Get the Crispiest Sweet Potato Fries in Your Air Fryer
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Delightfully crispy, surprisingly healthy, and incredibly easy—these Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries have it all! Pair them with your favorite dipping sauce and just try not to eat them all.
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Pin It!A dead ringer for their deep-fried counterparts, these air fryer sweet potato fries have the irresistibility of your restaurant favorites but with a fraction of the oil (you can even make air fryer sweet potato fries with NO oil if you prefer).
As with these baked Sweet Potato Fries and Sweet Potato Wedges, there’s ZERO deep frying, but the fries are still golden and crisp.
They’re a guilt-free, healthy side dish you can enjoy as often as you please.
As a bonus, these air fryer sweet potato fries are easy and weeknight-friendly too, especially when paired with Air Fryer Hamburgers.
5 Star Review
UH-MAZE-ING. We ate the whole batch!
— Anita —
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
This recipe has all the tips you need to make sure your sweet potato fries don’t get soggy. (Nope, you don’t need to soak your sweet potato fries in water!)
Season these healthy fries however you please, and dip to your heart’s content.
The Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes. An excellent source of fiber, beta carotene, potassium, and more, sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse. (Love ‘em? Be sure to check out these yummy oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Or try this Air Fryer Sweet Potato recipe if you don’t want fries.)
Market Swap
For healthy fries made with regular potatoes, check out my classic Air Fryer French Fries. Or for a different style of potato in the air fryer, try Air Fryer Baked Potato.
- Olive Oil. 2 teaspoons per pound of sweet potato is all the oil you need to air fry them with success.
Substitution Tip!
- For air fryer sweet potato fries no oil style, you can omit the oil. The fries will taste dryer—which is why I find using a little heart-healthy olive oil completely worth it—but you can still cook them with success.
- You can also make these fries with canola oil, avocado oil, or peanut oil.
- Seasonings. Keep it simple with salt and pepper or switch it up with your favorite seasoning blends. Garlic and paprika are our go-to’s; see below for more ideas.
TIP!
To help the flavor pop, sprinkle the fries with a pinch of additional kosher salt immediately after removing them from the air fryer.
The Directions
- Peel and cut the sweet potatoes lengthwise into strips. Then, preheat the air fryer.
- Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with seasoning.
- For extra crispiness, place in the air fryer in one layer.
- Air fry sweet potato fries for 4 minutes, flip, then continue for 4 to 8 additional minutes, until they’re as crispy as you’d like. Sprinkle with a bit more salt. Enjoy!
Keeping Sweet Potato Fries from Getting Soggy
If your air fryer fries are soggy, it is likely because you over-crowded them in the basket. The sweet potatoes steam when crowded together, instead of air frying.
- For the best, most crispy results, cook the fries in a single layer so that the air has room to circulate.
- For decent results, you can cook up to two layers of sweet potato fries at once. Be sure the layers are not tightly packed and toss the fries in the basket often to promote even cooking.
Some recipes call for soaking the sweet potatoes in water prior to cooking them to help remove some of the starch and make the fries more crispy.
When making fries with sweet potatoes, I found this step didn’t make enough of a difference to be worth the effort. (Save soaking for Baked French Fries and Air Fryer Potato Wedges; regular potatoes have more starch than sweet potatoes, so soaking does make an important difference!)
Sweet Potato Seasoning Ideas
- Cajun Sweet Potato Fries. Toss the fries in your favorite Cajun seasoning. Wait to season with salt to taste at the end, since Cajun seasoning blends typically already contain salt.
- Spicy Sweet Potato Fries. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries. Top your air fried sweet potato fries with 1 to 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan.
- Sweet Sweet Potato Fries. Toss the sweet potatoes with salt, a pinch of cinnamon, and a pinch of brown sugar.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover sweet potato fries in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. For the best results, reheat leftover fries in the air fryer at 375 degrees F or in a 400 degrees F oven (I like to preheat the pan in the oven while it warms up); spread the fries in a single layer on the hot pan and recrisp. Air fryer fries reheat better than regular fries, since the lesser amount of oil prevents them from getting soggy.
- To Freeze. Freeze fries in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to an airtight container or ziptop bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen.
Meal Prep Tip
- You also can use this recipe for frozen air fryer sweet potato fries. Keep a bag of your favorite brand in the freezer, then cook them in the air fryer instead of the oven. Or better yet, make a double or triple batch of these healthy homemade air fryer sweet potato fries and freeze them yourself.
- To cook air fryer sweet potato fries from frozen. Coat your air fryer basket with nonstick spray and preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Arrange the frozen sweet potato fries in a single layer in the basket (no need to toss them in oil). Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the fries once about 6 minutes into the cook time.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Sandwiches. Pair your crispy sweet potato fries with my Apple Grilled Cheese with Turkey or Spicy Chicken Sandwich.
- Burgers. You can’t beat burgers and fries! Try my Blue Cheese Burger or make it meatless with my Portobello Mushroom Burger.
- Sauces and Toppings. Go to town and top these sweet potato fries with Instant Pot Chili and cheese, or keep it simple with a side of ketchup, ranch dressing, or homemade Barbecue Sauce for dipping.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Chef Knife. This 8-inch chef knife is made from a single piece of steel and stays sharper for longer.
- Cutting Board. A durable, non porous, polypropylene cutting board that doesn’t dull knives.
- Air Fryer. This 5.5-quart Ninja air fryer preheats fast, thoroughly circulates air for prime crispiness, and cleans in a breeze.
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Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.
I hope you fight over these sweet potato fries as much as we do. And I mean that in the best possible way!
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional sweet potato fries kind of negate all of the health benefits of sweet potatoes with the deep frying and salt. Air fryer sweet potato fries are made with only a small amount of oil for fewer calories and you control the amount of sodium, which means: yes, they are actually healthy! You can read more about the benefits of sweet potatoes here.
If you cut your sweet potato fries in uneven sizes (i.e., some much thinner than others), the smaller fries may start to burn while the thicker fries are still cooking. If all of the fries are burning, the temperature of your air fryer is too high or the fries have been cooking for too long.
Unfortunately, once your fries are mushy, there’s not much you can do to crisp them up. If the fries are packed into the basket too tightly, they will steam and soften.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small/medium sweet potatoes about 1 pound
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil*
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh chives
Instructions
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Scrub the sweet potatoes and peel if desired (I leave the peels on). Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Turn the halves cut-side down onto your cutting board, the slice each half lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips (a mandoline is the best way to get even fries; watch your fingers!).
- Turn the strips on their sides and cut each into 1/4-inch sticks. If the sticks are long, slice them in half crosswise so that your fries are about 3 to 4 inches. Transfer the fries to a large mixing bowl.
- To keep the fries warm between batches, preheat the oven to 200°F and keep a baking sheet handy.
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Drizzle the sweet potato fries with the oil and sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Toss to coat, making sure the spices and oil are well distributed.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (For my air fryer, that is 3 minutes of preheat time).
FOR SOMEWHAT CRISPY, HIGHLY SATISFYING SWEET POTATO FRIES IN FEWER BATCHES:
- Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket, doing no more than two layers (my air fryer is 5 1/2 quarts and I can add about 1/3 of the fries). Make sure the fries have plenty of room so that the air can circulate. Cook the sweet potato fries for 5 minutes.
- Slide the basket out and use tongs to toss. Return to the air fryer and continue cooking for 5 to 7 additional minutes, until browned at the edges and crispy. The time can vary by several minutes based on your air fryer model and how done you like your fries. Check often during the last few minutes to make sure the fries don’t burn.
FOR SUPER CRISPY SWEET POTATO FRIES IN MORE BATCHES:
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Place the sweet potatoes in just one layer in the basket, being careful that they do not overlap. Cook for 4 minutes, slide the basket out and flip, then continue cooking for 4 to 8 additional minutes, until the fries are as crispy as you would like (again, the time will vary based on your model, so check them several times and adjust as needed).
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Remove the sweet potato fries to a baking sheet or a serving plate and immediately sprinkle with an additional pinch of kosher salt. Repeat with remaining sweet potatoes, keeping the cooked fries warm in the oven between batches as desired. Top with chives and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- *You can make the sweet potato fries with no oil if you prefer, but they will not be as crisp. Be sure to coat the fryer basket very well with nonstick spray.
- In the recipe video, I am making a curry variation with salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon curry powder.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover sweet potato fries in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: For the best results, rewarm leftover fries in the air fryer at 375°F or in a 400°F oven (I like to preheat the pan in the oven while it warms up); spread the fries in a single layer on the hot pan and recrisp. Air fryer fries reheat better than regular fries, since the lesser amount of oil inherently prevents them from getting soggy.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze fries in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to an airtight container or ziptop bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen.
Nutrition
Related Recipes
It’s always good to have some back-pocket sides to round out your dinner. Here are some of my favorite side dish recipes: