10 Frozen Sweet Potato Fry Brands, Ranked

Crispy yet creamy, sweet yet savory, sweet potato fries are an equally satisfying side dish for both a busy weeknight and a thoughtfully planned backyard barbecue. Whether you like your fries extra crispy or smartly seasoned to balance out that sweetness, there are endless tips for whipping up perfect homemade sweet potato fries. But, who wants to spend all that time peeling, slicing, seasoning, and frying batch upon batch of sweet potato fries when there are perfectly delicious options waiting for you in the grocery store freezer aisle?

A major meal time-saver, frozen sweet potato fries can be as delicious as they are convenient -- if you know which brands to buy. Instead of rolling the dice on our next sweet potato side dish, we decided to put our tastebuds to the test and try as many frozen sweet potato fry brands as we could get our carb-loving hands on.

Our Atlanta-based writer scoured every grocery store shelf within driving distance to gather 10 readily available brands of frozen sweet potato fries before baking (no air-fryers here), tasting, and scoring each batch on factors like crispness, sweetness, and average size (no one wants broken fries). While this list is not exhaustive, it will give you a good idea of where to start your frozen sweet potato fry search. Without further ado, these are our rankings for the best frozen sweet potato fry brands to try right now.

Read more: 23 Types Of Potatoes And When To Use Them

Publix Sweet Potato Fries

Southern favorite grocery store chain Publix may be beloved for its top-rated deli counter and cult-favorite Pub Subs, but frozen sweet potato fries are not among its crowning achievements. At over $6 per bag, Publix frozen sweet potato fries set high expectations with a premium price point, but sadly, underdelivered in almost every category.

Size-wise, the straight-cut potatoes were fairly irregular -- a mix of super-long strands, short fries, and a few broken pieces that were noticeable but not problematic. Once cooked, the fries remained soft and never quite achieved that crispy, crunchy exterior we were craving. On the bright side, the sweet potatoes seemed to be cooked well with a pleasantly creamy interior that was just missing the crisp crust of a well-cooked fry. Sadly though, the flavor was lackluster. The fries were bland and almost bitter at some points -- not exactly the sweet and satisfying side dish we were after.

The verdict? Even with Publix's popular weekly BOGO offers, we'd stay away from these frozen sweet potato fries. While the texture problem could be remedied with an air-fryer, the bland and bitter flavor left a bad taste in our mouths that won't have us reaching for seconds.

Roots Farm Fresh Organic Sweet Potato Fries

When it comes to frozen sweet potato fries, you don't always get what you paid for. At least, that's the lesson we learned with Roots Farm Fresh Organic Sweet Potato Fries. At more than $6 per bag after tax, these specialty spuds were the second most expensive item on our shopping list and didn't deliver on the premium promise.

Once the nicely designed package (definite style points, here) was opened and the fries spilled out, we immediately noticed a discrepancy in size. The fries ranged from nearly 5 or 6 inches in length to a measly inch and a half. If you were serving these, you'd have to be extra mindful of portion sizes to ensure no one got the short end of the, well, fry. We gave Roots a bit of a pass here since the fries were cut from organic sweet potatoes.

These frozen sweet potato fries cooked up nicely, especially regarding their texture. They had a crisp crust that crunched when you bit into it and a smooth, creamy interior. However, the satisfying sensation was short-lived when we realized that the signature sweetness never showed up to the party. As much as we wanted to like these organic sweet potato fries, they were bland. While the texture saved Roots Farm Fresh from falling into last place, the lack of flavor was something we just couldn't forgive.

Walmart Great Value Sweet Potato Fries

As the brand name implies, Walmart Great Value frozen sweet potato fries are among the more affordable options to grace this list. At just over $3 for a 20-ounce bag, these frozen fries are an economically efficient way to feed a crowd, but they're not the most flavorful.

The sheer size of the bag could have something to do with the number of broken pieces found among the fully-formed fries. Between broken bits and short spuds were massive fries that stretched easily over 5 inches long -- a problem that could render portion control almost nonexistent. The huge discrepancy in size also led to uneven cooking. Even after 20 minutes in a convection oven (the standard method for this experiment), the larger fries remained flaccid and unappealing but the smaller pieces were able to achieve that satisfying crunch.

When it came time to taste, were met with a mild sweet potato flavor that came across as more squash-like than sweet. A dash of salt would have made these fries perfectly edible, just not particularly exciting. If you were cooking for a crowd and needed to pinch a few pennies, Walmart's Great Value frozen sweet potato fries would do the trick, as long as you gave them an extra dose of seasoning and served them with an underrated dipping sauce.

Alexia Straight-Cut Sweet Potato Fries

Chef-started side dish brand Alexia prides itself on the quality of ingredients that go into its fries, tots, and veggie-forward frozen side dishes. While the care could certainly be seen in the quality of the product, the taste left us hungry for more.

When dumped onto the sheet pan, the fries were similar in shape -- a good sign in our book. The number of broken or short-changed fries was minimal, which meant even cooking was easily achievable. After a standard 20-minute bake, the frozen sweet potato fries were rendered nicely crisp with no bend in the center when they were handled. We enjoyed a nice crunch upon biting into a fry and were rewarded with a creamy yet firm center.

On the flavor front, the fries were okay. We could definitely detect sweet potato flavor, though not much else. The spuds could do with a sprinkling of seasoning, even though the bag claimed they had been seasoned with sea salt. While the texture was on point, the flavor leaned more toward the savory side rather than the sweet hit we were craving. That being said, a liberal dose of salt would easily elevate these crispy sweet potato fries to crave-worthy status. However, a premium price point of nearly $6 for a 20-ounce bag keeps Alexia's sweet potato fries from achieving a higher ranking.

Whole Foods Market 365 Crinkle-Cut Sweet Potato Fries

Whole Foods Market's freezer aisles are packed with some of the notoriously expensive grocery store chain's most affordable foodstuffs, including its 365 brand sweet potato fries. At $3.99 before tax, this 20-ounce bag of crinkle-cut goodness is good value for a weeknight time-saver, especially considering that these frozen fries are free of preservatives and artificial additives.

When it came to average size, all fries seemed to be created equal with few or no broken pieces in sight. They cooked up nicely, providing the crispy exterior and creamy interior we were craving. The crinkle cut seemed to work to the fries' advantage by helping an extra crispy crust to form in those smaller crevices. The only issue was that some of the larger fries were still soft in the middle, but overall this was a minor problem.

Where the 365 brand sweet potato fries fell flat was in the flavor department. There was a moderate sweet potato flavor that came across as more savory and squash-like -- notes that would have benefitted from a healthy pinch of salt. But, all things considered, these were good. Not great or significantly memorable, but a solid choice if you're looking to grab a quick side dish while you're browsing the aisles at Whole Foods Market.

Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Fries

Many home cooks have been saved from thinking up a weeknight meal thanks to Trader Joe's imaginative frozen foods aisle. Between the party-ready frozen appetizers and a selection of crave-worthy pasta dishes, you might just find a bag of humble sweet potato fries. Priced at just over $2.50 after tax for a 15-ounce bag, this ranks among the most affordable side dish options on this list.

Varied in size, Trader Joe's frozen sweet potato fries remained mostly intact with just a few broken fries here and there that crisped up nicely. The spuds cooked beautifully in the oven, turning out crispy and firm with a tender center. The flavor proved mild, making these fries a good option for those who aren't huge sweet potato fans or for feeding those pickier eaters. While the sweetness was apparent, it was mellow enough for the salt to give these straight-cut spuds a nice sweet-meets-savory balance. All in all, we'd recommend these frozen fries as a budget-friendly option to feed folks with varied tastes or those looking for a more nutritious alternative to regular french fries.

But, the best part about Trader Joe's sweet potato fries? They come with a little insurance. While frozen foods are usually exempt from Trader Joe's in-store "try anything" policy, they can be returned for a full refund if you don't like them, even if they've already been opened and you can't find the receipt.

Sprouts Farmers Market Straight-Cut Sweet Potato Fries

Often pitted against Whole Foods Market for its organic produce selection and wide array of supplements, Sprouts Farmers Market typically comes out on top when it comes to price. However, in the frozen sweet potato fry category, the two health-focused grocery stores are neck and neck thanks to Sprouts' equally attractive $3.99 price point before tax.

Finances aside, Sprouts' frozen sweet potato fries were disappointing at first. They were tiny and thin -- less than 2 inches long per fry. While they weren't initially appealing to look at, we gave them the benefit of the doubt and were rewarded substantially. This distinctively small stature worked in the spuds' favor, allowing them to cook up quickly and evenly. The result was a super crisp, matchstick-like sweet potato fry that was delightfully crunchy without being overdone.

But, it's not all style over substance with Sprouts' frozen sweet potato fries. The crispy bites had a great sweet potato flavor that was both distinctive and lightly sweet without veering into artificial-tasting territory. We didn't find ourselves reaching for the salt either. Instead, we were gleefully popping little matchstick fries into our mouths one right after the other straight from the sheet pan. All in the name of research, of course.

Costco Tropicland Organic Sweet Potato Fries

When shopping for a crowd, you just can't beat big box stores like Costco. With its simple warehouse-like interiors and annual membership sales, Costco can keep prices lower than other retailers, even when selling huge quantities of everything from toilet paper to mayonnaise. Buying in bulk is a great cost-saving strategy for frozen foods, too, as long as you have the freezer space for it. If you're searching for frozen sweet potato fries, for example, you'll have to find room to store a four-pound bag -- a small price to pay when the total amounts to just $10 and change.

On the flavor front, Costco's Tropicland organic, straight-cut sweet potato fries were winners. Sweet, well-seasoned, and deliciously satisfying, these spuds scored full marks for taste. Sizewise, they measured up well with very few broken fries in the mammoth bag of taters.

Where the big box brand fell short was in the cooking. The frozen sweet potato fries just never got crispy. The inside was creamy and soft, indicating that the fries were well-cooked before being flash-frozen, they just didn't achieve the desired crust we love about a beautiful fried sweet potato. Most likely, these frozen sweet potato fries would be great when cooked in an air-fryer. However, the serving size limitations on an air fryer basket seem to be at odds with the crowd-satisfying potential of this four-pound bag of spuds.

Kroger Seasoned Crinkle-Cut Sweet Potatoes

Boasting an orange label with the word "seasoned" on the package, Kroger's crinkle-cut frozen sweet potato fries set some high expectations. Fun and funky crinkle fries poured out of the bag onto the sheet pan, mostly intact with just a few broken bits mixed in.

Twenty minutes later, the fries emerged from the oven caramelized on the outside and creamy but firm in the center. We enjoyed a nice crunch when biting into a fully cooked fry that gave us a nice toothsome texture to chew on. Some of the larger fries remained soft in the middle but thanks to the extra crispness from the crinkle shape, we didn't mind.

Flavorwise, these frozen sweet potato fries were a home run. The sweet potato flavor was front and center and the fries lived up to the label on the bag — they were, indeed, well-seasoned. These spuds were on the sweeter side and might even be a touch too sweet for some palates. We felt that the sweetness tasted a touch artificial, almost as if sugar had been added to the mix. But the crisp texture and appropriate dose of salt helped to balance it all out.

And at $3.99 plus tax for a 19-ounce bag of fries, these spuds are a great deal, to boot. Throw in the opportunity to get some Kroger Cash Back Rewards points, and purchasing a bag of these frozen sweet potato fries for your next low-effort weeknight dinner is a no-brainer.

Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Crinkle-Cut Fries

With more than 60 years of potato production under its belt, Ore-Ida is a longtime staple of frozen food aisles nationwide for crinkle-cut French fries and hashbrowns. The brand is even credited with inventing freezer aisle-favorite tater tots. And, we've been sleeping on Ore-Ida's sweet potato fries. Available at most major retailers, these frozen fries are more than worth the splurge of $4.50 plus tax for a mouthwatering minimal-effort side dish.

What exactly makes these spuds so sublime? Firstly, they are mostly uniform in size. As seems to be the case with all crinkle-cut fries, there are a few broken pieces in the bag but not so many that we felt like we'd be getting a sub-par serving size. Size regularity leads to even cooking, and these sweet potato fries crisped up just beautifully. A creamy interior was encased in a crisp crust that crunched nicely from bite to bite. If we had one complaint, it would be that they could have cooked for a few minutes longer just to multiply the crunch factor.

On the flavor front, Ore-Ida's frozen sweet potato fries were top-notch. Unlike Kroger's crinkle-cut fries, these tasted naturally sweet and struck a balanced chord with our tastebuds. The sweet potato-forward flavor was robust and so well seasoned that we couldn't detect the salt. Next time you find yourself craving a salty-sweet side, we recommend reaching for these frozen sweet potato fries first.

Methodology

To most accurately rank all 10 brands of sweet potato fries listed above, we only purchased straight or crinkle-cut fries, simply because some brands only make one or the other. We left waffle-cut fries out of the equation to level the playing field as much as possible.

Next, we decided on a cooking method. While air-fryers are the preferred method of frozen fry cooking for most home cooks, not all kitchens are equipped with the handy contraption, but most kitchens do have an oven. We opted to meet in the middle and cook our fries in the oven on the convection setting, which most closely replicates the effect of an air fryer. Taking the median of all frozen sweet potato fry package instructions, we decided to cook all batches in the top third of the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, flip, then cook for an additional 10 minutes. Fries were given 5 minutes to cool before tasting to ensure no tastebuds were burned (and therefore compromised) in the process.

The final scores were tallied based on the average size of the fries (even in size, minimal broken fries), overall flavor, sweetness, and texture (crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside) on a scale of one to five. The average of these four scores gave each brand its rank. Brands that tied were then judged on value to ensure the cook (you) gets the most bang for their buck.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.