I had some leftover Za'atar after making my Simple Za'atar Chicken Breasts recipe so decided to try something different and make these baked sweet potato fries seasoned with Za'atar.
If you are not familiar with Za'atar, it's a middle eastern spice compromised of a bunch of other herbs & spices like dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, sumac and toasted sesame seeds. You can read more about it by reading this article about Za'atar on Wikipedia.
💭 Ingredient Substitution
The Za'atar Spice may be a little difficult to find depending on where you are. If you are not in the mood to make your own, Dukkah or Harissa would be acceptable substitutes.
If your local grocery store simply does not carry exotic spices, your best bet would be to substitute the Za'atar Spice for Italian Seasoning. Obviously this will change the flavor profile of this recipe.
♨️ Air Fryer Method
If you prefer to make these sweet potato fries in your Air Fryer, simply set the temperature to 400°F and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes depending on how crispy you want them. Mileage may vary depending on the type of air fryer you have so keep an eye on them until you perfect this recipe.
Cutting sweet potatoes by hand with a knife can be a chore so if you are fortunate enough like I am to have a french fry cutter it will make your life so much easier.
Trust me on this one! Regardless of which method you choose to cut your sweet potato fries, I HIGHLY recommend you zap the sweet potato for about 1-2 minutes in the microwave. This will make it so much easier to cut.
If you are the kind of person who likes to dip their fries in some sort of sauce, I'm also including a Za'atar dipping sauce for your sweet potato fries. Since you already have your Za'atar spice out why not whip this dipping sauce together and bring your sweet potato fries to the next level.
For more great recipes with Sweet Potatoes, I suggest you check these recipes out:
📋 Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Baked Za’atar Sweet Potato Fries recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Sweet Potatoes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Za’atar Spice, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper and Salt. For the Za'atar Dipping Sauce you will need: Greek Yogurt, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest and Za'atar Spice.
🥣 How to make Baked Za’atar Sweet Potato Fries
Place the cut sweet potato fries in a large bowl and cover with cold water for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Drain the water from the bowl. Pat the fries dry and return to a clean dry bowl. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Toss to make sure all the fries are well coated with the oil.
In a small bowl. mix the za’atar, paprika and cayenne pepper. Add the spices to the fries and toss to evenly coat.
Transfer the fries to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for about 15 minutes, then carefully flip the fries over. Return to the oven and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the fries are cooked through and crispy.
Remove from the oven and season with salt. Optionally sprinkle with more of the za’atar. Let the fries rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
📖 Recipe
Baked Za’atar Sweet Potato Fries
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 large Sweet Potato, cut into wedges or thick fries
- 3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoon Za’atar Spice
- 1 ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- Salt
Za'atar Dipping Sauce (optional)
- ¾ Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 2 teaspoon Za’atar Spice
Instructions
- Place the cut sweet potato fries in a large bowl and cover with cold water for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Drain the water from the bowl. Pat the fries dry and return to a clean dry bowl. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Toss to make sure all the fries are well coated with the oil.
- In a small bowl. mix the za’atar, paprika and cayenne pepper. Add the spices to the fries and toss to evenly coat.
- Transfer the fries to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, then carefully flip the fries over. Return to the oven and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the fries are cooked through and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and season with salt. Optionally sprinkle with more of the za’atar. Let the fries rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Za'atar Dipping Sauce (optional)
- In a mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients until well combined.
- Let the sauce sit for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. This will allow all the flavors to meld. You can use it immediately, but the longer you let it sit in the refrigerator, the more flavorful it will be.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
Jeannine
These Baked Za’atar Sweet Potato Fries are so delicious. I love sweet potato and these fries are just the thing. Very tasty and crispy. Loved them.