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If you recently got an air fryer and excited to try some recipes, these Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries are a great starting point! You can also consider making regular Air Fryer Potatoes or Air Fryer Chicken – all great starter recipes. These potatoes are so versatile, tasty and pair well with main dishes for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I know you will love these crispy chips!
Making sweet potato fries (or chips for my non-American friends!) in the air fryer compared to deep frying and even compared to baking uses less oil. So you’ll end up consuming less fat and less calories. And they still have a slight crisp on the outside with a tender bite on the inside.
RECIPE VIDEO TUTORIAL
How to cut sweet potato fries
Start with two medium size sweet potatoes and try to look for ones that are not too long. This way you can use the full length of the sweet potatoes as the length of the fry. Remember that these air fryer sweet potato fries will shrink after cooking, so look for a shape slightly longer than the ideal fry length.
Next, peel the sweet potatoes, and cut off the skinny ends. You can save those for a different recipe. Then cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. This will make it easier to lay them flat on the a cutting board and start cutting into long slices.
The thinner you cut them, the more crispy they will be. I recommend that you cut them 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thickness. Learn other ways to cut sweet potatoes here.
How to cook air fryer sweet potato fries
Now that you have the sweet potatoes sliced, you’re ready to cook them in the air fryer. Most air fryers require preheating for best results. While the air fryer is preheating, you can select the seasoning for the air fryer sweet potato fries.
I like to keep it simple. I toss it with just a teaspoon of olive oil, along with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Use your hands to make sure each fry is coated well with the seasoning.
Then place the sweet potatoes into the air fryer basket, making sure not to overcrowd them. At the halfway cooking point, shake the basket to make sure they are cooking evenly, and then continue cooking. Each air fryer is different, so you may want to watch the first batch to make sure that the cooking temperature and time yield the results you’re looking for.
Tips for making air fryer potatoes
- Cut the potatoes evenly. To ensure even cooking time for all the potatoes, try using sweet potatoes that are similar in size. It helps to use a very sharp knife and lay the potato halves flat on a cutting surface to cut them evenly. This way nothing over-cooks or under-cooks.
- Don’t forget to preheat. While it’s actually not necessary to preheat all air fryers, most do recommend it. Even if your air fryer doesn’t recommend preheating, I think it’s a crucial step to ensure accurate cooking at the temperature you select.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. It’s tempting to throw all the potatoes in there at once. But if you overcrowd the basket and these air fryer sweet potato fries overlap, you may end up creating a steaming effect instead of crisping effect.
- Turn the sweet potatoes half way through cooking. You can shake the basket or use tongs to turn the sweet potatoes. While the air does circulate all around the potatoes, the heat on the bottom is stronger than the top, which is why this tip is important.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any oil you’d like. Many would recommend using a high smoke point oil like avocado oil or canola oil. But I love the flavor of olive oil and found great results with it. You can also use cooking spray.
This will depend on the temperature and the specific air fryer you have. I like using the Instant Pot Vortex 4-in-1 Air Fryer, and I would recommend starting with 10 minutes at 380°F and adding 1-minute incremental cooking time as necessary.
If you prefer to start with frozen sweet potatoes, you can still use this recipe and cook at the same temperature. But keep in mind that the frozen sweet potatoes will need about 5 additional minutes in the air fryer.
For more air fryer recipes:
- Air Fryer Potatoes
- Air Fryer Chicken
- Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs
- Air Fryer Wings
- Pickle Brined Chicken Tenders
- Avocado Fries Recipe
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
- Air Fryer Salmon
For more potato recipes:
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
- Rosemary Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- Crispy Oven-Baked French Fries
- Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Smashed Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Making sweet potato fries in the air fryer is much healthier than deep frying. You’ll still get a nice crisp and great flavor while saving on calories and fat. These make a perfect side dish for many recipes and also make a great snack to dip with ketchup or your favorite sauce!
If you’ve tried this healthy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Video
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Peel the sweet potatoes, then slice each potato into even ¼ inch thick sticks.
- Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and toss with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper.
- Cook in 2 or 3 batches, depending on the size of your basket without overcrowding the pan until they’re crispy. I recommend 12 minutes, turning half way. This may vary based on your air fryer.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Delicious! I followed your recipe to the tee (including how to cut them, placement in the air fryer) and they turned out so good and crispy! And not burnt! Consider this recipe goated and saved <3
Yay, so happy you liked it!! Thank you!
I made these twice, while yummy not very crispy. But good either way. I don’t measure and I’m sure my cuts are uneven etc.
Cutting these fries 1/4″ and not overcrowding the basket are the best way to ensure they all come out crispy. Glad you still enjoyed them!
How can I make them crispy? They didn’t come out crispy 🙁
Hi there, Katy! There are a few ways to ensure your sweet potato fries come out crispy. First, make them in 2-3 batches and be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket. They need to be really spaced out so that they don’t steam and get a nice crisp instead. Second, each fry should be around 1/4 inch wide—any bigger will leave them less crispy. Hope that helps!
I just made them today! They are delicious! So easy to do! Next time, sweet potato chips!!
Yay, so happy you liked them! Let me know how the sweet potato chips go!!
I’ve made these fries numerous times now but they never come out crispy! Any idea why…? (I just do one thing differently which is that I use veg oil instead of olive but that shouldn’t make that difference should it?)
Hi Tay! No, I don’t think using vegetable oil should make a difference. Is it possible you’re overcrowding the air fryer basket? How thick do you cut the sweet potatoes? They need to be really spaced out and should be around 1/4 inch wide to properly crisp.
So good!
Thank you, Ash!
Delicious! Made them today at work.
So glad you liked them, Kimberly!! Thanks!
My husband said these are the best sweet potato fries are the best he ever had. So easy and delicious!
Aww, that makes me happy to hear! Thank you so much!!
At what temp should I set the fryer?
You can air fry the sweet potato fries at 380°F. Enjoy!!
What is the serving size the nutritional information applies to?
Hi there! The recipe makes 2 servings and uses 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, so the nutrition facts are for 1/2 of the recipe (1 sweet potato worth of fries).