These crispy air fryer sweet potato fries are restaurant-quality, perfectly seasoned, crispy, and air fried in just 12 minutes until perfectly crisp outside and tender in the middle!
Although I’ve enjoyed baked sweet potato fries (method in the FAQs) for several years, trying these crispy airfryer sweet potato fries was a complete game changer. Crispy every single time and in a fraction of the time, with minimal oil?! Count me in!
When it comes to fries, there are some days I crave regular baked fries and air fryer frozen fries on the days I have no energy. But it’s these air-fried sweet potato fries that I keep returning to. Not only do I love their natural sweetness, but even better, sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients.
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of fiber and contain high levels of vitamin A (nearly 700% of your RDA). Plus, they have moderate levels of vitamin C (double that of russets) and vitamin B6. And also minerals like potassium and manganese. All while containing similar calories to less nutritious Russet potatoes.
Cooking sweet potato fries in an air fryer won’t be AS crispy as deep frying the potatoes. But the results are impressive enough that it doesn’t feel like I’m missing out. These air-fried sweet potato fries are a simple, versatile, and super tasty dish. They are perfect for fast food cravings and ready to enjoy as an appetizer, snack, or side dish!
You might also enjoy these air fryer breakfast potatoes, patatas bravas, home fries (3 ways), or these appetizing creamy au gratin potatoes.
Sweet Potato Fries Ingredients
This sweet potato air fryer recipe requires just a handful of pantry staples.
- Sweet potatoes: I recommend selecting medium potatoes that are similar in size and have an even oblong shape. This will make it easier to chop into even-sized fries.
- Olive oil: Use light olive oil rather than EVOO. Alternatively, use another neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point, like coconut oil, avocado oil, or canola oil.
Just a tiny amount of oil will help the seasoning adhere to the sweet potato fries in the air fryer. It will enhance the fries’ crispiness with minimal added calories and fat.
- Seasoning: Feel free to stick to just salt. However, my go-to seasoning for these sweet potatoes in air fryer is salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
What else could I add to the seasoning? Feel free to add some cayenne pepper or chili powder for heat. Or a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan (added at the end).
How to Air Fry Sweet Potato Fries
How to make sweet potato fries in an air fryer that are crispy outside, tender in the middle, and ready in just a few simple steps.
How To Cut Sweet Potato Fries
Start by rinsing and peeling the sweet potatoes.
Can you eat sweet potato skins? If you prefer skin-on fries, then feel free to skip the peeling step. These homemade sweet potato fries in an air fryer will taste delicious with or without the peel.
Then, slice a small piece off the end of each potato, so they can stand upright on your counter.
Using a sharp knife, cut slices ¼-½-inch wide (based on how thick you want the fries to be).
Then, stack 2-3 slices on top of one another and slices them into ¼-½-ich fries across, too. Repeat with the remaining potato until you have all your sweet potato fries.
To simplify this process, use a mandoline with the fries blade or a “chipper”/ fry cutter tool.
Then rinse and dry them thoroughly using clean paper towels.
How to Season Sweet Potato Fries
Mix the oil and spices, drizzle them over the fries, and toss them until well-coated. Alternatively, use an oil spray to lightly coat the fries with just enough oil to help the spices adhere. Then toss them with the spices in a large mixing bowl.
For the crispiest results, it may be best to leave the salt out of the seasoning until after air frying the sweet potato fries.
How Long to Air Fry Sweet Potato Fries
First, preheat the air fryer (if necessary) to 380ºF/195ºC.
Then, place the sweet potato fries in your air fryer basket in a single layer without much overlapping.
If you have lots to make, do so in batches.
Air fry sweet potato fries for about 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway.
How long to cook sweet potato fries in air fryer? Depending on the thickness of the fries and your individual air fryer, the cooking time may vary by a couple of minutes. Monitor them towards the end and cook in 1-minute increments until they reach your preferred results.
How to Air Fry Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
When making air fryer frozen sweet potato fries, there’s no need to do so in a single layer. Instead, you can fill the basket up to halfway.
Air fry the frozen sweet potato fries for 15 minutes, tossing the basket every 5 minutes. Then continue to cook them for 3-6 minutes, monitoring them until they reach your desired level of crispiness.
For all my top tips and the full method (and FAQs), refer to my post for air fryer frozen fries.
What Does Sweet Potato Pair with
I doubt you need me to tell you how to enjoy the crispy fries. Especially if you want them as a quick snack. However, here are a few ideas on what to serve them with for those days when you feel uninspired.
- Serve with poultry, like Crispy fried chicken breast or chicken wings,
- Add to fish like salmon,
- Cauliflower wings,
- Serve with burrito bowls,
- Alongside burgers,
- Beef or vegan birria tacos,
- Meat-free chili con carne.
I also enjoy turning them into fully loaded sweet potato “nachos” with salsa, guacamole, cheese, and cilantro.
Alternatively, enjoy them as a snack with your favorite dipping sauce, like ketchup, mayo, tahini sauce, guacamole, and garlic aioli. Or even with the delicious fry sauce mentioned in my air fryer frozen French fries recipe.
How to Reheat Sweet Potato Fries
Air-fried sweet potato fries are definitely best directly from the air fryer. But you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for an additional 3-4 days. Then to reheat them, transfer the fries back to the air fryer.
No need for them to be in a single layer, but best not to add too many at once. Cook for 3-5 minutes at 375ºF/190ºC to bring back some of the crispiness as you reheat them.
How to Freeze Sweet Potato Fries
You could freeze the un-baked fries. To do so, blanch the fries for 5 minutes in boiling water, then immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process. Once cool, dry them thoroughly, spread them in a single layer (not touching), and freeze until solid. Next, transfer them to a Ziplock bag and store them for 3-4 months.
FAQs
Preheating it can help with cooking, though it’s unnecessary unless your particular air fryer model calls for it.
It’s not necessary, though it can rid the potatoes of some excess starch for crispier results. If doing so, soak them in cold water for a minimum of 60 minutes (up to 3-4 hours).
Many of the same seasonings you use for regular fries will also work with these sweet potato fries. But I think several seasonings complement the best the sweet and savory flavor of these fries: BBQ seasoning, Cajun seasoning, Smoked paprika, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Za’atar seasoning, Taco seasoning, Fajita seasoning, and Cinnamon.
When making baked sweet potato fries, I toss them in a bit of cornstarch (or tapioca starch/ arrowroot starch). For crispier results, you can optionally soak the cut potatoes in cold water for an hour and then dry them thoroughly.
Season the sweet potato fries. Bake them in a single layer on a baking sheet in the oven at 425ºF/220ºC for 25-40 minutes (based on their thickness), flipping once after 15 minutes. The baked sweet potato fries are ready when they’re browned, crispy, and lightly puffed up.
The time will differ based on how thick you cut your homemade sweet potato fries. If you’ve cut them very thin, then check at 20 minutes. For thicker, it could take up to 35 minutes.
Technically yes. Though, unlike regular fries, I’ve found that when you air fry sweet potato fries, they really do benefit from a small amount of oil to help them crisp up.
More Air Fryer Recipes
If you try this easy air fryer crispy sweet potato fries recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 16 oz sweet potatoes 2 medium sized and even in shape
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or another neutral cooking oil like coconut oil, avocado oil, or canola oil.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
How To Cut and Season Sweet Potato Fries
- Rinse and peel the sweet potatoes.If you prefer skin-on fries, then feel free to skip the peeling step. These sweet potato fries in an air fryer will taste delicious with or without the peel.
- Slice a small amount off the end of each potato, so they can stand upright on your counter.
- Using a sharp knife, cut slices ¼-½-inch wide (based on how thick you want the fries to be).
- Stack 2-3 slices on top of one another and slices them into ¼-½-ich fries across, too. Repeat with the remaining potato until you have all your sweet potato fries.To simplify this process, use a mandoline with the fries blade or a "chipper"/ fry cutter tool.
- Rinse and dry them thoroughly using clean paper towels.
- Mix the oil and spices, drizzle them over the fries, and toss them until well-coated. Alternatively, use an oil spray to lightly coat the fries with just enough oil to help the spices adhere, then toss them with the spices.For the crispiest results, it may be best to leave the salt out of the seasoning until after air frying the sweet potato fries.
How to Cook Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Preheat the air fryer (if necessary) to 380ºF/195ºC.
- Place the sweet potato fries in your air fryer basket in a single layer without much overlapping.Be careful not to overcrowd the basket. Otherwise, the air fryer sweet potato fries will steam and stay limp rather than become crispy. If you have lots to make, do so in batches.
- Air fry sweet potato fries for about 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway.Depending on the thickness of the fries and your individual air fryer, the cooking time may vary by a couple of minutes. Monitor them towards the end and cook in 1-minute increments until they reach your preferred results.
Storage Instructions
- Make ahead: You can slice and store the chopped sweet potato fries in a large container of water for up to 2 days.Alternatively, you could also freeze the un-baked fries. To do so, blanch the fries for 5 minutes in boiling water, then immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process. Once cool, dry them thoroughly, spread them in a single layer (not touching), and freeze until solid. Next, transfer them to a Ziplock bag and store them for 3-4 months.Store: While air-fried sweet potato fries are definitely best directly from the air fryer, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for an additional 3-4 days.Reheat: Transfer the fries back to the air fryer (no need to be in a single layer, but best not to add too many at once) and cook for 3-5 minutes at 375ºF/190ºC to bring back some of the crispiness as you reheat them.
Notes
- Cut the fries evenly: That way, they’ll cook evenly.
- Avoid cooking spray: PAM and similar cooking spray can ruin the non-stick in your air fryer basket. Instead, use an oil spray.
- Preheat if necessary: While not all brands require it, preheating the air fryer will ensure food cooks evenly, and is a good idea.
- Air frying time will vary: Based on how thick the fries are, your air fryer model, and how crispy you want the sweet potato fries to be.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket: It’s best to place them in a single layer, not overlapping, so the air can flow entirely around the fries and help them become crispy. Otherwise, they’ll end up steaming and remain limp.
- Make sure to shake the basket: This ensures the air fryer sweet potato fries cook evenly on all sides.
- For the crispiest fries: The thinner they are, the crispier they’ll become when air fried.
- Optional add-ins: Feel free to add some cayenne pepper or chili powder for heat or a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan (added at the end).
Air fry the frozen sweet potato fries for 15 minutes, tossing the basket every 5 minutes. Then continue to cook them for 3-6 minutes, monitoring them until they reach your desired level of crispiness.
Check the blog post for more tips, serving recommendations, and answers to top FAQs!
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