Perfectly crispy baked sweet potato fries are drizzled in a flavorful basil chimichurri sauce and topped with Parmesan cheese shards for a healthier appetizer or side dish!
I’m about to blow your mind with a humble little sweet potato. Okaaay, and some chimichurri and cheese thrown in there too.
Let’s just call these crispy baked sweet potato fries the thing I made a full dinner out of.
And I promise when you make these fries the temptation will DEFINITELY be there to just demolish them swiftly and silently.
Just go with your gut on this one. If your heart is telling you to make your dinner a sweet potato, you’d better listen.
These sweet potato fries are honestly the most PERFECT end-of-summer meal. The sweet potato fries are creamy + crispy comfort food, while the basil chimichurri brightens up the entire dish with herby fresh garden goodness.
The big shards of Parmesan on top obviously do their job very well. Adds a little kick of saltiness that CANNOT be beat!
Let’s talk details about making these crispy baked sweet potato fries! >>
First up is prepping our sweet potatoes. Plan ahead because the sweet potato matchsticks require a 1 hour (or up to 8) water soak.
Why are we doing this? Soaking the sweet potatoes in water removes excess starch and helps them bake up extra crispy. SO worth the extra little chunk of time it takes!
Once the potatoes are soaked, it’s just fry business as usual. Dry the potato matchsticks VERY well and toss them in melted coconut oil, cornstarch, and seasonings (save seasoning with salt for after they bake – helps them maintain crispiness!)
We’re baking the fries in a single layer at a high temp of 425F and flipping them halfway through baking to ensure every inch of each fry gets evenly baked.
While the fries bake, you’ll have plenty of time to whiz up a batch of basil chimichurri.
GAME-CHANGING as far as flavors go. You can also make this while the fries are soaking in water and keep it on hand in the fridge for a few hours.
Fresh basil + parsley, a few garlic cloves, fresh lemon juice, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a little honey + olive oil action later….and we’ve got green gold.
To assemble these sweet potato fries, pile the fries in a neat pile on a serving platter and drizzle chimichurri liberally over the whole thing. Top with a few Parmesan shards + little basil leaves to get your garnish game on.
Voila. The perfect plate for sharing or for hoarding to yourself if you happen to desire.
HOLY COW these flavors, y’all. Again, it’s like the perfect mashup of comfort food + summer food. You might wanna seriously consider going the non-sharing route.
More ways to love on sweet potatoes!! >>
Basil Chimichurri Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
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Ingredients
Basil Chimichurri Sauce
- 1/4 cup lightly-packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup lightly-packed flat leaf parsley
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sweet Potato Fries
- 3 medium (about 2 lbs) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch wide fry-sized matchsticks
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan shards (or grated) for topping, optional
Instructions
Basil Chimichurri Sauce
- Place basil, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, and honey in a food processor. Pulse several times while drizzling olive oil through top until sauce is thick and smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Sweet Potato Fries
- Place cut sweet potato matchsticks in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and let soak for 1 hour. (or up to 8 hours)
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Remove sweet potatoes from cold water and let drain well. Pat completely dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl. Toss with melted coconut oil until evenly coated.
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with cayenne, paprika, and garlic powder. Toss into sweet potatoes until evenly coated.
- Divide sweet potatoes between baking sheets, making sure to space out sweet potatoes into a single layer. Bake sweet potatoes at 425F 15 minutes, then flip fries over to opposite side. Return to oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until fries are crispy and tender. Let cool 10 minutes.
- For serving, place sweet potato fries in individual serving bowls and drizzle chimichurri over top. Top with Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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