Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Frizzled Red Onions

I eat a lot of potatoes, they are delicious, cheap, and arguably the tastiest carb source there is. These roasted sweet potatoes with fried red onions are crispy, garlicky, and super delicious. The sweet potatoes are oven roasted to perfection, while the red onion is skillet fried with garlic until crunchy. They are served mixed together with any of your favorite salad, vegetables, chicken, or any other protein! These savory roast potatoes are especially tasty mixed into some scrambled eggs with basil pesto. The great thing about roasted sweet potatoes and fried red onions is the delicious and rich flavor that they have all on their own, the seasoning is very simple since the potatoes and onions are naturally sweet. When cooked, their natural sugars bring the perfect amount of sweetness to the dish that is complimented by a little garlic, salt, and pepper.

Notes and Tips for Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Fried Red Onions?

• The potatoes and the onions do not have to be cooked at the same time or even the same day. My recommended practice is to cook your red onions while the potatoes are roasting in the oven. The onions will be done frying before the potatoes are crispy, but can easily sit on a plate to wait, To serve, just toss the cooled onions in with the hot potatoes and they will warm your onions quickly.

• Cut your onions as thinly as possible. Thin onions will fry faster, be crispier, and add the best texture to the potatoes. A whole red onion does cook down quite a bit. I use my largest skillet of 13” to fry a whole red onion. If you only have small pans or want the process to be faster, you can heat two smaller skillets and divide your onion between the two for frying.

What is the Best Temperature to Bake Sweet Potatoes?

• The best temperature for baking sweet potatoes will depend on the size of the cut potatoes, the type of oven you have, and if you are at elevation. I cut my potatoes into 1/4” thick rounds which allows them to cook faster than a cubed sweet potato. I love all things crispy, however, and if you like a softer potato a softer then a small 1/2” cubed potato would be a good shape.

• I live at elevation and start my potatoes at 375F convection. Once the potatoes begin to cook, about 15 minutes, I turn the oven down to 350F and allow them to cook an additional 30 minutes. This is a low and slow method that prevents the outer edges of my potatoes from burning. If you do not live at elevation, I recommend starting you oven at 350F and turning it down to 325F once the potatoes begin to brown and cook.

• If your oven does not have a convection function, which is similar to what an air-fryer can do, use the same temperature recommendations described. Place your potatoes in the center rack of the oven and stir every 10-15 minutes until cooked to desired crispiness.

Do You Have to Soak Potatoes Before Baking?

• The short answer is no, you do not need to soak your potatoes before baking. Roasting them at a lower temperature for a little bit longer yields a nice, chewy, roasted potato.

• If you want to soak or pre-boil your potatoes, I recommend do this the day before. If the potatoes are very hot and water laden when placed in the oven, you may find they come out mushy. Let me know how you like to cook your potatoes in the comments below!

Why Are My Frizzled Onions Not Crispy?

• Crispy onions require two main things: enough oil, and enough patience. Deep frying at home can be tedious and messy, I like to shallow fry in a skillet to avoid using too much oil that I have to dispose of. Shallow frying works great and will still give you a nice crispy onion.

• You can use olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil to shallow fry. There should be enough oil in the skillet to cover the bottom, which in turn will coat all of your onion once its added.

• Heat your skillet until the oil is just starting to bubble and when your onions are added, they sizzle. you can use a test piece of onion to see if your oil is ready. Once you add your vegetables, stir them around until they are well coated in oil.

• Allow the onions to cook, adding oil if the onions start to look dry. The onions should start to crisp and you will see the smaller pieces turn golden to dark brown, about 15 minutes. The timing will be affected based on how thick you leave your onion pieces and how hot your oil is.

• If you find your oil is smoking, turn the heat down and continue to let the onions cook. You can even remove your skillet from the heat for a 1-2 minutes if its getting really smoky. You want crispy, not burnt onions.

What Do Roasted Potatoes and Frizzled Red Onions Go With?

• Try these potatoes with any protein, they are even great mixed into scrambled eggs. Below are some of my recipes I like to serve them with.

• Try it with my favorite Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken! A delicious slow cooked chicken recipe that would taste great on top of these potatoes.

• Try it with my Flank Steak in Soy Marinade! A delicious steak recipe that could use a large helping of these savory potatoes!.

• Try it with my Green Cabbage Slaw Salad recipe! A salad with ginger, garlic, and soy dressing would go wonderful with some added texture from the potatoes and red onion.

 Directions to Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Frizzled Onions

1. Roast the Sweet Potatoes

   1. Preheat the oven to 350F

   2. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1/4” coins or desired shaped

   3. Add the potatoes to a baking sheet and toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt

   4. Bake until golden and crispy, about 45 minutes. Stirring every 15 minutes.

2. Fry the Red Onions

   1. To a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat.

   2. While the oil is heating, thinly chop your red onion into strings. Start by peeling your onion, and chopping the onion in half so you have a flat side. Then thinly slice the onion until you have a pile of strips.

   3. Once your oil is slightly bubbling, add the onions and garlic. Stir until well coated. Allow to fry until your onions turn a nice golden brown, about 15 or 20 minutes depending on skillet size. If your onions are not frying after about 10 minutes, add more oil.

   4. As the onions begin to crisp, remove from the skillet to drain on a paper towel. The small pieces will be done before the larger, so you may have to wait for bigger pieces to crisp.

   5. Once all the onions have fried to desired crispiness, combine with your roasted potatoes

   6. Sprinkle with flaky salt and enjoy!