Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Air fryer sweet potato fries will change your life. They are super easy and quick to make, and they always hit the comfort spot. There is something about the sweet and salty, and crispiness of sweet potato fries that makes them irresistible.

Fries and sweet potato fries are my favorite side dish to order. It is often a side dish that I don't indulge in often enough because traditionally, they are deep-fried. When I discover air fryer sweet potato fries, you know I indulge in this side dish often. Sometimes, I even enjoy them as a snack.

Because air fryer sweet potato fries using air frying technology and completely oil-less, they contain less fat, fewer calories, and none of the negatives that comes with deep frying. So this means you can truly enjoy and indulge in these delicious, healthier sweet potato fries without sacrificing the crisp.

What I love about the air fryer sweet potato fries recipe is the simplicity. All you need is two ingredients: sweet potatoes and a sprinkle of salt, but of course, you can fancy it up with herbs and spices if you choose. Within 15 minutes, you will have a delicious side dish that pretty much goes with any meals or enjoy them as a healthy snack.

This side dish is perfect for any dinner party or during football season. You can now indulge and serving something healthier to your loved ones without them even noticing they are air fried. Plus, let's face it, when you host a dinner party or a football Sunday game, you want to be part of the action rather than spending time in the kitchen. And this recipe will guarantee that you can have time to spare, and they will disappear from your serving dish. 

Plus, this recipe is oil-less, vegan, gluten-free, and whole 30 friendly. So, you don't have to worry about the guests with dietary restrictions.

Ingredients

2 Medium Sweet Potato Peeled
~ 1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan salt

Directions

1. Peel your sweet potatoes (unless you want to eat the skin). Then use a sharp knife and cut the sweet potato in half the short way. Depends on how long your sweet potato is, you may want to cut those half into halves again. These cuts will determine how long your fries will be. Then slice them into 1/4 inches thick sticks. If you want thicker fries, you may need to cook them in an air fryer a bit longer. If you want thinner fries, you may need to reduce the cooking time.

2. Place your sliced sticks in your air fryer basket and make sure you spread them evenly and do not overcrowd the basket. Depends on your basket size, you may need to make more than one batch.

3. Turn on your air fryer to 400 F and air fry for 15 minutes. I recommend that your flip the fries at 10 minutes or give your air fryer basket a good shake and then continue with air frying for another 5 minutes. Your fries are done when they have a crisp look to them. They should have a slight color but not dark brown or black. If they are dark brown or black, you have put them in the air fryers for too long.

4. Once your fries are done, place them on a plate and pinch some salt. Enjoy them with your favorite dipping sauce.

Nutritional

Serving size: 2

Amount per serving: Calories: 103 calories. Total Fat: 0.2g, Saturated Fat 0g. Cholesterol: 0mg. Sodium: 57mg. Total Carbohydrate: 23.6g. Dietary fiber: 3.8g. Total Sugar: 7.4g. Protein: 2.3g.

**The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.**

Go Fancy With Your Fries

Fancy up your sweet potato fries with your favorite spices and herb seasonings. You can use single ingredient or a blend. Here are some ideas for you:

• Cinnamon and Sugar
• Paprika 
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Pumpkin pie spice

Health Benefits Of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are nutritious root vegetables, and it offers many health benefits including but not limited to:

• Packed with beta- carotene and vitamin A
• Sweet potato contains a significant amount of fiber, which is essential in promoting gut health.
• They are a great source of magnesium and can help alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
• Sweet potatoes also contain a healthy dose of iron, which is essential in promoting fertility among women and vegans deficient in iron.

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries FAQ

How To Store Left Over Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Store any of your leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about three days in the fridge. If you are not planning on eating the leftovers within three days, you can put your leftovers in an air tight sealed freezer bag and freeze them.

How To reheat Left Overs

To reheat your leftover fries, place them in the air fryer at 400°F for 1-2 minutes or in an oven. You can also reheat them in the microwave, but the sweet potatoes will have a softer or even soggy texture. You can heat them in the oven, but it will be slower since you will need to preheat the oven. The best option is to use an air fryer for reheat.

Are Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Healthy?

Traditional french fries and sweet potato fries are made in a deep fryer. They are drenched in oil and lead to be a high fat and high calories side dish. When you make them in an air fryer, you can go oil-less and still achieve that crunch. Some people will coat their sweet potato with a layer of oil for extra crunch, but you don't have to use any oil if you are looking for the ultimate healthier option.

Sweet potatoes do have slightly more carbs and calories than french fries. However, sweet potatoes are more nutrient-dense than french fries. Sweet potato especially contains much higher vitamin A.

So, air fried sweet potato fries are much healthier than conventional. And sweet potatoes are slightly nutritious than french fries.

If you are interested in learning about air fryer, read my everything you need to know about an air fryer. In this post, you will learn if air frying is good for you, how air frying works, and much more.

Types Of Sweet Potatoes

There are many varieties of sweet potatoes available at your local market, and they all taste slightly different. They range in color, texture, and flavor, so consider that when purchasing. Here are three types I like to use:

Purple Sweet Potatoes

Purple sweet potatoes are beautiful! They are purple on the inside, and that makes them packed with antioxidants. This type of sweet potatoes is mildly sweet, almost like wine like in taste. 

Japanese Sweet Potato

This type of sweet potato is on the sweeter side, and it has a nuttier flavor like a roasted chestnut. And the texture is drier, firmer, and starchier. 

Covington

This type of sweet potato has a malty sweet flavor with a creaminess. What I love about Covington is the color will remain bright when cooked. 

How To Cut Sweet Potato Fries

There are many ways you can cut your fries. You can make thin fries, thick fries, wedges, or even shoe strings. How you want to cut your fries is up to you. Take into consideration that the thickness of your fries will affect your cooking time in the air fryer.

How To Make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Extra Crispy

To make your sweet potato fries extra crispy, simply coat your sticks with oil. Or use a cooking spray on them. The oil will give them that extra crispiness when cooking. However, remember the oil will add calories and fat. If you are going to use some oil, use an oil like avocado oil or olive oil with a high smoke point.

Another way to make them crispier is to soak your sweet potato before air frying. By removing the starch, it will help crisp your sweet potato.

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Not Crispy

If your sweet potato fries do not come out crispy, there could be a few reasons why you are having trouble. Below are some of the reasons and are some tricks you can apply:

• Overcrowding basket. If you have put too many of your fries in the basket, they won't air fry evenly. Some will come out crispier than the others. For consistency, make sure you lay them evenly in the basket and not overcrowd.
• Too thick. If you cut your fries too thick, they will need to cook a little longer to achieve that ultimate crispiness. If your fries did not come out crisp in the 20 minutes, air fry for longer.
• Get some help from the oil. To get that crispier texture, coating your fries with oil or cooking spray. You can coat your fries with oil like olive oil or avocado oil with a high smoking temperature. If you are going to use oil, use about one tablespoon of oil of your choice.
• Preheat the Air fryer. Some air fryer requires preheat, make sure you read the air fryer instructions to determine if preheating is required.
• Soak your sweet potatoes. Soaking your sweet potato will help remove the starch on the surface, making them crispier. Soak them for about an hour in cold water, and then patch them dry. If you don't have time to soak them, you can boil them for about 30 seconds, then plunging them into a bowl of cold water.

Can you eat sweet potato fries on low carb diet?

Sweet potatoes are high in carbohydrates, so if you are on a low carb diet, unfortunately, sweet potato will most likely be on the list of foods not to eat.