicken wings, or air fryer meatballs for a complete meal.
- Use these flavorful fries as a filling in wraps or sandwiches.
- Serve them with a salad: I definitely recommend our Jamaican coleslaw, German Bavarian Potato Salad, and Persian salad shirazi as these pair really well with the sweet potatoes.
refregiration and freezing
The best thing is that you can make this dipping sauce for sweet potato fries ahead! It keeps very well in the fridge, which is a great thing, especially for busy weeknights.
Keep any leftover spicy aioli sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing the sauce as freezing can cause the emulsion to break, resulting in a sauce that separates and becomes grainy or clumpy when defrosted.
useful tips to help you nail this recipe
- Optionally, bake sweet potatoes with the skin on for added fiber and nutrients.
- Cut fries uniformly, about ¼ to ½ inch thick, for even cooking and to avoid sogginess.
- Air fry the sweet potato fries at 380°F (190°C) ias an alternative to baking, preheating the air fryer first.
- Other than salt and pepper, you want to add any other seasoning in the end, to prevent the spices from burning when roasting in the oven. Some recipes even recommend adding the salt once the fries are cooked to prevent the salt from drawing moisture from the fries and making them soggy. I have, however, tested adding the salt first and still obtained crispy sweet potato fries.
- For extra crispiness, increase baking time in 5-minute increments until desired crispness is achieved.
variations
Try out these variations next time, when making this spicy Sriracha aioli!
- Use your favorite seasonings! Chermoula spice, chips spice, xawaash, or taco seasoning all work wonders with sweet potato fries.
- Add some maple syrup for some sweetness or minced garlic, for some garlicky flavor.
more simple family recipes
Check out our other delicious and simple family meals from around the world! Additionally, you will find lots of other air fryer recipes here; from air fryer breakfast recipes, snacks, and so much more!
📖 Recipe
Aioli Sweet Potato Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
To make the sweet potatoes
- 3-4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ tablespoon cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or your preferred choice of cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground garlic
To make the spicy aioli dipping sauce
- ½ tablespoon mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
- 1 lime - juiced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
Instructions
Bake the Sweet Potato Fries
- Clean and peel the sweet potatoes. Cut off its ends, and slice it in half lengthwise. Place the flat side down, and cut lengthwise again into ¼ to ½-inch slabs (approximately 0.6cm – 1.2cm). Finally, cut these slabs into sticks, creating fries. Do not cut them thickly, as they will not crispen up properly.
- Soak the fries for 30 minutes or overnight, in ice-cold water. This is an optional step, but I highly recommend not skipping it as this helps remove some of the excess starch, leading to a crisper bake.
- Line two baking sheets (trays) with parchment paper and set them aside. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). You can also make the fries using your air fryer (see notes below).
- Drain the fries and blot them with a clean kitchen cloth. For crispy fries, ensure that the fries are properly dry before proceeding with the next step.
- Add the fries to a large bowl and season them with salt and black pepper. Add the cornstarch then toss until the fries are evenly coated. Add oil, then toss again. Tossing them in cornstarch before adding the oil also leads to a crispy exterior.
- Arrange the fries in a single layer on the lined baking sheets (trays). Do not overlap them, otherwise, they will turn out soggy.
- Bake the fries for 15 minutes. Prepare the spicy aioli sauce while the fries are baking (see instructions below). Flip and bake on the other side for a further 10-15 minutes or until the tops start to darken and the sweet potato fries are cooked through.
- Season the sweet potato fries with paprika, and garlic powder, then serve immediately with the spicy aioli sauce.
Make the Aioli Dipping Sauce
- Combine the mayonnaise, Sriracha, garlic powder, sugar (optional) and lime juice in a bowl, until you obtain a uniform color. Serve your spicy aioli or immediately transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for later.
Notes
-
- You can skip the peeling by baking the sweet potatoes with the skin on, for some extra fiber and nutrition.
- Cut the fries uniformly to about a quarter to half inch thick, to ensure even cooking and prevent them from turning soggy.
- Air fry the sweet potato fries at 380°F (190°C) instead of baking them if you prefer! Just make sure to preheat your air fryer before cooking!
- Like your fries more crispy? Simply increase the cooking time in 5-min increments, until you obtain your desired level of crispiness.
- Experiment with the spicy aioli sauce by adding a tablespoon of maple syrup for some sweetness or a teaspoon of minced garlic, for some garlicky flavor.
- Feel free to season the sweet potato fries as preferred.
kaluhi
This was such a delightful meal and the combo was straight FIRE! My sister and I really enjoyed
Jessica
I'm always disappointed making sweet potato fries at home because they never come out crispy. These are it! The cornstarch really helps crisp them up and the aioli was the perfect dipping sauce. Loved it.
Jazz
I love the spicy aoili--really took the fries over the top and I made an extra batch to serve with other vegetables this week. Thank you!
Geo
My husband loves sweet potatoes and so I'm always looking for new and interesting ways to prepare them. He devoured these, and said that he never had an aioli that paired so well with the sweet potatoes.
Kate Hahnel
So happy you loved the sweet potatoes and aioli.
Robin
My mother worships sweet potatoes, so I made this recipe for her over the weekend. The aioli dipping sauce was simply magnificent!
Kate Hahnel
I also love sweet potatoes! So glad she loved the dipping sauce!
Krysten
The spicy aioli is a must make for this recipe! My kids love sweet potato fries but I’ve never been a huge fan. When paired with the sauce though, DROOLING! It’s my new go to snack. I make the sweet potatoes fries in the air fryer, and serve it with the aioli!
Marta
I absolutely loved how easy these sweet potato fries were to make. The cornstarch really made them crispy, which I love. I usually make my aioli from scratch, but the mayo version was much easier.