These thin cut jicama fries bake up easily in the oven with the perfect crispy fry texture. Enjoy this healthier take on fries that’s high in fiber, lower carb and gluten-free friendly with your favorite dipping sauce!
Have you ever had jicama?
It’s actually one of my very favorite vegetables and I get overly excited when I see it on a veggie tray.
It’s sort of sad to me that the only other recipe I have on here using jicama are these crispy jicama chips considering how much I love it.
Also known as a Mexican yam or turnip (which is dumb because it’s nothing like either besides maybe a slight similarity in outward appearance), jicama is usually served raw and often times with a squeeze of lime juice and sprinkle of cayenne.
On one of our trips to Cabo, the resort actually came around with little cups of jicama sticks seasoned just like that every morning. It was literally my favorite part of the day.
Even better than the drunk pool games that ensued shortly thereafter.
Hi, you know you’re approaching 40 when you say things like that.
Today though, I want to share this insanely easy other way to enjoy jicama – as jicama fries!
I’ve made “fries” out of vegetables before. It’s nothing new.
There are recipes for eggplant fries, asparagus fries, zucchini fries and green bean fries on this site but jicama fries are probably my favorite vegetable fry yet.
And the reason for that is simple – they’re the most fry-like recreation of them all.
Although maybe head to head with my recent parsnip fry recipe.
With crispy golden brown edges and a nice crunchy exterior, this jicama fry recipe is definitely most similar to potato fries.
But better than most regular fries (at least many frozen and fast food varieties), these jicama fries are gluten-free and filled with many more health benefits.
Their primary health benefit being the insanely high amount of good prebiotic fiber they offer.
Aka the fiber all the good bacteria in your gut loves and feeds on.
Other sources of prebiotic fiber are things like garlic, onions, sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), apples and dandelion greens.
Of them all, jicama is definitely my favorite.
If I’m not baking it into fries, you can find me snacking on jicama sticks with hummus while I make dinner almost every night.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE JICAMA FRIES
These oven baked seasoned jicama fries are pretty simple.
Just a few spices you likely have in your pantry are all that’s needed for a delectably addicting veggie fry.
You’ll need the following:
- 1 jicama (about 1.5 to 2 pounds)
- avocado oil (or another neutral flavored high smoke point oil)
- Kosher salt
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- black pepper
- nutritional yeast (optional for a “cheesy” flair)
Supply wise, grab your biggest baking sheet (I have a love affair with my heavy duty USA pan), a large bowl and some cooking spray.
That’s it, let’s get to the recipe!
HOW TO MAKE CRISPY BAKED JICAMA FRIES
Since jicama is a root vegetable, you’ll need to peel it like most others.
Once the papery brown skin is removed with a vegetable peeler, you’ll see the white flesh interior.
If you’ve never had jicama before, taste some! It’s crunchy, juicy and similar to a nice crisp apple just with a much milder taste.
Once peeled, cut the jicama into thin fries.
You want the thickness not quite as thin as shoestring fries but definitely not as thick as a steak fry. Something in between. The thinner the fry, the crispier it gets.
These are slightly larger than when making jicama salad, but not by much.
Preheat your oven to 425°F and if you have a convection setting, I recommend using it.
If not, no worries, just reference the note in the recipe below as your cooking time may be a little longer to get the best texture results.
Place the sliced jicama into a large bowl. Drizzle with the avocado oil and toss well.
Combine the seasonings in a small bowl then sprinkle over the fries. Toss until each fry is well coated with the spice mixture.
Transfer the fries out onto a lightly greased baking sheet in a single even layer. It’s best that the jicama doesn’t overlap. If you need to use two baking sheets to accomplish this, do so.
Bake for 15 minutes then remove and toss/flip the fries. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
At this point the jicama fries should be golden in color with crispy edges.
Again, if you’re not using a convection setting, you may need a little more time to get to this point.
Alternatively, feel free to use an air fryer to make these if you have one.
Much like air fryer tofu and air fryer okra (which is another irresistible veggie “fry”), they’ll come out nice and crispy with that method too.
SHOULD I PRE-COOK JICAMA?
Some recipes for jicama fries call for parboiling the jicama before baking the fries. I was intrigued by this so I tested it out.
I did a side by side taste test of jicama fries that were parboiled and jicama fries that were baked solely in the oven.
It’s funny because the parboiling claims to make the fries crispier yet I found the exact opposite to be true!
The batch that went from raw jicama to baked jicama fries without the extra step of pre-cooking were far crispier and crunchy.
Honestly, it makes sense to me, boiling seems like it would make things soggier not crispier which is exactly what I found with that experiment.
So, don’t waste your time with that step. It’s totally unnecessary and the outcome is better with the easier approach anyway!
NUTRITIOUS JICAMA FRIES
Besides being an outstanding source of prebiotic fiber, jicama is also low calorie, low-carb, low sugar and boasts a whopping 6.4g of dietary fiber per cup. (source)
It’s also a good source of the antioxidant Vitamin C, offering about one third of the recommended daily amount for females and about one quarter for men.
There’s nothing wrong with potato fries – I’d suggest these crispy rosemary baked fries, these purple sweet potato fries or, air fryer french fries for the “real” deal.
But, jicama fries offer a lower glycemic option for those wanting to enjoy the taste and texture of fries in a more blood sugar friendly way.
These jicama fries are also keto friendly, gluten-free friendly and naturally vegetarian/vegan as well. All diets can enjoy them!
Did you know dogs can eat jicama too?!
SERVING AND STORING OVEN BAKED JICAMA FRIES
Jicama fries can be served with pretty much anything.
From something like these Cheddar Cauliflower Burgers or even a Burger Bowl (for a completely low-carb friendly meal) to a Reuben Strip Steak, they’re really a great side dish to so many meals.
I suggest enjoying them with your favorite dipping sauce even if it’s just ketchup.
The healthier burger sauce in those burger bowls above though is top notch. Give that a try!
Like most oven baked recipes, these fries are best enjoyed hot straight out of the oven. They won’t retain their crispiness if leftovers are stored in the refrigerator.
However, if you must do that, reheat in a toaster oven or under the broiler in your oven to bring some crispy life back into them!
Feel free to check out my web story on how to make these jicama fries too for more details!
MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS TO ENJOY:
Crispy Baked Carrot Chips: 2 Ways
Perfectly Crispy Rosemary Baked Fries
Sticky Maple Apple Ribs with Shoestring Fried Apples
Jicama Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 – 2 pound jicama, peeled and thinly sliced into “fries”
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (use convection setting if your oven is equipped with it) and lightly grease a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Combine the seasonings in a small bowl.
- Place jicama fries in a large bowl. Add avocado oil and toss to combine until all the fries are well coated.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mixture into the bowl and toss again until the fries are evenly coated with the spices.
- Spread the jicama out onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Toss/flip the fries then return to the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes until fries are crispy and edges are golden brown. If you don’t have a convection setting on your oven, you may need to extend the cooking time another 5 minutes or so and toss the fries while cooking once or twice more.
- Enjoy hot out of the oven with your favorite sauce or ketchup.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I had to try this recipe when I saw it because I don’t eat it enough. Such a delicious way to enjoy this fun vegetable. Thanks for sharing!
I have never thought about using jicama for fries but OMG now I am HOOKED!! these are incredible, will def be making again ASAP! Thank youuuu!!!