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Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes

These easy Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes are perfectly fluffy and perfect to serve as a hearty side or even a main course! Top with your favorite seasonings and a pat of butter for a delicious dish.

Vertical image of air fryer baked sweet potatoes with butter.


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Faster and easier than baking in the oven, making sweet potatoes has never been so simple! This easy recipe only requires a few ingredients and less than an hour.

Why this Recipe Works

Quick and delicious, these air fried sweet potatoes are easier to make than traditional oven baking. You can make them as simple as you like or add toppings and seasonings to customize them to your liking!

Great as a filling side dish like this Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Corn On The Cob or even a quick and delicious main course, this will become a go-to way to prepare sweet potatoes.

And if you love sweet potatoes, you'll love these Chipotle Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes or a delicious Sweet Potato Cake!

Ingredients Needed

Labelled ingredients for air fried sweet potatoes.
  • Whole Sweet Potatoes: Soft and sweet, this root vegetable cooks up perfectly in the air fryer.
  • Olive Oil: Any neutral oil works well--avocado oil is another great option.
  • Seasonings: I like to add kosher salt and black pepper for just a little bit of added flavor, but feel free to add other seasonings as well.

How to Make these Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes

Steps 1 and 2 for making air fried baked sweet potatoes.
  • Step 1: Scrub the potatoes with some water and pat them dry, then use a fork to pierce each sweet potato several times.
  • Step 2: Rub the potatoes with oil and season all over with salt and pepper.
Steps 3 and 4 for making air fryer baked sweet potatoes.
  • Step 3: Place the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket, avoiding overlap as much as possible.
  • Step 4: Air fry at 400 degrees F for about 35 minutes, then check to make sure they're tender all the way through. If not, air fry for another 5 minutes. Top with butter and all your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

4 air fried sweet potatoes topped with seasoning and a pat of butter.
  • Be sure not to skip the piercing step. This will allow steam to escape from the potatoes and prevent them from exploding in the air fryer.
  • Choose sweet potatoes that have a fairly firm texture and no cracks or wrinkles in the skin.
  • To serve, top with butter or coconut oil for a vegan option. You could also add some sour cream, Greek yogurt, or some fresh chopped herbs like parsley, rosemary, oregano. Other toppings include chives and green onions.
  • Add more seasonings like red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, chili powder, or go for a sweet option like cinnamon, nutmeg, a drizzle of maple syrup, and brown sugar.
  • Store any leftover sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.
A fork taking a bite of air fryer baked sweet potato.

Recipe FAQ's

Are sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?

No, yams and sweet potatoes come from two different species. Yams are closer to regular potatoes and have a starchy and drier interior, whereas sweet potatoes are more tender and sweet (hence the name) with orange flesh.

Do you need to soak sweet potatoes before air frying?

There's no need to soak the sweet potatoes before cooking time, but be sure to scrub them well to remove any dirt or debris from the outside.

Why are my sweet potatoes soggy?

If your potatoes end up soggy, you may have crowded them too closely in the air fryer basket, or you may not have used enough oil.

Closeup of an air fryer baked sweet potato with melted butter.

Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes

5 from 1 vote
Written By: Wendie
Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes are perfectly fluffy and perfect to serve as a hearty side or even a main course! Top with your favorite seasonings and a pat of butter for a delicious dish.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 257

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Medium sweet potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Scrub sweet potatoes with a scrub brush and pat dry with a paper towel.
  • Poke several hole into each sweet potato using a fork.
  • Rub the sweet potatoes down with the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.
  • Preheat air fryer for 5 minutes.
  • Place the sweet potatoes in the air fryer basket and fry on 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes, check the potatoes to see if they are fork-tender. If not done continue air fryer for another 5 minutes.
  • Remove the sweet potatoes from the air fryer, top with butter or your choice of toppings.

Notes

Try to choose potatoes that are all the same size for even cooking time. Depending on the size of your potatoes the cooking time will differ.
small potatoes: 30 minutes
medium potatoes: 40 minutes
large potatoes: 50 minutes
ย 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 706mgPotassium: 765mgFiber: 7gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 32064IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 1mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!
Course Air Fryer
Cuisine American
5 from 1 vote

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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love sweet potatoes but get lazy to turn on the oven. This was so easy to make and delicious! Thank you!