Roasted Sweet Potato Chips

Sweet potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables you can make. There are million ways sweet potato can be prepared – roasted sweet potato chips, baked sweet potato, mashed sweet potato – you can even MICROWAVE a sweet potato to cook it at the office if you’re desperate (LOL). 

I will say though, of all the ways you can prep it, I find roasted sweet potato chips to be the most flavorful (and my fiancé Brendan would definitely agree — I make these almost every week!). Roasted sweet potato chips will pair perfectly with any chicken dish, especially my chicken marsala.

I think there are several reasons why I find the taste and texture of these roasted sweet potato chips to be so delicious:

#1: Faster prep time

By chopping the sweet potato into thin slices and distributing it a baking dish, sweet potato to cook way faster, saving you some cook time. Typically a baked sweet potato takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour. This way, the sweet potato chips are usually done in 20-25 minutes, cutting your prep in half.

#2 Delicious roasty flavor

As the name implies, sweet potatoes have more sugar than your standard russet potato. For this reason, when roasted in the oven, they start to crisp up and brown — and the taste is absolutely DELIGHTFUL.

The look reminds me of a toasted marshmallow, and they are SO good.

#3 Distribution of Spice

To further amplify the flavor, I add salt and pepper to taste and then sprinkle lightly with a layer of paprika. Due to the increased surface area, you have much more control over the ratios on each bite, which makes a difference!

So what are the steps to roasting the perfect sweet potato chips?

(See link in each step for some affordable options for the tools needed in this recipe!)

1. Peel the potatoes. You can get a vegetable peeler for as little as $5 – super cheap, super useful
2. Slice the potato— Use a chef’s knife to slice the potato into uniform pieces. I typically slice mine into 1/4 inch chips. Thin slices = crispy. Thick slices = soft.
3. Prep your baking sheet – Line your sheet pan with aluminum foil or spray with a nonstick cooking spray.
4. Lay out sweet potatoes – Next, lay out your sweet potato chips in an even layer across the pan. Don’t put them on top of each other or they won’t roast evenly!
5. Season with spices and olive oil – Brush on/drizzle olive oil onto the potatoes. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and paprika on top. (I find the olive oil keeps the potatoes from drying out in the oven and adds a ton of flavor! To get the best distribution without a basting brush, throw the potatoes in a gallon zip lock bag with some olive oil and shake it up!)
6. Pop them into the oven at 450° and bake for 20-25 minutes – Timing may vary depending on your oven! Quick hack: When you can smell the sweet potatoes, you will know that they are done 😉 .

VOILA! You have perfectly roasted sweet potato chips!