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Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

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Air fryer sweet potato fries only require the bare minimum of ingredients to turn out completely delicious. All you need is a small spritz of oil, some salt and garlic powder, and you’ll have delicious, decadent fries that are actually healthy to eat!

A midline view of a cast iron skillet filled with Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries and a side dish of fry dip.

SWEET POTATO NUTRITION

Sweet potato fries provide the body with some wonderful nutrition if you don’t deep fry them.

A medium sweet potato offers about 3.8 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, and plenty of  beta carotene, vitamin C, and potassium. It also contains fair amounts of vitamin A, manganese, vitamin B6, B5 and vitamin E. They have healthy carbs and are lower on the glycemic index than white potatoes.

A black skillet filled with Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries and a side of fry dip.

CUTTING SWEET POTATO FRIES

If cutting fries is your downfall, there are tools you can use to cut perfect, uniform fries each and every time.

To cut your fries by hand, you’ll first want to peel your sweet potatoes and remove any dark spots. Note that you may have to peel quit a bit on some potatoes to get past the dark spots.

So you’ll need a good peeler. There are few things worse than trying to use a vegetable peeler that doesn’t allow you to peel easily. Our favorite peeler easily glides over your sweet potatoes easily and with little to no resistance. The best type of vegetable peeler for any type of potato is a Y-peeler. We love this one!

HOW TO CUT SWEET POTATO FRIES.

If you prefer to use kitchen gadgets like we do, this one here cuts perfect fries every time. We use it regularly! Keep reading for instruction on cutting your sweet potato fries by hand.

Once peeled, simply cut the potato in half lengthwise. The cut each half, in half once more.

Then turn each piece to it’s flat side, and cut strips at the same width as your slice.

Here’s a quick look at the recipe, but read on below for step by step instructions and photos: 

What You’ll Need

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder or granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. salt

If you need an air fryer, here’s our guide to the current, best air fryers.

Cut the sweet potatoes into fries after peeling them.

How to Make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Peel and cut your sweet potato into fries.

Add the oil and spices.

Toss the fries with the rest of the ingredients, making sure to coat them well and evenly.

Place the fries in your air fryer and cook at 400 for 15-25 minutes.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

The finished Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.

NEED SUPPLIES?

AIR FRYER TIPS FOR MAKING SWEET POTATO FRIES

  1. If your air fryer requires it, make sure to preheat.
  2. Air fryers are very versatile and easy to use. They are great for making fries because you can keep an eye on your fries while they cook. This means, if you watch them, you can stop the cooking time if they start to get too well done, or put them back in if you didn’t get them cooked quite well enough.
  3. Remember, every air fryer is different. Our cooking times here may vary from the cooking times on your air fryer. It’s always best to make a note of cooking times on your own air fryer. We love to print out recipes and then just write the final cooking time on the recipe itself for future use.
  4. Don’t overfill your air fryer basket or tray. Air fryers work based on air circulation. So if you restrict that air flow too much with tons of food, nothing will cook properly.
  5. In a basket air fryer, you’ll want to keep your fries as close to a single layer as you can, and shake the basket a few times during cooking.
  6. On a tray in a toaster-oven type air fryer, it’s easier to get everything in a single layer and you may not even need to flip the fries, though you certainly can if you feel it’s necessary.
  7. If you have a rotating basket like we do, all you have to do is make sure to leave some room in there for the fries to actually rotate and tumble.
  8. Cut your fries as uniformly as possible. If you are cutting by hand, do so carefully. Not all your fries will be the exact same size, but the more uniformly you can cut them, the more evenly they will cook.
  9. Remember that skinny fries will cook for less time, and thicker fries will need more time.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AIR FRYER SWEET POTATO FRIES

WHAT IS AN AIR FRYER?

An air fryer is an appliance that cooks by quickly circulating hot air around your food.

IS AN AIR FRYER HEALTHY?

An air fryer is only as healthy as the food you put into it. That being said, and air fryer can help you eat healthier by:

  • Using far less oil, if any. There is no deep frying involved here. For most foods, you don’t have to add any oil at all, saving your fat intake.
  • Using hot air to cook food, instead of oils or other fats, significantly reduces overall caloric intake. So depending on what you are cooking, an air fryer can help you watch your calories too.

WHAT ARE THE BEST OILS FOR AIR FRYING?

We recommend a high smoke point oil. Something like avocado or almond oil. These oils have a smoke point of 400 degrees F. or higher. Canola oil, corn oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil or sunflower oil are also good choices where smoke points are concerned.

All this means is that the oil won’t start to burn and smoke in your air fryer if it gets hot. There is a lot of information on how detrimental oils can be to the body when they pass their smoke point during cooking. So we tend to buy the best oils we can when air frying.

HOW LONG DO SWEET POTATO FRIES COOK IN AN AIR FRYER?

Keep in mind that every air fryer is different. Also remember that cooking times will vary based on the thickness of your fries. But generally speaking, you can plan on a cooking time range of 10-30 minutes. Potatoes cut into wedges may take a little longer than that if they are very thick.

HOW TO COOK FROZEN SWEET POTATO FRIES IN AN AIR FRYER

The benefit of using frozen fries is that they are cut very uniformly. Again, times can vary based on your appliance. But in general, frozen fries simply mean about 5-10 extra minutes of cooking.

HOW DO YOU GET CRISPY FRIES IN AN AIR FRYER?

  • Always air fry at 400 F. They will be softer in the middle, but give you a gentle crispy crunch on the outside.
  • Make sure your fries are all cut thin and uniform, for even cooking. Otherwise, you’ll end up with some fries burnt and some undercooked. Thicker fries do not crisp as well as thinner fries.
  • If you don’t have a rotating basket in your air fryer, remember to flip or toss your fries a few times during cooking.
  • Don’t be afraid to taste test as you cook! Part of learning to air fry is testing out how your particular air fryer cooks. Keep a notebook handy for notes so you have a quick reference guide for cooking times when you need it.
  • Don’t cook too many fries at once. Air fryers need air circulation, particularly if you want a crispy or fried texture.
  • For added crispiness, you can sprinkle some starch on your fries. Anything such as cornstarch, arrowroot powder or even tapioca starch will do the trick.
  • Serve them immediately. Fries have a tendency to go soft and limp if they sit around too long. Serve them straight out of the air fryer for maximum crispiness.
A black skillet filled with Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries and a side of fry dip.

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

Delicious fries that are actually healthy to eat!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 1 serving
Calories 130 kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 2 tsp. oil
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. cornstarch (optional for extra crispiness)

Instructions
 

  • Peel and cut your potato into fries.
    Cut the sweet potatoes into fries after peeling them.
  • Toss the fries with the other ingredients in either a large mixing bowl, or in a container with a locking lid that you can shake. Either will work.
    Add the oil and spices.
  • Place the fries in your roasting basket or air fryer basket (depending on your air fryer model), and slide it into the air fryer.
    Place the fries in your air fryer and cook at 400 for 15-25 minutes.
  • Set the air fryer to 400 F. for 30 minutes. This timing will give you fries that are still soft on the inside. If you like them crunchier, you can cook for up to 10 minutes more, but keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
    If you have a rotating basket, don't forget to press the "Rotate" button and make sure the basket is actually turning, or your fries may burn. If you have a regular air fry drawer-style basket, then you'll want to pull it out a time or two during cooking to give your fries a shake.
    Sprinkle on any salt as needed and enjoy with ketchup or any dip you like. We love them with ranch dressing!
    The finished Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.

Notes

Note: Calories per serving are a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible and can change based on the ingredients you use in your own home.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal
Keyword Fries
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