In a great coming-of-age moment, I have finally owned my full-on love of sweet potato fries and order my own full serving when we are out, instead of pestering my husband Ben to split his (or pilfering them directly from his plate).
While demolishing an entire basket of fries is fine on occasion, it's not the sort of move I feel good about making a regular event.
As my fellow fry lovers can attest, life/reality would be much more fun if we could all eat sweet potato fries as often as we pleased and have it be good for our health….
**Cue super-hero theme music** That's where air fryer sweet potato fries come in!
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).
They're a guilt-free, healthy side dish you can enjoy as often as you please.
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Thanks to their natural sweetness, sweet potatoes are one of the most appealing vegetables.
This recipe has all the tips you need to make sure your sweet potato fries don't get soggy.
The recipe is easy and weeknight friendly too. (Spoiler: you don't need to soak the sweet potato fries in water!)
Season these healthy fries up 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 too; you can read more about the benefits of sweet potatoes here.)
Market Swap
For healthy fries made with regular potatoes, check out my classic Air Fryer French Fries.
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 or peanut oil.
Seasonings. Keep it simple with salt and pepper or vary 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.
Cook 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 then, instead of air fry.
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.
But 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; regular potatoes have more starch than sweet potatoes, so soaking does make an important difference!)
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.
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, rewarm 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 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.
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.
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 degrees F and keep a baking sheet handy.
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 degrees 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:
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).
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!
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.
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 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 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.
Related Recipes
There are so many quick, easy sides to go with great grilling recipes. Here are some of my favorite side dish recipes:
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