Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Name: Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound sweet potatoes; 1 tablespoon olive oil; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

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I’ll admit, I was a little overly confident when I first tried cooking sweet potatoes in the air fryer. I assumed that I would cook them at the same temperature as oven-roasted sweet potatoes, but possibly a little faster.

To my surprise, the air fryer had them nearly burned in 15 minutes. Whoops!

What we love about the air fryer is its air circulation, but it can also burn food if we don’t adjust both the time and temperature. Luckily, I’ve spent a few weeks testing various settings so you can enjoy delicious air-fried sweet potatoes on your first try.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review

“I made the sweet potato cubes tonight, and they’re delicious! Love how fast they cook in the air fryer.” – Nancy

sweet potatoes cooked in the air fryer with a wooden spoon.

Ingredients for Seasoned Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes. I recommend cooking no more than one pound of sweet potatoes at a time when using the average-size air fryer. If you attempt to cook more than that, they will be soft from steaming together.
Olive Oil. Adding oil to the sweet potatoes will prevent them from burning and drying out as they cook. If you prefer to use another oil, that will work, too!
Spices. Garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt are the perfect seasonings for sweet potatoes. It balances the naturally sweet flavor!

sweet potato cubes, spices, and olive oil labeled on a white surface.

How to Air Fry Sweet Potatoes

Step 1:

Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. There’s no need to peel them first. Try to make the pieces similar in size, so they will finish cooking at the same time. Transfer the sweet potato to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

Season with the garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt, then toss well.

sweet potatoes seasoned in a glass bowl with a spatula.

Step 2:

Arrange the sweet potato chunks in a single layer in the air fryer basket. If your basket is on the smaller side, it’s okay if there’s some overlap.

Sweet potatoes don’t naturally become “crispy” like regular white potatoes do, so even if the potatoes are piled on top of each other, it’s okay. I find that they tend to burn faster when the batch is on the smaller side, so cooking a full pound at once, even with overlap, is preferable.

Cook the potatoes at 350ºF for 15 minutes.

sweet potatoes before and after cooking in air fryer basket.

Step 3:

When the timer goes off, check on the sweet potatoes and give the basket a shake. You can test a sweet potato cube with a fork to see if it’s tender. Remove any smaller pieces that are fully cooked. If there are larger pieces that require additional cooking time, return the basket to the air fryer and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, they are ready to eat!

air fryer basket full of cooked sweet potato cubes.

Serving Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes tend to get softer as they cool, so it’s best to serve them as soon as they are ready. You can warm them up again briefly in the air fryer for 3 minutes at 350ºF if needed.

If you’re wondering what sweet potatoes go well with, I’d recommend adding them to a quinoa bowl with a savory dressing or serving them on the side of your favorite protein. There’s not a lot they don’t go well with.

Sweet Potato in Air Fryer FAQs

Do you need to soak sweet potatoes in water?

Soaking potatoes in water is thought to draw out some of their starches, resulting in a crispier result when they are cooked. Since sweet potatoes don’t become as crispy as white potatoes, this is not necessary. (I tried it, but I didn’t feel the difference was worth it.)

Can I make sweet potatoes crispier?

Try my Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, which have a light coating that helps them crisp up. Cutting the potatoes into thin shapes also helps with crispiness. The thinner you cut them, the crispier they will be. (But they are still not as crispy as white potatoes, so be sure to adjust your expectations.)