Crispiest Sweet Potato Fries (Air Fryer Recipe)
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This Sweet Potato Fries Air Fryer recipe is as easy as can be! And it certainly makes the crispiest air fryer sweet potato fries out there!! Anyone can make them and everyone will love the results: sweet and salty, nice and crispy, and with a peppery finish that goes well with any main dish!
Sweet Potato Fries Air Fryer
Did you ever think it would be so easy to make sweet potato fries from scratch? After all, they’re the ultimate side dish!
Just a bit of oil makes this air fryer sweet potato recipe about as healthy as fries can get. But you’d never guess it with the soft, sweet center and gloriously fried outside!
I’m starting to think there isn’t a single vegetable you can’t make in the air fryer. Brussels sprouts, zucchini, carrots, green beans…
I’d keep going but I’d run out of space to list them all!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes – Wash and scrub before slicing! Slice as evenly as you can to get crispy air fried sweet potato fries across the board.
Additionally, keep in mind that the fries will shrivel up a bit after they’ve cooked, so keep slices just a bit longer than you want your fries to be. - Olive Oil – As little as one tablespoon of oil will do. Usually, more oil equals more crispiness, but you can always get away with less oil working with air fryers!
- Sweet Paprika – Not spicy, just sweet! This fruity seasoning goes really well with sweet potatoes.
Chili or chipotle powder, though spicier, make great substitutes in a pinch. - Onion Powder – For once, I’m not going to recommend using the fresh alternative.
Powdered herbs and spices are generally best for fried recipes like this one. - Salt & Pepper – The classics! Season with salt before adding sweet potato fries to the air fryer, then season more to taste after they’ve been cooked.
I use sea salt and fresh cracked pepper whenever I make sweet potato fries in the air fryer!
Tips for Crispy Sweet Potato Fries in Air Fryer
- Guarantee even results
You might need to cook a couple of batches, depending on the size of your air fryer, to make sure the fries don’t overlap.
Cooking food in a single layer is really important — the hot air needs to circulate all the way around!
Additionally, don’t forget to turn the fries halfway through and do your best to slice each fry evenly.
- To soak or not to soak?
If you’d like, you can soak the sweet potato slices for 30 minutes up to 2 hours before frying to remove excess starch.
Personally, though, going through this step didn’t make a real difference for my fries.
- Peels on or off — it’s up to you!
Some like skin on their fries and some do not. Either way works for this sweet potato fries air fryer recipe.
And the best practices remain the same: scrub, dry, and slice evenly for the best fries.
Storing and Reheating Air Fried Sweet Potato Fries
I’m not one to reheat fried foods — they’re never the same next day, are they?
But if you’d like to, you can air fry sweet potato fries at 375°F for 3 to 5 minutes until crispy again. Only reheat once, and try to do so on the same day of baking!
As always, I recommend storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator to maximize freshness.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries FAQ
I love the flavor of olive oil the best, but you have plenty of options!
Avocado oil and peanut oil are two really popular options for making fries because of their flavor and smoke point.
Canola and grapeseed oil have a neutral taste that won’t really affect the flavor of your potatoes.
So just think about the flavor you’re going for and work from there!
The short answer is that it takes 15 to 20 minutes to make 1/4″ sweet potato fries in the air fryer.
But, ultimately, the real answer is that it depends on your air fryer! Each one is a bit different.
Preheat the fryer and start at 15 minutes, not 20, just to be safe. After all, you can always air fry sweet potato fries more but you can’t cook them less!
A couple of reasons! It could be that the temperature of your fryer was too low, that you used too much oil, or that you crammed too many fries into one batch.
Preheating before adding sweet potato fries to the air fryer also guarantees the crispiest results.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Air Fryer Recipes
Crispiest Sweet Potato Fries (Air Fryer Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed well (with or without peel)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed *See Notes
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
- Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Using a chef’s knife, cut them in ¼-inch wide pieces, then cut each piece into ¼-inch wide strips.
- To a large bowl or zip top plastic bag, add potato strips, oil, and spices. Massage the potatoes to ensure they are coated entirely.
- Arrange the fries in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving a bit of space between each. *See Notes. Cook for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time, to ensure even frying.
- The sweet potato fries should be crispy and cooked through. If not, fry for another 2 minutes. If fries are cut too thin or the ends are too narrow, they can get charred rather quickly.
- Once fried, season the warm fries with more salt if desired.
Donna’s Notes
You can use as little as 1 tablespoon of oil or use a little more. I find the fries slightly crispier and flavorful when using more oil, but you can use even less for an air fryer. Season the fries with salt before air frying, but add more salt (preferably sea salt) after frying. The fries soak up the salt better after frying. Fried food generally doesn’t reheat well. But with in air fryer, you can reheat them once if they get cold ( on the same day of making). Reheat in a preheated air fryer at 375°F for 3-5 minutes.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published December 2022, updated and republished January 2024
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This recipe makes me feel like im being healthy! I love it, and it’s so easy to make