Crunchy Japanese sweet potato fries are sweet and savory, seasoned with garlic and rosemary, and served with a creamy garlic-rosemary mayo. The perfect side dish or appetizer when you want easy, healthy, and tasty!

When making homemade french fries, I prefer using sweet potatoes because of their subtle sweetness, but also because of the extra nutrition and fiber they provide. Who doesn't love getting health benefits from something that's already delicious??
Japanese sweet potatoes are a great variety to use when making fries, as they are a sturdier and starchier cousin to the "regular" kind. In this recipe, they get tossed in oil, garlic, rosemary, and salt to create crispy fries that are served with a garlic-rosemary mayo.
Japanese sweet potato fries hold up well to all of your favorite condiments, are slightly sweeter, and so easy to make! They make an excellent appetizer, side dish, or even main entrée when all you want for dinner is french fries and beer.
For more appetizer recipes, try my Healthy Impossible Burger Meatballs, Corn Avocado Black Bean Salsa, Smoky Paprika Hummus, and Roasted Beet Tart with Feta and Kale!
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Why This Recipe Is The Best
- Just 5 simple and pantry-friendly ingredients
- Crunchy, salty, and slightly sweet
- Makes a healthy snack or side dish
- Quick and easy - ready in 30 minutes!
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Cut your sweet potatoes thinner so they cook faster and get nice and crispy.
- I enjoy making french fries out of Japanese sweet potatoes because they are sturdier than the orange variety, so they are easier to dip into all of the condiments!
- If you don't have fresh rosemary on hand, you can substitute dried rosemary but be sure to only use ⅓ of the amount.
- You can use "regular" sweet potatoes for this recipe as well!
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to reheat: Place in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes, until heated through.
- I love garlic-rosemary fries, but you could also toss your sweet potato fries in: chili powder, paprika, cumin, or cinnamon & nutmeg (for dessert fries!)
Ingredients Needed
- Japanese sweet potatoes - these potatoes have white flesh and darker purple skin; they are denser, sweeter, and starchier than orange sweet potatoes.
- Olive oil (or any neutral cooking oil) - use your go-to cooking oil for this recipe
- Garlic powder - I love garlic on my fries!
- Fresh rosemary - adds lovely aromatics and pairs well with garlic
For the Garlic-Rosemary Mayo:
- Mayonnaise - an underrated condiment for french fries, but oh-so good
- Fresh rosemary - dried rosemary will work here too, but only use about ⅓ of the amount, as it's more concentrated
- Garlic - feel free to substitute garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic on hand
Recipe Instructions
*See recipe card below for printable instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss cut sweet potatoes with oil, garlic, rosemary, and salt.
Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Use a spatula to flip potatoes and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until they are evenly crispy and browned.
Make the Garlic-Rosemary Mayo: In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise with the rosemary, garlic, and salt.
After removing sweet potato fries from oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve with garlic-rosemary mayo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Japanese sweet potatoes are a sturdier and starchier cousin to the "regular" kind. While both are very healthy, the most obvious difference is their color: Japanese sweet potatoes are purple and regular are orange on the outside.
There are two important factors in making crispy fries: a hot oven and cutting potatoes thin to increase the surface area. If you do both of these (as we do in this recipe), you will have crispy fries!
Enjoy your week, and feel free to drop me a line in the comments – I would love to hear if you try this recipe! Or tag me on Instagram @maryannehoekstra to let me know how it turned out! Also, if you are enjoying my blog, please consider recommending it to your friends. They can subscribe here.
Roasted Japanese Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium Japanese sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch thick matchsticks
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil (or any neutral cooking oil)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- flaky sea salt (optional)
For the Garlic-Rosemary Mayo:
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, toss cut sweet potatoes with oil, garlic, rosemary, and salt.
- Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Use a spatula to flip potatoes and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until they are evenly crispy and browned.
- Make the Garlic-Rosemary Mayo: In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise with the rosemary, garlic, and salt.
- After removing sweet potato fries from oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve with garlic-rosemary mayo.
Notes
- Cut your sweet potatoes thinner so they cook faster and get nice and crispy.
- I enjoy making french fries out of Japanese sweet potatoes because they are sturdier than the orange variety, so they are easier to dip into all of the condiments!
- If you don't have fresh rosemary on hand, you can substitute dried rosemary but be sure to only use ⅓ of the amount.
- You can use "regular" sweet potatoes for this recipe as well!
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to reheat: Place in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes, until heated through.
- I love garlic-rosemary fries, but you could also toss your sweet potato fries in: chili powder, paprika, cumin, or cinnamon & nutmeg (for dessert fries!)
Sonya
I loved the sweet and savory combination of these fries! We had some leftover chipotle mayo for dipping, and it was a great pairing.
Gastronotherapy
That sounds delicious, Sonya! So glad you enjoyed these fries!