Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

in Chipotle peppers, Cinco de Mayo, Condiments, Mexican & TexMex, potatoes, Starches

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

We have previously discussed my obsession love for homemade ranch dressing. Or straight-off-the-shelf-in-a-squeeze-bottle ranch dressing. And I know you guys love it, too – it’s consistently in the top 10 recipes visited here.

And if you like the spicy, smokey flavors of chipotle peppers, you’re going to love this version, too.

We’ve been keeping a jar of Chipotle Ranch Dressing in the fridge lately, instead of the regular ranch or my absolute favorite – Chuy’s-inspired creamy jalapeno.

The spicy, smokey flavors transform a boring grilled chicken salad into a reason to actually crave salad. Because I just don’t do that normally. We use it instead of mayo or mustard on our Texican burgers. And the cool, spicy sauce makes a rockstar dipper for sweet potato fries.

We bake our sweet potato fries in a spice mix. I don’t like to coat them with anything else and have gotten pretty good results (read: not floppy fries) using the method below. But a naked sweet potato fry will never, ever be crispy like a white potato fry. A fact I’ll happily accept as long as there’s a bowl of chipotle ranch nearby.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing infused with smokey, spicy chipotle peppers is the perfect dipper for baked sweet potato fries.

Ingredients

  • For the chipotle ranch dressing:
  • 3/4 cup mayo (low fat is fine)
  • 3/4 cup sour cream (low fat is fine, I replace half or all with fat-free Greek yogurt)
  • 2-3 canned chipotle peppers with 1 Tbsp sauce
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 small bunch of chives
  • Small handful of cilantro
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk (optional)
  • For the sweet potato fries:
  • 3-4 Tbsp oil (coconut recommended)
  • 1 lb sweet potatoes (2 medium, no longer than ~5-6 inches long)
  • 1 tsp ancho chile powder (substitute regular chile powder if you can
  • 2 tsp chile powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. To make the dressing, place all dressing ingredients except the buttermilk in a blender.
  2. Blend for 10 seconds. Check consistency and blend in buttermilk if desired (less buttermilk for dipping, more for dressing).
  3. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge for a week or more.
  4. To make the fries, coat a baking sheet with 3 Tbsp of oil, adding the last Tbsp if necessary. (I like the flavor of coconut oil with sweet potato fries).
  5. Preheat the oven and baking sheet to 450. (This is a little over the smoking point of moist cooking oils, including coconut. You want enough to nicely coat the baking sheet, not pool - this will keep it from smoking too much.)
  6. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks (no longer than ~5 inches long).
  7. In a large zipper bag, mix the dry spices together.
  8. Add the sweet potato fries, zip close, and shake to coat the fries evenly.
  9. Carefully put the fries onto the baking sheet and bake for ~20 minutes, flipping halfway through - this is easier to do by shaking the pan if you place the fries parallel to the long side of the pan, a couple of back-and-forth shakes and you're done.
  10. Turn on the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes, just until the tips of the fries begin to turn black. Don't walk away - they can burn in no time.
  11. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate in a single layer until ready to serve.

Notes

Yields: ~4 servings of fries and ~2 cups of dressing

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Estimated time: 35 minutes

25 comments… add one
  • I’ve been looking for a good sweet potato fry recipe – haven’t gotten them quite right in the past. Love the addition of ancho (currently have 3 lbs of dried peppers in the pantry) and coriander. Definitely trying these soon!

  • This looks absolutely delicious!

  • bethanyrx

    I was also poking around for a good SP fry recipe after my soggy attempt this weekend, and ran across this post:

    http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/guaranteed-crispy-sweet-potato-fries-sriracha-mayo-dip/

  • I’m pretty much hugging the screen right now. I had been tossing around the idea of chipotle ranch sauce/dressing for our burgers this week and this seals the deal. It’s certainly my favorite ranch dressing recipe (and is also one of the favorites of my readers too) so how in the world could this be bad?

    • It’s fab on burgers! And it makes my turkey & provolone sandwiches at lunch a whole lot less boring 🙂

  • Liz Parker

    ALL over this one!

  • Oh wow, these look perfect! I love the spice mixture on the potatoes. And that dipping sauce sounds amazing. Definitely going to try these out, thanks!

  • Oh how I low sweet potato fries! I bet that ranch dip would rock my face off.

  • That dressing rocks my world! What a fabulous way to switch up sweet potato fries!

  • I really need to make that dressing! I’ve become obsessed with the flavor of chipotle peppers!

  • That spice blend is definitely going on the need-to-try list. I’m okay with mushy sweet potato fries, but maybe that’s because I’ve never tried them with this fabulous rub!

  • Oh, be still, my heart. I hadn’t seen your home-made ranch recipe before. I WANT IT NOW!
    And these fries, and the chipotle! I have no words. . . except that I wish you were my neighbor and we were friends, and you would share these divinities with me!

  • Mmmm–it’s been too long since I made a sweet potato fry! And the dipping sauce sounds amazing!

  • I love everything about the fries and the ranch! YUM!

  • Oh my goodness! These look insane! Going on my must-make-immediately list!

  • I am obsessed with sweet potato fries. And chipotle ranch?!? Sounds like perfection to me.

  • These were incredible! I always struggle with how to season my sweet potato fries and this hit the jackpot! I didn’t make the ranch because I didn’t have any fresh herbs, but I keep HV “homemade” ranch on hand and added some chipotle to it – delicious!

  • Debra Kapellakis

    Mouthwatering photo’s and recipe! good job

  • I’m always on the lookout for different fries recipes. I mean, who doesn’t like fries? And who can ever be sick of fries? I can eat and make them every day. I shouldn’t but O definitely could live off of them for the rest of my life. Your version here looks amazing, and I’m sure that chipotle ranch dressing will send me to the moon.

  • Made this tonight. SO GOOD.

    I think I will be putting chipotle ranch on everything!!!! Yum.

  • sweet potato fries are almost my favorite thing to order when I go out to eat! I love your nice quick home-made version. 🙂

  • Melissa

    Would you recommend freezing these fries and if so how??
    Thanks!

    • I don’t know that they’d freeze well, though I haven’t tried it. Cooked, they are definitely best the day-of.

  • Monica

    Don’t have to coat the fries with the oil?

Leave a Comment