Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
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Published Dec 10, 2024, Updated Dec 20, 2024
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Air fryer sweet potato fries are crispier than baked sweet potatoes fries and much healthier than deep-fried ones! Plus, they cook up in 10 minutes.
I have a thing for sweet potato fries… fries in general, really (I have a ton of fry recipes on the blog including jicama fries, butternut squash fries, zucchini fries and turnip fries). I crave them from time to time and had a major fry craving when I was pregnant.
Before the air fryer became popular I was all about baked sweet potato fries and roasted sweet potatoes. I still love them, but I have to admit that making sweet potato fries in an air fryer is faster and they actually get crispier too. Spoiler alert: there’s no need to soak your potatoes in water ahead of time!
The one con is that my air fryer isn’t huge so I have to cook the fries in multiple batches. This might be a personal problem but I have to mention it!
Why You’ll Love These Fries
- Quick & easy – You’ll have crispy, golden fries ready in under 15 minutes!
- Healthier – Less oil, but still packed with flavor and that perfect crunch.
- Customizable – Switch up the seasonings to make them sweet, spicy, or savory.
- Perfect snack or side – These fries pair well with everything from burgers to salads or enjoy them as a snack with your favorite dip!
Ingredients Needed
- sweet potato – sweet potatoes are a powerhouse vegetable! They’re packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and are also high in antioxidants. You can read more about the health benefits of sweet potatoes here. When looking for a sweet potato make sure to grab a firm sweet potato. The skin should be smooth, without cracks if possible. I usually buy a Jewel or Garnet sweet potato because that’s most available at my local grocery store. Make sure you grab a sweet potato and not a yam – they look super similar but yams are starchier than sweet potatoes.
- avocado or olive oil – either oil works! This helps the potatoes crisp up and helps the spices stick to the potato.
- sea salt and black pepper – brings out all of the flavors.
Flavor Variations
- Taco seasoning – add a sprinkle of my taco seasoning to the fries before baking and then squeeze fresh lime juice on after baking for a Mexican-inspired side!
- Garlic powder – my seasoning of choice! Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder when you mix the potatoes with oil, salt and pepper.
- Paprika and cayenne pepper – spice it up by adding 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Cinnamon – play up the savory + sweet flavor by adding 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
How to Make Sweet Potato Fries in Air Fryer
Making sweet potato fries in the air fryer is a breeze! Just slice, season, and air fry. In no time, you’ll have perfectly crispy fries ready for your favorite dipping sauce (ideas below). Here’s the simple process:
Step 1: Wash, peel, and slice the sweet potato into fry shapes, about ⅛ inch thick.
Step 2: Toss the sweet potato fries in a bowl with oil, salt and pepper. Add any additional seasonings you like.
Step 3: Place the fries in a single layer in your air fryer basket. You might need to cook in batches, depending on your air fryer.
Step 4: Cook at 400°F for 10 minutes, tossing halfway through. Serve immediately with dipping sauce of choice.
Brittany’s Tips!
- Cut fries evenly – Try to make all your fries about the same size so that they cook evenly. For crispier fries, I recommend cutting them about ⅛ inch thick. If you cut the fries too big they won’t crisp up as nicely.
- Don’t overcrowd – Don’t overcrowd your air fryer basket otherwise your fries will steam instead of crisp up. If you have a small air fryer basket you might have to cook your fries in batches.
- Toss halfway – Flipping the fries halfway through cooking is important to ensure that they cook evenly and that both sides crisp up nicely!
How to Serve Sweet Potato Fries
In my mind, sweet potato fries go with just about anything! Here are some of my favorite ways to serve sweet potato fries:
- With a dip – I’m all about the dip when it comes to fries! I will say, these sweet potato fries are delicious on their own but they are definitely extra fancy with dip. I love good ol’ ketchup and try to buy a version without any added sugar if possible. The Primal Kitchen unsweetened ketchup is my go-to store-bought brand. These fries would also be delicious with my Chick-Fil-A sauce or honey mustard.
- With a burger – you can’t have a burger without fries, am I right?! Some of my go-to burgers are these black bean burgers, spinach feta turkey burgers or cilantro lime chicken burgers.
- With protein – if you’re not feeling a burger you could serve these fries alongside my baked chicken tenders, baked chicken nuggets or BBQ jackfruit sandwiches. The options are endless!
- With a salad – I know it sounds weird, but I love pairing a meal-sized salad with a side of fries.
How to Store Leftovers
I could eat an entire tray of sweet potato fries by myself and usually never have leftovers, but if you decide to make a bigger batch and have leftovers store them in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
To reheat, just place them in the air fryer in a single layer and cook at 375°F for 1-2 minutes. You can also reheat them in a toaster oven, regular oven or microwave. Just note that the potatoes will get soft if you reheat them in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
This depends on the temperature and the specific air fryer you have. I have the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and would recommend starting with 10 minutes at 375°F and adding more cooking time in one-minute increments as necessary.
Some recipes call for soaking the sweet potatoes in water before cooking them to help remove some of the starch and make them more crispy but have found that this step isn’t necessary for sweet potatoes as they don’t have as much starch as regular potatoes.
If your air fryer fries are turning out soggy it is likely because you are over-crowding your air fryer basket or using too much oil. For the best results, use just ½ Tablespoon of oil per sweet potato and cook your fries in a single layer so that the air has room to circulate.
If your fries aren’t crisping up the way you’d like it’s likely because your air fryer is over-crowded or you cut your fries too big. I suggest cutting them about ⅛ inch thick for maximum crispiness. If you cut the fries too wide they won’t crisp up as nicely.
If you want to make air fryer frozen sweet potato fries you can cook them at the same temperature (375°F). Just keep in mind that you might need to cook them for an additional 2-5 minutes depending on the brand of fries and your air fryer.
Try These Other Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Air Fryer Potatoes
Be sure to check out all of my side dish recipes and the full collection of air fryer recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
- ½ Tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and peel sweet potato and cut it lengthwise into french fry shapes, about ⅛ inch thick. Try to make all the fries about the same size so that they cook evenly.
- Add sweet potato fries to a bowl and toss with oil, salt and pepper.
- Add sweet potato fries to the air fryer in a single layer and cook on 375°F for 10-12 minutes, tossing once halfway through. You may need to cook these in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Serve fries immediately with dipping sauce of choice, if using.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover fries in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
- Reheating: To reheat, just place them in the air fryer in a single layer and cook at 375°F for 1-2 minutes. You can also reheat them in a toaster oven, regular oven or microwave. Just note that the potatoes will get soft if you reheat them in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Good recipe, good suggestions. However, a flavored mayo is not the same as aioli. Aioli contains no mayonnaise. Garlic mayo is garlic mayo, aioli is aioli.
Glad to hear you are enjoying this recipe. Thanks so much for your feedback!
excellent post thank you for sharing
I would give this 4 stars good flavor. I did a little over crowding and a little to big on the fries. I read this info after I made the recipe 😩
Sorry to hear that, Rhonda! Yeah, sometimes you need to make these in batches so the fries don’t get overcrowded and mushy.
just going to make this in the kitchen but i dont have sweet potatoes in the kitchen will make this tomorrow instead sorry