Crispiest Sweet Potato Fries (Air Fryer)

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Making Sweet Potato Fries in the Air Fryer is easy as can be! And this is certainly the crispiest air fryer sweet potato recipe 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! 

crispy sweet potato fries air fryer


 

Sweet Potato Fries in the 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! 

ingredients for air fryer sweet potato fries

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. Brussel sprouts, zucchini, carrots, green beans

I’d keep going but I’d run out of space to list them all!

sliced sweet potatoes in air fryer

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Ingredients & 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 that 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!
  • 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.  
  • 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. 
  • Salt & Pepper – The classics! Season with salt before frying, but wait and season to taste after they’ve been cooked.

    The salt will be absorbed more easily after cooking the sweet potato fries in the air fryer. Use sea salt and fresh cracked pepper if you can!
sweet potato fries in air fryer basket.

Tips for Crispy Air Fried Sweet Potato Fries

  • Take Measures For Even Cooking – 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.

    And that’s really important to make sure each cooks thoroughly!

    Additionally, don’t forget to turn them 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.

    Personally, though, going through this step didn’t make a real difference for my fries. 
  • To Peel or Not To Peel? Well, that’s up to you! Some like skin on their fries and some do not.

    Either way, the best practices remain the same: scrub, dry, and slice evenly for the best fries. 
air fried sweet potato fries on plate.

Storing and Reheating Crispy 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 stick them back in the fryer at 375°F and reheat for 3 or 5 minutes. Only reheat once, and try to do so on the same day of baking!

As always, I recommend storing in an airtight container to maximize freshness.

Sweet Potato Fries Air Fryer FAQ

How long do you cook sweet potato fries in an air fryer?

The short answer is that it takes 15 to 20 minutes to make ¼“ 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 cook them more but you can’t cook them less!

Why do my sweet potato fries turn out soggy in air fryer?

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.

What oil is best for making sweet potato fries in the air fryer?

While I love the flavor of olive oil the best, 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 are a couple of great choices that 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!

close up of air fried sweet potato fries

Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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sweet potato fries in air fryer basket

sweet potato fries air fryer

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Donna Elick
Sweet Potato Fries in the Air Fryer are crispy, sweet, and fluffy at the center! And my air fryer sweet potato recipe takes just 20 minutes.
5 stars from 1 review
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Method Air Fryer
Servings 3

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 soak the potatoes in water for 30 minutes to 2 hours before frying, but for me, soaking didn’t make much of a difference.
Depending on the size of your airfryer basket, you may need to cook the sweet potatoes in batches. It took 2 batches with a 5.8 quart air fryer.
For the crispiest sweet potato fries, be sure the potatoes are in a single layer, with a little space between them.
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

Serving: 1 | Calories: 216cal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 859mg | Sugar: 6g | Fiber: 5g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

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.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
crispy sweet potato fries air fryer

Originally published December 2022

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