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If you’ve been looking for a low carb potato replacement, this crispy jicama fries recipe is for you! Potatoes are one of the most popular foods people want to replace when they start a low carb diet. That’s one of the reasons I was so excited to make these jicama fries in the air fryer. I couldn’t believe how crispy they turned out — perfect for a healthy appetizer, side dish, or snack!
These keto jicama fries make the perfect substitute for potato fries. (You might also want to try my other keto french fries recipe, with a surprising ingredient.)
What Is Jicama?
Jicama is a tuberous root vegetable, native to Mexico and common in Central America, with a brown skin and white flesh. Sometimes it’s called a Mexican yam bean or Mexican potato. It’s a climbing plant and is technically part of the pea family, but the part we eat is the root. Jicama has a lot of similarities to a potato, but the skin is not edible, it tastes sweeter (like a cross between a potato, a water chestnut, and an apple), and has much fewer carbs. It’s great for jicama tortillas in addition to these fries!
More Jicama Recipes: I have several other low carb recipes for jicama in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook!
What Are Jicama Fries?
Jicama fries are simply low carb French fries made with jicama instead of potatoes.
Why You’ll Love This Jicama Fries Recipe
- Potato flavor with much fewer carbs
- Crisp exterior and tender inside
- Just 4 simple ingredients (plus salt & pepper)
- 7.1 grams net carbohydrates per serving
- Naturally low carb, keto, paleo, whole30, gluten-free, and vegan
- Healthier alternative to potatoes
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for air fried jicama, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Jicama – Look for jicama that feels firm when you give it a light squeeze. A few small blemishes on the brown skin are fine, but skip any jicama with large blemishes.
- Olive oil – Or avocado oil.
- Spices – Garlic powder, cumin, sea salt, & black pepper. Paprika or onion powder would also make nice additions that complement these seasonings.
Seasoning Variations
You can use similar seasonings for jicama fries that you would for potatoes. But, you need more salt and it’s not recommended to skip seasonings, due to the natural sweet taste of jicama. If you don’t like the spices above, try lemon pepper seasoning, ranch seasoning, or Cajun seasoning.
How To Prepare Jicama Fries
- Cut. Peel the jicama first, then slice into jicama fries (french-fry-shaped sticks) with a sharp knife. A good size is 3 to 4 inches long and about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Boil. Place the fries into boiling water and boil until very soft, like a cooked potato. The color and texture will change.
- Dry. Once the jicama fries are soft, drain the water and pat dry with a paper towel. Now you can air fry or bake them to get them browned and crispy!
How To Make Jicama Fries In The Air Fryer
This section shows how to cook jicama fries in the air fryer, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Season. In a large bowl, drizzle jicama with olive oil and season with garlic powder, cumin, and sea salt until evenly coated. (If using any of the seasoning variations above, you can add them here.)
- Air fry. Place jicama fries in the air fryer basket in a single layer, spread out so they aren’t touching each other. (You will need to cook them in batches.) Air fry until golden.
Can You Make Baked Jicama Fries In The Oven?
Yes, after the boiling step, you can bake low carb jicama fries in the oven for about 30-40 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Do Jicama Fries Taste Like Potatoes?
Jicama fries taste quite similar to regular potato fries, if you make them right. There are two key differences to keep in mind:
- Jicama doesn’t cook very well if you bake or air fry it raw. Because of this, it’s best to boil it first to make it softer and closer to the texture of a potato, then bake (or air fry!) afterward.
- Jicama is lightly sweet in taste. It tastes sweeter than a potato, which can be a little strange for fries. The key is to use enough salt and other seasonings!
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep cooked jicama fries in refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Meal prep: Boil jicama fries, dry, and store in fridge until ready to bake or air fry.
- Reheat: Reheat leftovers in the air fryer for best results, or bake in the oven at 400 degrees F.
- Freeze: Freeze fries in a single layer on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a zip lock bag, remove excess air, and return to the freezer.
- Cook from frozen: Air fry until hot and crispy. You can do the same in the regular oven as well, but an air fryer will do a better job of getting rid of the extra moisture and making them crispy.
What To Serve With Jicama Fries
Serve these air fried jicama fries with both a sauce and a main dish for a healthy low carb dinner:
- Sauces – Dip your fries into sugar-free ketchup, garlic aioli, spicy mayo, or ranch for delicious flavor.
- Burgers – Serve the fries with my keto turkey burgers, juicy burgers, or keto sloppy joes.
- Steak – For a healthy steak and frites, serve with a sirloin steak, New York strip steak, or air fryer filet mignon.
- Chicken – Chicken and jicama fries are a great and healthy combination. Try air fryer chicken breast or air fryer chicken legs for a full meal cooked in your air fryer! If you prefer to cook your chicken at the same time as the fries using a different method, make chicken leg quarters in the oven, cilantro lime chicken on the stovetop, or keto fried chicken.
Serving Variation: Chili Cheese Fries
To make keto chili cheese fries, you’ll just need to add some chili topping, cheese, and green onions to your jicama fries:
- Make keto chili. You can follow the same recipe at the link, but drain it a bit at the end if there’s a lot of liquid.
- Make jicama fries. Follow the instructions on the recipe card below to cook the fries.
- Combine. Place the fries in a baking dish that will fit into your air fryer (or your oven). Top with chili and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Air fry. Cook in the air fryer (or the oven) for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese.
More Low Carb Comfort Food Recipes
If you like these keto jicama fries, try these other low carb comfort foods:
Recommended Tools
- French Fry Cutter – This is the quickest way to cut your fries.
- Air Fryer – I love the compact design with large basket size. It’s a best seller for a reason!
Jicama Fries In The Air Fryer
Jicama Fries In The Air Fryer (Crispy & Low Carb!)
Learn how to make jicama fries in the air fryer, with just 4 ingredients. They are easy, CRISPY, low carb, and taste like potatoes!
Go Ad-FreeRecipe Video
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Boil a large pot of water on the stove. Add the jicama fries and boil for 18 to 25 minutes, until color becomes slightly translucent (instead of bright white) and no longer crunchy. Time will vary depending on the thickness of your fries.
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When the jicama is not crunchy anymore, remove and pat dry.
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Set the air fryer oven to 400 degrees (204 degrees C) and let it preheat for 2 to 3 minutes.
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Place the fries into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic powder, cumin, and sea salt. Toss to coat.
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Working in batches to avoid crowding, arrange jicama in the air fryer basket in a single layer, preferably with the pieces not touching each other. Air fry jicama fries for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Repeat with remaining fries.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our free low carb support group, too – I’d love to see it!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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71 Comments
Matt
1Such an easy and amazing recipe! I love my air fryer and love making fries, classic potato, sweet potato, and now jicama!
Jane
0These were perfect! I will boil to 25mins next time, but they were really close in texture. The taste was amazing. I’m so excited to add french fries to my keto file! Even my non-keto and non-healthy-eating husband used the D word, “delicious.” I’m not a cumin fan so I subbed around 1/4 tsp of “Cilantro Lime Seasoning” instead and still used all the other seasonings. The combo seasoning has in it: salt, garlic, chili powder, lemon peel, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, citric acid, cumin, oregano and cilantro leaves. I air fried for 15mins for a bit crispier edge.