These Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries are light, crispy and are the perfect healthy alternative to deep-fried fries! Enjoy them with your favorite dip for a perfect snack that only takes about 15 minutes to make.
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After I learned how to make roasted sweet potatoes in the air fryer, perfecting air fryer sweet potato fries was my next goal! The version I came up with is lightly seasoned so it highlights the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes, and it's so crispy. My girls love them with fry sauce or ketchup (or plain!).
What's great about these fries is that they are healthier than the deep fried version, and take about 15 minutes to make. It's so easy for me to make these for an after-school snack for my daughters, or for burger nights, and not feel guilty about eating junk food!
Sweet potatoes are also sometimes called yams in America. Many times yams in American grocery stores are just orange sweet potatoes, not real yams! Real yams have a darker brown skin that looks flaky like tree bark.
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="cnfHw4HS" upload-date="2021-02-02T18:27:32.000Z" name="Air fryer Sweet Potato Fries" description="These Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries are light, crispy and are the perfect healthy alternative to deep-fried fries! Enjoy them with your favorite dip for a perfect snack that only takes about 15 minutes to make." player-type="default" override-embed="default"]Sweet Potato Fact: When sweet potatoes were first grown in America, they were called yams by enslaved people because they resembled yams from Africa.
Are Sweet Potato Fries Healthy
Whenever I make air fried fries for friends, I always get this question- are these really healthier than fried?
Two medium-sized sweet potatoes make about 4 servings of fries, with about 129 calories and 4g of fat. While they do have quite a few carbs (20g net carbs per serving), they are not unhealthy to eat as a snack on occasion. Moderation is the key!
For comparison, a cup of deep-fried sweet potato fries contains about 344 calories, 17g of fat, and 38g net carbs! The air fried version is a much better choice if you're looking to eat healthy.
Why Make These Sweet Potato French Fries
There are many reasons you should try these fries, like:
- They're the perfect healthy snack! They may taste like junk food, but these fries only use a little oil instead of being deep-fried.
- You need just 15 minutes to make these. Slice your sweet potatoes, season, and cook. That's as easy as it is delicious.
- They are lightly seasoned with a little kick. Simple seasonings with a dash of cayenne make these fries flavorful and just a little spicy.
Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes: While there are multiple types of sweet potatoes, the orange variety is the most commonly found in grocery stores. In America, they are sometimes labeled as "yams," but are actually the same thing! I use Garnet or Jewel.
- Seasoning: The simple seasoning of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne makes these fries incredibly flavorful with a kick. You can leave the cayenne out if you prefer mild fries, or substitute it with a little paprika. You can also use ½ teaspoon garlic salt instead of salt and garlic powder.
- Oil: I recommend using either olive oil or avocado oil, but you can use any neutral oil. Olive oil does give a bit of nutty flavor to the fries, while a neutral oil will not. Both taste great, so it's up to you!
How to Cut Sweet Potato Fries
- Peel the sweet potato with a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife. Peeling is optional, so skip it if you like. (pic 1)
- Lie the sweet potato flat on a cutting board and cut it in half. Cut the ends off of each side. (pic 2)
- Place the sweet potato with the flat, cut middle resting on the cutting board. (pic 3)
- Cut downwards in the potato to make ½-inch wide slices. Now, cut each slice into ¼-inch sticks, or fries. (pic 4)
How to Cook Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Now comes the fun part! Let's see how to make sweet potato fries from scratch in the air fryer:
- Following the steps for cutting sweet potato fries, cut them into ¼-inch sticks.
- Transfer sweet potatoes pieces to a large mixing bowl. Add oil and seasoning, and toss well until potatoes get evenly coated.
- Preheat the air fryer at 400°F for 2 minutes. Spread the seasoned sweet potatoes in the fryer tray, in a single layer. You may have to cook these in 2 batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Air fryer for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket half way through, about 5-6 minutes. Remove and check the sweet potatoes. For crispier fries, lightly spray them with a cooking spray and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Cut potatoes evenly: Make sure you cut each fry to be about ¼-inch. This will help ensure that the fries all cook the same.
- Preheat the air fryer: Preheat while you cut your sweet potato for a crisper finish.
- Spread them in a single layer: Don't overcrowd the basket. This, too, will help make sure the fries cook evenly throughout.
- Don't neglect to shake the basket: Shake the basket halfway through the cook time to help with even cooking and crispy outside.
- Extra crispy fries: Shake the basket after cooking and air fry for another 2 minutes. You can also lightly spray them with a cooking spray before this.
- Don't overcook: Keep an eye on your fries after 10 minutes. Due to high sugar content, fries can burn if roasted for too long.
Serving Suggestion
These fries are great as a snack, served with fry sauce, sriracha mayo, ketchup, or any dip of choice.
My family also enjoys them alongside Taco Burgers, Tandoori Chicken Sliders or these spicy Masala Chicken Burgers.
Storage & Reheating
- Storage: You can keep your sweet potato fries in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Sweet potato fries can be frozen, as well, by placing each serving in an individual resealable plastic bag. They can be kept in the freezer up to 6 months.
- Reheating: To reheat your fries, cook them in the air fryer at 400°F for just 1-2 minutes. Add on additional minutes if needed.
How to Cook Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in the Air Fryer
If you have a bag of frozen sweet potato fries, you can easily cook them in the air fryer, too! Here's how:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Place the fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking halfway through the cook time.
Common Questions
For freshly cut sweet potatoes, they should cook for about 10-12 minutes, shaking halfway through the cook time.
They are much healthier than deep-fried sweet potato fries. One serving is about half the calories and a third of the fat.
Yes! The skin of a sweet potato is perfectly edible, although you do want to make sure you have cleaned it thoroughly.
An oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil, is perfect for these fries. You can also use olive oil if you prefer.
Yes! Air fryers cooks fries by blowing hot air around them. That produces a convection effect that cooks and browns the exterior of the fries in the basket. So you get crispy fries with a tablespoon of oil versus deep frying.
More Air Fryer Vegetables from my Kitchen
- Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- French Fries in Air fryer
- Spicy Bombay Potatoes
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Samosa Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
- Harissa Roasted Turnips
- More Air Fryer recipes including appetizers, entrees and desserts.
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Fries
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (garnet) about 16 ounces
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt reduce to ⅓ for low-salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne reduce to ⅛ or skip for mild
Instructions
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Peel and cut sweet potatoes into half. Cut each half into ½-inch slices. Now, cut each slice into ¼-inch sticks.
- Transfer the fries to a large mixing bowl. Add oil and seasoning, and toss well until potatoes get evenly coated.
- Preheat the air fryer at 400°F for 2 minutes. Spread the seasoned sweet potato fries in the fryer tray, in a single layer. You may have to cook these in 2 batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Air fryer for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket half way through, about 5-6 minutes. Remove and check the sweet potatoes. For extra crispy, shake the basket and air fry for another 2 minutes.
Alternative Method: Oven
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the seasoned sweet potato fries evenly on an aluminum lined baking sheet, in a single layer. Cook for 25 minutes, flipping the potatoes after 15 minutes. For crispier fries, lightly spray them with cooking spray and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Cut potatoes evenly: Make sure you cut each fry to be about ½-inch by ½-inch. This will help ensure that the fries all cook the same amount.
- Preheat the air fryer: Preheat while you cut your sweet potato for a crisper finish.
- Spread them in a single layer: Don't overcrowd the basket. This, too, will help make sure the fries cook evenly throughout.
- Don't neglect to shake the basket: Shake the basket halfway through the cook time to help with even cooking and crispy outside.
- Extra crispy fries: Shake the basket after cooking and air fry for another 2 minutes.
- Don't overcook: Keep an eye on your fries after 10 minutes. Due to high sugar content, fries can burn if roasted for too long.
Heidi says
Really easy and tasty, especially for my first attempt using my air fryer!
Aneesha says
Thanks Heidi! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂