These flavorful jicama fries make a great alternative to French fries; preparing them is effortless!
Simply microwave them briefly and then bake them in a hot oven. They will satisfy the need for a salty, savory snack.
These delicious fries are one of my favorite side dishes. While not exactly the same as French fries, they are delightful when served with ketchup or any other dip.
To ensure they bake evenly, I first microwave them briefly to slightly soften them. This helps prevent them from remaining crunchy after they've been baked.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these jicama fries. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Raw jicama: You can buy it whole and prep it yourself or buy it pre-cut into strips. This is what the raw vegetable looks like:
When I started making this recipe in 2014, I had to peel and slice a whole jicama. It's not difficult to do, but now we also have the option to buy pre-sliced jicama sticks.
As you can see in the photo below, the packaged sticks are sometimes fairly wide, so it's best to cut them thinner to better resemble the shape of French fries.
Olive oil: I love the flavor this delicious oil adds to the fries.
To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Variations
- Use melted butter instead of olive oil. It's delicious!
- You can vary your spices. Seasonings that work well in this recipe are ½ teaspoon of onion powder and ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin.
- Make them spicy by adding a pinch of cayenne pepper to the seasoning.
Jicama Fries Instructions
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
You start by peeling the jicama and cutting it into strips. As mentioned above, you can also find it pre-cut in many grocery stores. Microwave the strips to make them somewhat tender, then dry them with paper towels.
Toss the jicama sticks with olive oil and spices.
Arrange them in a baking dish.
Sometimes, I bake them together with other sturdy vegetables, such as cauliflower, as shown in the photo below:
Bake the jicama strips for about 40 minutes in a 400°F oven until they are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and golden brown.
Serve them immediately with your dip of choice. Here, they are shown dipped in unsweetened ketchup:
Expert Tip
Microwaving the jicama fries before baking them is optional. But if you don't microwave them first, the fries retain some of their crunch even when baked for a long time. I tried both versions, and we all liked the microwaved version better.
Recipe FAQs
Jicama is also called "Mexican yam" or "Mexican turnip." It's a root vegetable usually eaten raw with a sprinkle of lime juice. The raw vegetable has a mild flavor.
Jicama resembles a potato, but it's crispy. Its taste resembles an apple or an unripe pear, but milder and not as sweet.
When cooked, it becomes creamier, but it's still very mild, so it takes on the flavor of the seasonings you use.
Yes. It's a good substitute. But you should be aware that in terms of flavor and texture, it won't be exactly the same. These fries are delicious, but they lack the texture that only starchy potatoes can offer - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
The challenge is not so much to get them crispy as to make them tender on the inside. They tend to remain crunchy on the inside even after you cook them for a long time.
The method described here, of microwaving them first and then baking, is the best way I have found to get them relatively tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Serving Suggestions
Suggested Main Courses
Jicama fries are very versatile! Just think of them as regular fries, and serve them with whatever dish you would serve with those. However, since I bake them in a 400°F oven, I like to serve them with a main course that I can bake in the same oven, such as:
- Boneless chicken thighs
- Crispy baked chicken thighs
- Baked chicken drumsticks
- Baked chicken wings
- Baked hamburgers
- Baked pork chops
- Baked shrimp
They are also a natural choice to serve with steak (think steak frites!), including New York strip steak, ribeye steak, and flat iron steak.
Dipping Sauce Suggestions
I usually serve jicama fries with unsweetened ketchup. My Dutch dad likes to dip them in mayonnaise. 😮 They are also excellent with guacamole or salsa, as shown in the photos below.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. Or better yet, re-crisp them in a low 250°F oven.
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Recipe Card
Jicama Fries
Ingredients
- 1 raw jicama about 1 pound
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a ceramic or glass baking dish (such as a 9 X 13-inch baking dish). Alternatively, use a rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
- Peel the jicama and cut it into ¼-inch-thick fries. Or use pre-sliced jicama strips, available at Whole Foods and in many grocery stores such as Kroger.
- Place the jicama strips in a microwave-safe bowl. Add ¼ cup of water. Cover and microwave for 8 minutes, stopping once to gently stir. If I use a large jicama, I sometimes microwave it for up to 10 minutes, as shown in the video. But 8 minutes is usually enough.
- Using oven mittens, remove the bowl from the microwave. Be careful when removing the cover - hot steam will escape. Remove the jicama strips to paper towels to dry.
- In a large bowl, toss the partially cooked jicama fries with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Arrange them in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
- Bake until browned and tender-crisp, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- The packaged sticks are sometimes fairly wide, so it's best to cut them thinner to better resemble the shape of French fries.
- You can use melted butter instead of olive oil.
- Microwaving the jicama fries before baking them is optional. But if you don't microwave them first, the fries retain some of their crunch even when baked for a long time. I tried both versions, and we all liked the microwaved version better.
- I usually serve jicama fries with unsweetened ketchup. My Dutch dad likes to dip them in mayonnaise. They are also excellent with guacamole or salsa.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. Or better yet, re-crisp them in a 250°F oven.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Lisa
Would this work in an air fryer?
Vered DeLeeuw
I only tested this recipe in an oven.