Spicy Spiralized Shoe String Jicama Fries

Whenever I spiralize a new vegetable, I want to scream on top of the rooftops...

Spicy Spiralized Shoe String Jicama Fries

Whenever I spiralize a new vegetable, I want to scream on top of the rooftops and let everyone know how exciting it is. Spiralizing just really revolutionizes the way we consume vegetables.

Now enter jicama, as a perfect example of how spiralizing a vegetable changes not only its shape and texture, but it’s flavor. Typically, jicama (pronounced HEE-kah-ma) is pretty bland and uneventful: Cooking Light refers to it as a “cross between a water chestnut and a pear.” Not terribly exciting.

Spicy Spiralized Shoe String Jicama Fries

However, when you spiralize a jicama, season it and cook it: it’s tasty and a fun way to add a new veggie into your routine. Jicama is a vegetable that’s native to Mexico and is most frequently seen as a slaw or served crunchy and raw in a salad. It’s also a perennial vegetable, which makes it available year-round!

To spiralize the vegetable, you simply need to peel it (it can be peeled using a peeler or just by cutting off the ends and peeling off the skin with your fingers) and load it into the spiralizer (chop it in half first, if it’s too large).

Jicama spiralizes very easily, neatly and quickly.

But now that you have these crunchy new spiralized jicama noodles, what do you do with them? Honestly, today’s post was going to be “10 Recipes for Spiralized Jicama,” but I had to stop myself. There will be plenty of posts made with jicama in the future, it’s just that yummy.

Spicy Spiralized Shoe String Jicama Fries

For now? Since we’re on a healthy kick (on account of the New Year), I’ve made a healthier, low-cal, low-carb, Paleo and gluten-free version of shoe string French fries! You’re welcome, because these are spicy, salty, savory and, well, just plain addictive.

What sort of health benefits do you get from jicama? Well, it’s packed with dietary fiber, antioxidants, Vitamin C and, of course, it’s only 35 calories per 100g!

Spicy Spiralized Shoe String Jicama Fries

Next time you’re making burgers or chicken and want a healthy yet satisfying and indulgent side dish, make these spicy shoestring jicama fries – you won’t believe they’re not real potatoes! Dip them in a chipotle aioli or even some ketchup and you’ll fall off your chair they’re so dang good.

And totally Superbowl friendly! Make a big batch of these and serve them in cute little mini-portion colored bowls or classy white ramekins. Your friends will be thanking you for making such a healthy but yummy snack for watching the big game.

Spicy Spiralized Shoe String Jicama Fries

I can’t wait to share with you my other jicama dishes. Think cilantro dressed jicama noodles, chorizo, corn, lime, avocado and tacos. Yes, I’ll leave you with all that.

Who likes jicama? 

Spicy Spiralized Shoe String Jicama Fries

2 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 5

Ingredients

  • 1 large jicama
  • olive oil to drizzle (about 2 tbsp)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp chili powder

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 405 degrees.
  • Lay out your jicama noodles and snip them with a scissor to divide into smaller sized noodles, similar to shoestring fries.
  • When done, lay your noodles onto two large baking trays, drizzle with olive oil and toss together to combine and coat noodles.
  • Season with a generous amount of salt and then evenly season with onion powder, cayenne pepper and chili powder. Toss again to combine and then lay them out, trying hard not to crowd them.
  • Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, turn over and bake another 10-15 minutes or until they reach your doneness preference. Divide onto plates and enjoy as a snack or a side dish!
with love, Ali

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Recipe Rating




comments

  • i've never done anything with jicama!! i like the idea of this though!!
  • Is that 405 degrees?
  • Love Jicama! Favorite salad is jicama, red grapefruit and avocado with honey/mint dressing. Will try it spiralized this spring.
  • I've never cooked with jicama before! These sound amazing. We love fries at my house so this would be an awesome substitute.
  • After trying your awesome butternut squash "rice" - I am very interested in a non-sweet veggie that could be used in a fried rice situation. Do you think the Jicama could be that veggie?
    • Jicama could definitely be used - or regular potato, beet, carrots. I have a post about rice on Friday, stay tuned!
  • I love Jicama and mostly eat it raw in some form. This is a great idea - do they come out crunchy and crispy?
    • Both, depending on how long you cook them for- these are a bit soft, but that's how I like my french fries !:)
  • "today’s post was going to be “10 Recipes for Spiralized Jicama,”" LOL This looks great. I'll definitely try this!
  • This looks really yummy! I've never even heard about a spiralizer though I need to look into one.
  • See I've always heard jicama described as being a cross between a potato and an apple...and so actually it's super fitting that you turned them into shoestrings!
  • I've always heard of jicama described as being a cross between a potato and an apple...so turning it into shoestrings is pretty perfect!
  • Whoa! I have never seen a spirilizer before, it is amazing! I know what is next on my cooking equipment want list....is it too early to start a christmas list? :) Thanks for the recipe! Think it would work if I used my julienne peeler?
    • Thank you so much!! You definitely need to get one, it's such a game changer. Yes, some of my recipes work with a julienne peeler, but you just don't get that "noodle" feel and it's tough to do (takes a lot more time than with the spiralizer!)
  • Hi Ali! Found your website through Pinterest, bought a spiralizer, on my way to buy some veggies... I haven't even started, but your website has me hooked. Im a vegetarian and my food is rarely fun, not anymore :) Big congratulations to you, I think you're starting the next hotest healthy diet trend. For many it will probably be for life rather than a trend since it is so easy, yummy, and healthy.
    • Amanda, thanks so much - this totally made my day! I'm so glad you bought a spiralizer! It's changed my life!
  • I was introduced to jicama years ago and love it. I bought a spiralizer a few weeks ago and amazed at how it opens up the world of vegetables! Can't wait to use it with jicama (sitting on my kitchen counter!).
  • I have tried jicama a few times but nothing as exciting as this! I love that you made the fries spicy and healthy ;)
  • I love jicama! So, I was so excited to try this recipe I went out and bought jicama so I could try it today. My jicama didn't come out as shoestrings, though. It came out more like little chunks, similar to the butternut squash "rice." Which blade did you use?
    • Oh no - I used Blade C - for information on the blades, go to Inspiralized.com/howto! Hope that helps.
  • Is it really a tablespoon of cayenne pepper? It seems like a whole lot. Maybe 1 teaspoon and a tablespoon of chili powder? Thanks. Love your blog.
  • Can't wait to try these looks awesome. Was just checking out your how-to on storing various veggies. How does the Jicama hold up?
    • It's similar to butternut squash, actually - it has a great fridge life. It lasted for me up to 4 days!
  • How do you think the jicama would work in a spiralized bun?
  • Holy mother of all things "not real potatoes but taste like them!" I made these last night, as I am rounding to the finish line of my 21DSD. Served with an almond crusted whitefish and broccoli. They would also make a great garnish (think: cripsy onion replacement) on salads, burgers, etc. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing. I am lucky that I have a hispanic market within walking distance!
  • My Jicama came out very soggy and I used the right amount of oil. They came out to be hash brown like so they werent too bad but I was hoping for more of a fry texture.
    • Tiffany - sometimes, different ovens can be testy. Try knocking the heat up 5-10 degrees and cooking 5 minutes longer. Just make sure to check them!
  • Wow! Just made this and am blown away by how much they taste like shoestring fries!! Spicy and savory and tastes like I should feel very guilty right about now!
  • Would this spiralizer(or whatever it is called) work with russet potatoes?
    • Spiralizers are great with jicama, potatoes sweet or white or purple, carrots, celery (!), radishes, squash, cukes (Yum), beets, and any other fruit or veggie you can mention. It particularly helps when company comes and you only had enough pears for 5 folks and now you have 8! Simply spiralize the pears and cheese, too, then mix and serve a great looking dessert with a Washington Cherry in the center.... Would not trade mine for anything!!! Comes with different blades so you can get a different look. Bonus* This device leaves a tiny 1/4 inch core of the fruit or veggie that can be used as little "sticks" in your lunch next day......
  • I made these last night and the taste was delicious but they weren't the "fries" consistency. They were limp, even after I cooked them for longer and broiled them at the end. What did I do wrong? I just got this product and maybe I used too big of blade? I want to like the Spiralizer but I haven't had great success as of yet...
  • i am a recent fan of jicama, AND spiralizing... i had my jicama fries raw today... i used blade c, cut the strands into more manageable pieces, and tossed with dry spices ~ slap ya' mama with a bit of brown sugar ~ yum!! love your blog <3
  • Hello :) I love your website and your recipes! You have wonderful ideas to switch things up and they are simple to follow. I purchased my first spiralizer a few weeks ago and I want to spiralize everything! I don't think that I have the Paderno one though. Mine looks exactly the same but by a different manufacture I think. Anyways, I am having a hard time spiralizing the root vegetables. I some how made it through a beet, but I tried the jicama today and it was too hard. The turning end wouldn't turn the jicama at all, I was very disappointed. I attempted turning it against the blade by hand, I did my best and then ended up cutting it into "fry like" pieces. I followed the recipe and mine came out very moist. Not like a soft fry but soggy. Any tips? Thank you. Alice :)
  • Could you please post a shot of a fresh, untouched jicama so I can identify it at the grocery store? Thanks!
  • I would love a few more jicama recipes please! I think they're a super underrated vegetable and I've been anxiously waiting for a few more since you first posted this.
    • I will definitely be posting more and there will be many in my cookbook, coming out in 2015!
  • Hi there! Have you ever used yucca in your Spiralizer? I am a big fan of yucca fries, and I wonder if I could try this recipe with yucca instead of jicama. Thoughts? :)
  • My shred was too fine, so I burned a bunch. Very tasty though. Next time I'll make thicker noodles. Thanks, I love jicama any way I can get it.
  • I love my spiralizer! Did you use the smallest attachement or the middle size?
  • These were amazing!!! I'm a big fan of jicama but this brought my love to a whole new level. I did bump up the oven temp to get a crispier fry but other than that, it's a perfect recipe! :-)
  • looks great can't wait to try it
  • Love the jicama fries idea, but do you have any spice suggestions for those of us who don't eat cayenne or any of the Mexican or Indian spices?
  • I'm so glad I found this recipe! I've been eating jicama since I was a kid. My grandma would pick it up at the market and we'd snack on it. I just bought a spiralizer last week so I was on the hunt for recipes and this is going on the menu this week!
  • Can we get the nutritional values for this recipe? YUM!
  • I have recently made a jicama, habanero Pico de Gallo. It was awesome!!
  • Love your recipes my favorite flavor is salt and vinegar chips, can you recommend any recipes for fries using vinegar or lime?
  • I tried the jicama fries but they turned black when in the oven? do you know why this would happen? thanks
  • I tried the jicama fries baked in the oven and they turned black/green..do you know why they did this? thanks bev
  • These were great. I used less seasoning but they were still too hot. Adjust for your own tastes. I burned part of mine. My own fault. Instead of using the smallest blade, next time I will go one up. Never used this veg before, but will now add it as a regular.
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  • This looks super interesting and appealing, but I have a couple questions on this one. 1. Do the fries get crispy? 2. I do a lot of meal prep. Are these good leftover and reheated? Or are they similar to potato fries that are mostly good fresh?
  • 405F is a strange temperature. I wonder if it should be 450F?
    • I'm wondering the same thing!
  • I love spicy, Thanks for share a nice recipe.
  • Really awesome recipe. I did not know how to cook this Today I will try this recipe at home even though I can't cook as well as you..... Thanks for sharing the testy recipe.
    • You're going to do great! Please share a photo with us if you can! We'd love to see.
  • I’ll probably be returning to see more, thanks for the information.
    • That's great to hear!! Thank you!
  • First the seasoning is way off. The cayenne overpowers everything else. 2 teaspoons of cayenne is way too much, and I like spicy. I'd start with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp and test it out to see if the other spices needed to be decreased/increased. You'll need to cook it to get the right ratios because jicama shrinks so the sq footage per spice changes. Which leads me to the biggest take away. If you follow this recipe at 405 degrees for 25 minutes, or even 30 minutes, the jicama will be uncooked. I ended up bumping it to 425 and using convection for 40 minutes and it was still warm raw jicama. I used the broiler very carefully to finish the jicama, since the rest of my meal was planned around this. The jicama was still "raw" but now with slightly burnt ends. I covered it in ketchup, there are other recipes out there - they recommend blanching the jicama first, I'm going to recommend that as well.
    • Thank you so much for your honest review!! Sometimes oven temps will vary so we really appreciate you adding in what worked/didn't work for you!
  • Not my cup of tea, I prefer jicama cold.
    • Thank you for giving it a shot!