Country Skillet Fried Sweet Potatoes

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 11/20/22
Fried Sweet Potatoes

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Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 33 mins
Servings: 6 servings

There is so much to love about potatoes, and so many ways to prepare them, regardless of whether it's for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Sometimes we want something a little different; have you ever tried fried sweet potatoes fried right in a skillet?

Sometimes called Southern fried sweet potatoes, they make a tasty breakfast side dish alongside some over-easy or scrambled eggs. Or make the recipe and serve it as a side dish with dinner, such as a pork tenderloin or roast chicken. They go well with steaks, ham, pork, and burgers. All you need is a skillet, sweet potatoes, onion, and some basic seasonings you're likely to have on hand. Feel free to omit the onion (or use a sweet red onion instead), or add some chopped green bell pepper to the dish for additional color.

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Ingredients

  • 4 cups sweet potatoes

  • 1 medium onion

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, or bacon drippings, or a combination

  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes or cut them into small cubes. Peel the onion and cut it in half lengthwise. Slice the onion thinly. 

  2. Heat the vegetable oil or drippings in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.

  3. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the sweet potatoes, onion, salt, and pepper.

  4. Cover and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

  5. Uncover and cook for about 20 minutes longer, turning several times, until evenly browned and tender.

Tips

  • When you're cooking potatoes in a skillet and aiming for crisping and browning, it's a good idea to cut them as symmetrically as possible in terms of size and/or thickness. This will ensure that the potatoes all cook at the same rate and they'll be finished at the same time.


  • Sometimes sweet potatoes can get soggy instead of crispy. One way to prevent this from happening is to make sure you don't crowd the pan while cooking them. If they have enough space, they'll crisp right up instead of steaming themselves in the pan because they are too close together.

Should sweet potatoes be soaked before frying?

You don't necessarily have to soak sweet potatoes before you fry them, and this recipe doesn't call for that. However, if you do soak them, they will come out crispier. Soak them in cold water; it helps release the starches.

 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
208 Calories
9g Fat
29g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 208
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 401mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 11%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 27mg 135%
Calcium 56mg 4%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 665mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)