There isn’t just one type of sauce that is best for dipping sweet potato fries, but this one has been specially developed to complement the unique sweet flavor characteristics of the ruby spud.
If you’re on the hunt for the best dipping sauce for your homemade sweet potato fries or air fryer sweet potato fries (or regular fries), you’re in luck — this one is sure to be a big hit!
What is Sweet Potato Fry Dipping Sauce?
Sweet potato fry dipping sauce has a creamy base of ketchup and mayonnaise accented by chili powder, ancho powder, smoked paprika, garlic, and onion. It’s a sauce created with flavors meant to pair well with the fries.
It’s a great condiment to spread on burgers and sandwiches, as well, and you can use it as a salad dressing, too. It also takes meats and veggies to the next level.
Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Fry Sauce Recipe
There’s no shortage of reasons to love this flavorful sauce.
- Flavorful – This savory sauce has layers of flavor from spices that range from mildly hot to satisfyingly smoky.
- Easy – All you need to do to make this simple recipe is mix all of the ingredients together and refrigerate to allow the flavors to come together. It’s quick to prepare, and there are nearly no dishes.
- Versatile – Use this easy sauce on anything from handheld dippers to sandwiches, veggies, and proteins.
Ingredients
These simple ingredients might already be hiding out in your pantry and fridge.
- Ketchup – Use your favorite brand from the grocery store or make your own easy ketchup at home.
- Mayonnaise – Make homemade mayonnaise or buy your favorite brand.
- Ancho chili powder – This mild chili powder imparts a gentle heat and subtle sweetness to the sweet potato fry dipping sauce.
- Chili powder – This spice blend imparts a little bit of heat and balances out the sauce with other flavors like oregano, cumin, and garlic.
- Smoked paprika – This type of paprika gives the sauce its smoky flavor.
- Garlic powder – Get even more garlicky flavor with a few shakes of this powder.
- Onion powder – Onion adds a slight sweetness and its own distinctive flavor.
- Coarse kosher salt – This helps to balance and bring out all of the various flavors of the other ingredients.
What To Serve With Sweet Potato Fry Dipping Sauce
There are lots of other uses for this sauce besides dipping sweet potato fries. It pairs well with regular french fries, zucchini sticks, or even fresh vegetables. You can also use it as a dressing for a simple salad or swap out the mayo and seasonings in a traditional potato salad or pasta salad for a spiced-up version.
You can also use it as a sandwich spread or serve it over proteins and veggies for an instant upgrade.
How to Make Sweet Potato Fry Sauce
In just a few quick steps, you’ll have a spicy, smoky dip perfect for dunking your fries into.
- Ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl.
- Combine. Stir together until completely combined.
- Chill. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
- Serve. Mix before serving.
Variations
You can add a sprinkle of this and a dash of that to create your own version of this slightly spicy sauce.
- Heat – To give the sweet potato fry dipping sauce a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce or chili sauce — or sprinkle in cayenne pepper powder. For more gentle heat, add a bit of black pepper.
- Umami – For an umami-packed punch of flavor, use a little bit of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce.
- Pickles – Make a truly unique sauce and add texture by adding diced dill pickles or a splash of pickle juice.
- Sweetness – For a sweeter sauce, try mixing in white sugar, brown sugar, or honey.
- Tanginess – Add a bit of tangy flavor to the sauce with a little sour cream.
- Dip – To make this into a thicker, creamier dip, blend it with some cream cheese. Or, make a yogurt dip by adding it to plain Greek yogurt.
- Citrus – For a bright burst of flavor, add a small amount of fresh lime juice or lemon juice.
Storage and Freezing
You can cover the serving bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or transfer it to an airtight container.
Make Ahead: Since this sweet potato fry dipping sauce gets better as the flavors come together in the fridge, you can easily make this ahead of time to serve when you need it.
Refrigerator: This sauce will last up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Freezer: We do not recommend freezing mayonnaise-based sauces.
Common Questions About Sweet Potato Fry Dipping Sauce
While there are a number of different ways to make this sauce, this version is a basic blend of ketchup and mayonnaise with a variety of relatively mild spices and smoked paprika.
Ketchup and mayo are particularly popular, but other common options are honey mustard, tzatziki, ranch dressing, and barbecue sauce.
For sweet pairings, turn to maple syrup or brown sugar. For savory options, sour cream and blue cheese pair well.
Other Homemade Dipping Sauces
Copycat Chick-fil-a Sauce
Crab Butter (Drawn Butter)
Mustard Cream Sauce
Sweet Potato Fry Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ketchup, mayonnaise, ancho chili powder, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.
- Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Stir again before serving.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Never making any other sauce for sweet potato fries again!
This was such a quick and easy sauce that not only comes together in a snap, but was the perfect afternoon snack; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
This came out perfectly. I used your suggestion of adding a couple dashes of soy sauce. Loved it!
This really is the best fry dipping sauce! I love how simple it is to make.
I bought a huge bag of frozen sweet potato fries from Costco. This sauce went perfectly with it. Creamy, spicy, and delicious!
What a delicious recipe, my family loved it! Thank you so much!