Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Name: Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. sweet potatoes (peeled or peel on); 1 Tbsp. oil (avocado or olive); ½ - ¾ tsp. salt; ¼ tsp. paprika (optional); ¼ tsp. garlic powder (optional)

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Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries are perfectly crispy, super simple to make, and a healthy side dish for busy weeknights. It is so quick to cut sweet potatoes into fries, season them up, and pop them in the air fryer. Dinner just got a lot easier with these homemade fries.

Crispy and healthy sweet potato fries made in your air fryer are served with ketchup.

This was the first “recipe” I ever attempted making when I got my Air Fryer.

I say “recipe” because I did not look up a single post, video, or guide. And I should have.

I discovered that there is indeed an art to making sweet potato fries as well as regular French fries in the Air Fryer.

From what temperature to cook them to how long they should air fry to the perfect way to lay them in the basket…

It ALL absolutely matters if you want to end up with the crispiest sweet potato fries you’ve ever had.

(Yup, these even beat my long-time favorite Baked Sweet Potato Fries!)

But no need to worry if you think it’s going to be too complicated. Once you learn these simple tricks you’ll be an Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fry pro!

Ingredients

There are only a few simple ingredients that you’ll need to make this Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fry recipe:

Sweet Potatoes. Both jewel and garnet potatoes can be used. If you’re leaving the skin on, opt for an organic type if possible.
Oil. You won’t need much, about 1 tablespoon per pound of potatoes. Avocado oil is my personal preference since it has a high smoke point and is mildly flavored, but olive, grapeseed, or sunflower oil may also be used.
Salt. A little bit goes a long way. I’d suggest starting with just ½ teaspoon per pound of potatoes and add more after cooking if needed.
Paprika. This gives the fries a subtle kick that pairs nicely with the sweet fries.
Garlic Powder. Who doesn’t love garlic! This adds a savory bite.

How to Make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

These are the steps to follow to make this Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries:

Cut the Sweet Potatoes

Cutting the potatoes into the correct shape and size is a key component of making the perfect fry. If you slice them in various sizes, the small ones will get super crispy, and even burnt, while the larger ones may not cook up fully.

It’s also up to you whether you’d like to leave the skin on or peel the potatoes. The skin has a lot of fiber so opt to keep that on if you’d like a nutritional boost.

Scrub the potatoes to remove dirt. Then, slice each one in half.

Sweet potatoes are cleaned before air frying. — Scrub the outside.

A raw sweet potato is cut in half. — Scrub the outside.

Place one of the halves flat-side down on the cutting board and make cuts about ½-inch apart.

Put these pieces flat-side down and finish cutting potatoes into long, thin strips about ¼-½ inch in width. Repeat with remaining potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are sliced into fries. — Slice in wedges.

Sweet potatoes are cut into slices on a cutting board. — Slice in wedges.

Oil and Season

Once the fries are cut into the correct shape, it’s time to toss them in a bit of avocado or olive oil and add some seasonings.

Place the fries in a large bowl and drizzle with the oil. Toss the fries until they are well coated. Add just enough oil, but be careful not to over-do it.

Sprinkle them with salt and seasonings of choice. About ½ teaspoon of salt per pound of fries is enough to start with. You can always add more later.

Toss fries until completely coated in the seasonings.

Avocado oil is poured onto the raw sweet potato fries. — Drizzle with oil.

Salt, pepper, and seasonings are added to the sweet potatoes. — Drizzle with oil.

Cook in Air Fryer

Most air fryers operate much like an oven in that they need to be preheated before adding in the food. At a minimum, you want to heat your air fryer to 375°F for at least 3 minutes prior to cooking for the best results.

Place fries in a single layer with none of the fries touching. This is a critical component to getting super crispy fries! Any area where they are touching will not crisp up fully.

If you’re using a 6-quart air fryer, you’ll need to cook the fries in 2 batches in order to have enough room to do this.

Cook fries for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Cook’s Tip: If you’re cooking fries in batches, heat your oven to 250 degrees. Add the first batch of fries to a baking sheet and pop them in the oven to keep them warm while the second batch is cooking.

Sweet potatoes are laid in one layer in the air fryer. — Place the potatoes in a single layer.

Sweet potato fries are placed in an air fryer. — Place the potatoes in a single layer.

Serve with Dipping Sauce

If your fries last long enough to serve them with a favorite dipping sauce, here are a few recommendations:

Ketchup, Mayo, Mustard
Sriracha Mayo <– The best with sweet potato fries!
Remoulade Sauce
Tartar Sauce
Secret Sauce
Chick-fil-a Sauce

Two sweet potato fries are dipped into ketchup.

Meal Prep and Storage

To Prep-Ahead: You can slice the sweet potatoes into fries the day before to save time.
To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days.
To Freeze: It is best to freeze the fries in a single layer on a sheet pan for a few hours. Then, transfer the potatoes to a freezer-safe bag and keep for up to 6 to 7 months.
To Reheat: Pop the sweet potatoes back in the air fryer at 350℉ for about 5 minutes.

A plate of crispy sweet potato fries are served with ketchup for a side.

FAQs

Do I have to soak sweet potatoes?

Unlike when making regular French fries, it’s not necessary to soak sweet potato fries before cooking them in the air fryer. Russet potatoes have a lot more naturally occurring starch that needs to be rinsed off before air frying, whereas sweet potatoes do not have as much.

Why are my sweet potatoes soggy in the air fryer?

If you didn’t use the right amount of oil, have sweet potato wedges touching, or didn’t preheat the air fryer, the fries might turn out soggy.

Are air fryer sweet potato fries healthy?

Sweet potatoes are very healthy for you. When you cook them in the air fryer with minimal oil, they are a side you can feel good about enjoying.

Expert Tips and Tricks

Same size. Cut the fries to a similar size to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
A little goes a long way. Toss the potatoes with just enough oil, and not too much.
Give ’em space. Place the fries in a single layer, with little to no touching. Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket.
Turnover. Flip the fries halfway through cooking to allow all sides of the fries to crisp up fully.
Change it up. Vary the flavors on these potatoes, try them with parmesan cheese or Cajun seasoning.

A sweet potato fry is lifted up by a hand for a healthy side.

What to Serve with Sweet Potato Fries

These sweet potato fries are the perfect side with any of these dishes:

More Air Fryer Recipes

Here are a few more super quick and easy beginner recipes you can try out:

A plate of sweet potato fries are served at a meal with ketchup.

5 from 3 votes