There are a million and one ways to cook sweet potatoes, but one of their finest forms is in the shape of a french fry. Equal parts sweet and savory and downright dunkable, sweet potato fries are a quintessential burger and sandwich companion. Unfortunately, sweet potatoes don’t always hold up well as leftovers. The high starch content of sweet potatoes absorbs moisture during cooking, facilitating that must-have ultra-crispy exterior, but as they cool, the starches release that moisture, leaving the fries soggy. The fix? More starch! More specifically, cornstarch.
Cornstarch is a secret weapon for reviving soggy sweet potatoes, as it forms a delicate, crunchy coating when exposed to heat. When fried or baked, the starch barrier on the surface of sweet potato fries absorbs moisture from the spud and traps it, creating steam that puffs up the coating. As the steam escapes, it leaves behind a network of airy, crackly, and certifiably crispy layers on your leftover sweet potato fries. Unlike flour, cornstarch is almost pure starch, which means it forms a smoother, lighter barrier on food surfaces that won’t leave your sweet potato fries feeling heavy — just light and crunchy.
How to revive soggy sweet potato fries with cornstarch
Bringing soggy sweet potato fries back to life with the help of cornstarch doesn’t require Michelin-star skills. However, the last thing you want to do is ruin what remains of those delicious fries, so keeping a few tips in mind will help you find your way back to that fresh-from-the-fryer feeling.
A little bit of cornstarch goes a long way. Use about one teaspoon of cornstarch per serving of sweet potato fries — just enough to form a thin, uniform layer over the surface of each lanky spud. Toss them gently in a bowl or bag to ensure even coating. A delicate layer of oil can further promote crisping. Place them in an air fryer, oven, or even a cast-iron pan to reheat them until golden brown — et voilà — deceptively fresh and uber-crispy sweet potato fries. Bonus points for sprinkling them with coarse-grained sea salt for a little extra crunch. Whether you enjoy them as a quick snack or repurpose them for a breakfast hash, cornstarch is all you need to reanimate old, soggy sweet potato fries.
