You are going to go nuts for these Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries! They are basically impossible not to love. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, these fries will become a habit you feel good about. No air fryer? No worries! I’ve got oven instructions too.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Backstory
I have mentioned before that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth.
That isn’t to say I never enjoy desserts. I do.
It is just that when it comes to cravings, mine are always salty.
I love chips more than I should. Pretzels rock.
And fries…oh how I love them.
“Regular” French Fries…Sweet Potato Fries. I don’t discriminate.
They are all salty, dippy yumminess in my book. I am all about dips and there are so many options with fries.
You know what is even better?
Making fries completely guilt-free.
These Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries are just that!
These crave-worthy fries can be oven baked or made in your Air Fryer with very little oil.
However you decide to make them, you will have a delicious side.
Bonus: Kids absolutely love them so you get a night off from battling over vegetable consumption.
I like to spiralize the potatoes because the thin cut helps them get crisper. (Because of the lower starch content, they don’t get as crispy as white potatoes.) But, I’ve made these hand cut many times and they are great that way too.
Really, the cut is up to the tools you have on hand and your own personal preference. (One of my sons actually prefers them cut thick.)
Just make sure you pay attention to the fries towards the end of the cooking time, because the amount of time they need too cook will vary depending on the cut, your oven or air fryer, and even the variety of potato that you are working with!
Frequently Asked Questions for Healthy Sweet Potato Fries:
First things first. Because I know someone is going to ask.
Truth be told, I wish that they were. But, as luck would have it there are over fifteen different kinds of sweet potatoes and the ones my grocery store had the week I made this had a white interior. Although they lack the orange color – and the beta-carotene – of “traditional” sweet potatoes, they still taste the same. You can learn more about some of the different varieties here.
Yes! Baked or Air Fried they can be considered a superfood. They are high in antioxidants, vitamins A, C, B-vitamins, and potassium. A good source of dietary fiber, they are low on the glycemic scale.
No, they are not. However, in some parts of the United States, the terms are used interchangeably. Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) and Yams are not botanically related. Yams have a starchy flesh that is not as sweet. They also typically have bumpy dark brown skin.
Store them in a cool dry place with good air flow. For best quality, they should be eaten within two weeks of purchase. Do not wash until ready to use. To preserve nutrients, I recommend scrubbing and eating the skin.
Step By Step Instructions
Time needed: 35 minutes.
How to Make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Cut
Either cut or spiralize the potatoes. Pat them dry with paper towels.
- Preheat
Heat an Air Fryer to 400 degrees.
- Mix the dry ingredients
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, sea salt, smoked paprika, and ground pepper.
- Toss
Toss the sweet potatoes with the cornstarch mixture.
- Spray
Spray well with oil and arrange in a single layer in your air fryer
- Cook
Cook for 22 minutes for wedges or 15 minutes for spiralized potatoes. (Cooking time will vary slightly based on variety of sweet potato, the thickness of cut, and brand of the fryer.)
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Variations for This Recipe
- Omit the paprika and pepper. After cooking, toss with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon allspice while the potatoes are still warm.
- Top with 2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary or dill.
- Top with 3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese. Seasoning Variations: Toss with curry powder or Old Bay Seasoning.
Tools for Making This Recipe
- Spiralizer or KitchenAid Stand Mixer Spiralizer Attachment (this is what I use)
- Alternatively, a sharp knife for cutting fries.
- Baking Sheet or Air Fryer (I use this Air Fryer.)
- Small Bowl
- Oil Mister
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- 2 large sweet potatoes spiraled or cut into 1-inch wedges
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch organic, or potato starch
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or higher heat oil of choice, in a sprayer
- Cut or spiralize sweet potatoes. If cutting ahead, soak in a bowl of cool water until ready to cook.
- Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Alternatively, heat an Air Fryer to 400 degrees.
- Drain sweet potatoes, and pat to get completely dry.
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, seas salt, smoked paprika and ground pepper.
- Toss sweet potatoes with cornstarch mixture.
- Spray well with oil.
- Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer in your air fryer. (Depending on the Air Fryer that you have you may need to cook in batches.).
- Cook for 22 minutes for wedges and 15 minutes for spiralized.
- Cooking time will vary depending on the variety of sweet potato and thickness of cut.)
- Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown.
- Baking time will vary according to how the sweet potato fries are cut. Wedges will take approximately 22 minutes, while spiralized fries will take about 15 minutes.
- (Cooking time will vary depending on the variety of sweet potato and thickness of cut.)
Oh my gosh – sweet potato, guilt-free, and CURLY! I think curly is the best part. These look fantastic and I will definitely try these on the weekend!
Sign me up! My mouth is READY!!!
Mmmmm these look yummy 0.0 i have a terrible addiction to french fries … and potato chip.. can you make halthy potato chips this way too?
It looks delicious and makes me want to try it! My granny was terrible with cooking potato when I was little, I still feel odd about eating it so it’s a huge compliment from me, wanting to try your recipe
I love fries in all forms, so I can’t wait to try these. And I just got a spiralizer so this is perfect!
That sweet potato fries looks really delicious and look so easy to make. I will definitely try to make this for my kids and I am sure they will like it.
This is a lovely recipe. The sweet potato fries look lovely and so healthy too. Definitely one to try out.
This would perfect for a fries lover like me! I’ve always limit my self to eat a lot fries cause I know It’s not healthy, This is a great way to enjoy my favorite. Great recipe!
Looks like a great recipe! We love sweet potato fries.
I’m not a fan of sweet potatoes, but I really want to try this recipe to see if I can convince myself to like them!
We love sweet potatoes! They’re quite abundant here in the Philippines, and we cook them whenever we can. 🙂
I LOVE sweet potato fries. They are so good and I love making homemade ones.
Yay! One more reason to use my spiralizer! I love sweet potato fries. I make a garlic mayo cheese dip to go with it. I will try your recipe. This looks like I would need a lot sweet potatoes to make sure I will have left for me.
These sound so delicious! I know my husband would love these, so we’ll definitely be adding them to our recipe list!