Vegan Sweet Potato Wedges Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my sweet potato wedges not crispy? ›

Don't overcrowd the baking sheet!

This is an important one! If the baking sheet it too crowded, the sweet potatoes will not crisp.

The key to making a super crispy potato wedges is cutting them nice and thin and giving them plenty of time in the oven to crisp. Flipping them too early or over-crowding the pan will leave you with less than crispy potatoes but if you are willing to wait - you can make something every one will love.

Soak them. I was always a little skeptical when I read this in recipes, but it's essential. Soaking the sweet potatoes removes excess starch, which allows them to crisp up easier. You will want to put them in cold water for at least 30 minutes, but the longer you can go, the better.

Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 3 or 4 long spears (so you will have 6 to 8 wedges per potato). Each spear should be about ¾-inch to 1-inch wide; the most important thing is to cut them as uniform in size as you can so that they bake evenly.

The cold water bath helps rinse the starch off the sweet potatoes so they're a bit more crispy. That said, if you do not have the time, you can still get crispy baked sweet potato fries by using high heat and a little drizzle of olive oil.

If you're reheating potato wedges that have been stored in the fridge, place them on a baking tray into a very HOT oven and cook until they crisp up again.

SOAK your potato chunks in cold water.

This removes some of the starch and helps get them super duper crispy. Soak them at least one hour.

An overcrowded pan will turn a sauna into a steam bath; Your potatoes will cook, but they'll be soft, moist, and bland like steamed potatoes. Even if you're tempted to save dishes by throwing a mound of potatoes onto one baking sheet, parsing them out over two will give them the space they need to crisp up.

The longer and slower you cook a sweet potato, the more maltose is formed and the sweeter it will taste. So if you want a much less sweet potato try steaming it, or cut it into small pieces and roast on a higher heat.

The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying. Additionally, the vinegar can contribute to a golden-brown color on the exterior of the fries.

Should you soak sweet potatoes before air frying? ›

Before the air fryer became popular I was all about baked sweet potato fries. I still love them, but I have to admit that using the air fryer to make them is faster and they actually get crispier too. Spoiler alert: there's no need to soak your potatoes in water ahead of time!

My sweet potatoes are long and thin. Is there something wrong with my soil? Too much nitrogen in the soil causes long, thin roots. When planting next season, don't improve soil in your sweet potato patch with anything that might add nitrogen (such as compost), and don't fertilize.

My guess is you aren't blanching the sweet potato fries before you are frying them. In order to get crispy fries, of any type, you need to cook them twice. You begin by either boiling them in water, or frying them at 325, until they are just cooked through, but not so much that they lose their shape.

One of my biggest tips to crispy delicious potatoes is to try to get all the excess liquid out of the potatoes before seasoning them. This will ensure the potatoes cook nice and even. If you skip this step, you are likely to end up with soggy potatoes. It's the same thing with making fries in the oven.

Cut into evenly sized pieces: Cutting the sweet potatoes into evenly sized pieces will help them cook more evenly and prevent soggy centers. Boil or steam: Boiling or steaming the sweet potatoes until they are tender, but not too soft, will help prevent them from becoming soggy.

Here's the secret to making ultra crispy potato wedges: Soak your raw potato wedges in hot water for 10 minutes before baking. This step releases some of the starch in the potatoes and lets them absorb moisture, which leads to crisp outsides and moist interiors.