These are the absolute BEST sweet potato fritters you will ever make! It takes one bite to realize you’ll never need another recipe. They’re light, tender, and delicately spiced, but they hold together really well. And though they’re flavored with jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, and gruyere (trust us, it works!), they aren’t spicy. In fact, they’re incredibly well balanced.
We’re serving these up with a quick and simple avocado crema, the perfect finishing touch to the sweet potato fritters! You’ll love these with a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro. Serve as a side dish or appetizer alongside any Tex-Mex inspired meal!
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet potatoes (yams): pictured above are Jewel sweet potatoes — you can use any variety you like, but keep in mind that different sweet potatoes will vary in texture, flavor, and how much moisture they retain. This is a great article highlighting some variations in sweet potatoes!
- Jalapeño or other spicy pepper
- Scallions
- Fresh herbs, such as cilantro and chives
- All-purpose flour
- Gruyere cheese, grated
- An egg + egg yolk
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Kosher salt
You’ll also need a light, neutral oil for pan frying (we recommend grapeseed oil because of its high smoke point, but avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil work great too).
The fry pan shown here is from Caraway Home.
To make the avocado crema
- Sour cream: You can use low fat if you like, but we prefer whole milk sour cream for a super rich avocado crema!
- Ripe avocado: When ripe, avocados can be blended into sauces and dressings easily. They add a creaminess with lots of nutritional value!
- 1 garlic clove: This adds a slight bite and heat to the otherwise smooth, creamy sauce
- Lime zest and juice: For acidity and to brighten up the crema
- Kosher salt: A generous pinch is all you need to season!
We make small batch sauces like this avocado crema in our personal blender (it’s super easy to clean — just throw the cup in the dishwasher!), but of course you can make this in a standard food processor too.
How To Make The Best Sweet Potato Fritters
- Make the avocado crema. In a small food processor, combine ⅔ cup sour cream, ½ an avocado, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, the zest and juice of 1 lime, and a generous pinch of Kosher salt. Process until very smooth, then transfer to a serving bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
- Grate the sweet potatoes. Peel the sweet potatoes, then use a box grater or the grating attachment on a food processor to shred into a medium grate. Place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients. To the mixing bowl, add jalapeño, scallions, ½ cup finely chopped herbs (cilantro and chives), 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, ½ cup grated gruyere, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp Kosher salt, then stir well. Sprinkle in ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, then gently fold until flour has been absorbed.
- Pan fry the sweet potato fritters. Heat 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil in a large nonstick or ceramic pan over medium-high heat. When hot, use a standard cookie scoop to evenly portion out the fritters, then lightly press into patties in your hand before adding to the pan. Don’t pack them too tightly, you want the fritters to be light! Cook for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Serve immediately. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined wire rack, then sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt. Serve immediately with avocado crema and lime wedges.
Expert Tips
- Don’t use too much oil! These are pan fried, not deep fried, meaning they only need a few tablespoons of oil to cook in.
- Use a light, neutral oil. We recommend grapeseed, avocado, canola, or vegetable oil, all of which have a light flavor that won’t overwhelm the sweet potatoes, as well as a high smoke point.
- Don’t use frozen, grated sweet potatoes. Frozen vegetables tend to hold excess moisture, and water is the number one enemy of oil (and pan frying, in general).
- Drain before serving! After cooking, transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack so drain excess oil. Make sure to give each a light sprinkle of Kosher salt immediately!
- Make a double batch! Alright, this one is more of a suggestion, but seriously these sweet potato fritters are so unbelievably delicious that you’ll wish you made extras! Plus, the cooked fritters can be frozen and reheated for later use! See below!
- For super creamy avocado crema, use full-fat sour cream. Yes, it’s indulgent, but oh my gosh it is so delicious!
How do you freeze sweet potato fritters?
After cooking, place fritters in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, then freeze until solid, 1-2 hours. Transfer frozen sweet potato fritters to a tightly sealed freezer safe bag or storage container. Will keep for up to 6 months.
How do you reheat sweet potato fritters?
Place frozen sweet potato fritters in an oven preheated to 350F and heat until warm throughout and just a bit crispy, about 7-9 minutes.
Can I use something other than sour cream?
If you don’t have or don’t want to use sour cream, try whole milk Greek yogurt instead! Mayonnaise can be used in a pinch, though it will offer a tangier flavor.
What are the best dishes to serve alongside?
We love serving these with other Tex Mex-inspired dishes. Here are a few of our favorites!
- Grilled fish tacos
- Santa Fe salad
- Green Chicken Chili Soup
- Turkey enchilada skillet
- Mexican Cobb salad
- Fajita Veggies
These also make a fantastic side dish to grilled meats, seafood, and chicken!
Honestly, one bite and you will have these in your regular rotation! They’re quick to make, super flavorful, and tender throughout. Don’t forget to make our homemade avocado crema, which we think is the absolute perfect dipping sauce for the fritters. They’re a total match made in heaven!
If you make these Sweet Potato Fritters at home, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More vegetarian recipes to try!
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Potato galette
- Black bean burgers
- Creamy mushroom polenta
- Indian stuffed sweet peppers
Crispy Pan Fried Sweet Potato Fritters
Ingredients
For the avocado crema
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ½ large avocado ripe, peeled
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 lime zested and juiced
- pinch of Kosher salt
For the sweet potato fritters
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 jalapeño minced
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- ½ cup cilantro and chives finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup gruyere grated
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt plus more for serving
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
Instructions
- Make the avocado crema. In a small food processor, combine ⅔ cup sour cream, ½ an avocado, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, the zest and juice of 1 lime, and a generous pinch of Kosher salt. Process until very smooth, then transfer to a serving bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
- Grate the sweet potatoes. Peel the sweet potato, then use a box grater or the grating attachment on a food processor to shred into a medium grate. Place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients. To the mixing bowl, add jalapeño, scallions, ½ cup finely chopped herbs (cilantro and chives), 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, ½ cup grated gruyere, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp Kosher salt, then stir well. Sprinkle in ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, then gently fold until flour has been absorbed.
- Pan fry the sweet potato fritters. Heat 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil in a large nonstick or ceramic pan over medium-high heat. When hot, use a standard cookie scoop to evenly portion out the fritters, then lightly press into patties in your hand before adding to the pan. Don't pack them too tightly, you want the fritters to be light! Cook for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Serve immediately. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined wire rack, then sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt. Serve immediately with avocado crema and lime wedges.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition facts include 4 sweet potato fritters and ⅓ of the avocado crema (which is high, you will likely have plenty leftover!)
- To freeze sweet potato fritters: After cooking, place fritters in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, then freeze until solid, 1-2 hours. Transfer frozen sweet potato fritters to a tightly sealed freezer safe bag or storage container. Will keep for up to 6 months.
- To reheat sweet potato fritters: Place frozen sweet potato fritters in an oven preheated to 350F and heat until warm throughout and just a bit crispy, about 7-9 minutes.
- Can I use something other than sour cream? If you don’t have or don’t want to use sour cream, try whole milk Greek yogurt instead! Mayonnaise can be used in a pinch, though it will offer a tangier flavor.
Haven’t yet had a chance to make the fritters, but this is a review for the avocado crema, which is so good and so versatile! I just made a fresh batch yesterday because I was making chicken carnitas and needed a little something for those and this sauce was so perfect. I made a slight adjustment to it to make it non-dairy and also added cilantro to it because I had some on hand and love it, but otherwise didn’t change it. Fantastic! Thanks!
That avocado crema!!! It sparks major joy! xo, Ari