how to cook sweet potato fries in air fryer

Air fryer sweet potato fries on a white background

These air fryer sweet potato fries are quick cooking and become perfectly crispy, making for a healthier alternative to French fries!

So you have a new air fryer, or you're thinking of buying one, and the question inevitably comes up…"Can I make French fries in this thing?"

Well I'm happy to report that yes, you can make some darn good fries (regular and sweet potato) in the air fryer! No deep fryers or cornstarch needed here. Click the links below to jump around the post:

Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet Potato Wedges
Air Fryer FAQ

I used a Philips Air Fryer (affiliate link) to make these air fryer sweet potato fries and absolutely love it, though any air fryer should do the job! (Curious about which air fryer is right for you? We rounded up the best air fryers here.)

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Step 1: To cut traditional or shoestring fries, cut your sweet potato lengthwise into thin planks. Cut each plank into strips to make fries! You can also use a mandolin slicer, though the sweet potato may be too firm depending on the quality of your slicer.

Step 2: Soak sweet potato fries in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes (or as long as 8 hours) before air frying. This is critical for removing excess starch and helping the fries to become crispy.

Soaking sweet potato fries in water to remove starch

Step 3: Drain and pat dry sweet potato fries. Add to a bowl, then drizzle with vegetable oil (about 1 teaspoon per potato) and a pinch of salt. tossing to coat.

Cooking sweet potato fries in an air fryer basket

Step 4: Add fries to your air fryer, spread out in as single of a layer as possible. Cook at 390 degrees F (200 C) for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the basket a few times during cooking to evenly cook.

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges

Step 1: To cut sweet potato wedges, cut your sweet potato in half lengthwise. Cut in half lengthwise again, then cut each of those halves in half again. (Each potato should make 8 wedges, though you can cut them down smaller if your sweet potato is large).

Step 2: Soak sweet potato wedges in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes (or as long as 8 hours) before air frying. This is critical for removing excess starch and helping the fries to become crispy.

Step 3: Drain and pat dry sweet potato wedges. Add to a bowl, then drizzle with vegetable oil (about 1 teaspoon per potato) and a pinch of salt, tossing to coat.

Step 4: Add wedges to your air fryer, spread out in as single of a layer as possible. Cook at 390 degrees F (200 C) for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the wedges over once to evenly cook.

Sweet Potato Fry FAQ

How do you cook frozen sweet potato fries in an air fryer?

Lightly grease your air fryer basket or racks, then add frozen fries and cook at 390 degrees F (200 C) for about 20 minutes. Make sure that fries (especially frozen fries) are in a single layer and are not overcrowded or they won't crisp up as well!

Do you need to preheat an air fryer?

While you can preheat the air fryer (takes about 2 minutes), it's not necessary. If you don't preheat, you may just need to add a few extra minutes to the cook time, but it shouldn't affect how your fries turn out.

Do you need to use oil with an air fryer?

Air frying can produce some seriously crispy food without oil, but I prefer to add a small amount to make these fries even crispier and to improve the flavor.

Do I really have to soak potatoes before making fries?

Soaking removes surface starches, which in turn helps make your fries more crispy. In a rush? You can blanch the fries by boiling them for 30 seconds then plunging them into a bowl of cold water.

Are sweet potato fries healthier than regular fries?

In a way, yes! Sweet potatoes, while having the same amount of carbohydrates as white potatoes, have more fiber, twice the vitamin C, and WAY more vitamin A.

I used a Philips Air Fryer (affiliate link) to make all of these air fryer potato recipes and absolutely love it! You can get a bunch of handy accessories like a baking pan or grill skewers (though I just used the basics to make these potato recipes). Enjoy!

These air fryer sweet potato fries are quick cooking and become perfectly crispy, making for a healthier alternative to French fries!

▢ 1 sweet potato
▢ 1 tsp olive oil 5 mL
▢ Pinch of salt

Cut: To cut traditional fries, cut your sweet potato lengthwise into thin planks, and cut each plank into strips. To cut sweet potato wedges, cut your sweet potato in half lengthwise. Cut in half lengthwise again, then cut each of those halves in half again. (Each potato should make 8 wedges, though you can cut them down smaller if your sweet potato is large).
Soak: Soak fries in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes (or as long as 8 hours) before air frying*.
Dry: Drain and pat dry sweet potato wedges. Add to a bowl, then drizzle with vegetable oil (about 1 teaspoon per potato) and a pinch of salt, tossing to coat.
Air Fry: Add fries to your air fryer, spread out in as single of a layer as possible. Cook at 390°F (200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking every few minutes to evenly cook.

In a rush? You can blanch the fries by boiling them for 30 seconds then plunging them into a bowl of cold water.

Serving: 1 g Calories: 72 kcal (4%) Carbohydrates: 11.8 g (4%) Protein: 1.2 g (2%) Fat: 2.4 g (4%) Saturated Fat: 0.3 g (2%) Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 98 mg (4%) Potassium: 271 mg (8%) Fiber: 1.9 g (8%) Sugar: 3.7 g (4%) Calcium: 2 mg Iron: 2 mg (11%)

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