These Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes are cut into cubes and cook up in just 20 minutes or less! They are soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and simply seasoned. Pair this simple side dish with breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Sweet potatoes are a staple in my house and I love that there are so many different ways to prepare and enjoy them. Some of my favorites are slow cooked into Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup, mashed on top of Shepherd's Pie, baked into healthy Paleo Sweet Potato Pie Bars or Sweet Potato Muffins with Crumb Topping.
If you love these kinds of recipes, you'll also enjoy my Air Fryer Butternut Squash, Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans and Air Fryer Frozen Seasoned Fries for more easy dinner side options.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Easy to make. This recipe is made from start to finish in 25 minutes and only requires 6 ingredients.
- Perfectly cooked every time. The best part of using an air fryer is you get very consistent results every time. These potatoes are always crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
- Customizable. Make these air fryer sweet potato cubes with just salt and pepper, my fry seasoning, with or without skin, and more. Change it up to suit your craving.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sweet potatoes- use any kind of sweet potato in this recipe, hannah, jewel, purple, etc. All will work for this recipe.
- Spices - A simple blend of smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper balance the sweetness in the potatoes and make them perfectly savory. Feel free to switch it up and use your favorite seasoning blend!
- Olive oil- I use olive oil because it is a staple in my kitchen and always on hand, but avocado oil or another mild-flavored oil would work equally well. Avoid using oils such as coconut oil, which has a strong coconut aftertaste or oils with lower smoke points, such as walnut oil or flaxseed oil. These are better suited for smoothies or salads.
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. For this recipe, you'll want the cubes to be about ½". If you'd like a visual on how to cut sweet potatoes into cubes, check out the video below.
- Season the potatoes. Add the cubed sweet potatoes to a large bowl and season with salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, garlic powder and olive oil. Toss the cubed sweet potatoes until the oil and spices are evenly distributed.
- Transfer to the air fryer basket. Place the potatoes in a single layer of the air fryer (cook in batches if needed) and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly browned on the outside and soft in the middle.
- Test for doneness. After 15 minutes, test one of the potatoes. If it still seems slightly hard, cook them for another 5 minutes, or until they are fork-tender.
- Serve hot and enjoy. These potatoes can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days. However, these potatoes are best when served fresh.
Recipe FAQs
Although sweet potatoes and yams are often confused as being interchangeable, they are actually quite different! If you live in the United States, you likely don't see yams very often. Yams have brown, rough skin and are white in the center. They're much more common in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Absolutely! I peeled the sweet potatoes for this recipe, but you can leave the skin on if you prefer. The skin is completely edible and highly nutritious!
Yes, you definitely want to give your sweet potatoes a good wash and scrub before eating. Sweet potatoes grow in the ground and can be incredibly dirty. Washing them will remove dirt, debris and anything they picked up along the way during transportation. I highly recommend giving the skin a light scrub, too.
People that live in warm, humid climates will sometimes store sweet potatoes in the refrigerator to preserve them, but sweet potatoes store best in a cool, dry, dark place. It is also best to store them away from onions, garlic, and fruits. They release gasses that can cause your sweet potatoes to sprout and spoil faster.
Preheating is not necessary, however, I prefer to preheat because the cooking time is shorter. Preheating can also help make the cubed sweet potatoes and food in general crispier.
Chef Tips
- How to reheat air fryer sweet potatoes: The best way to reheat these potatoes while keeping them as crispy as possible is to place them back in the air fryer basket and cook at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes, or until sufficiently warmed through again.
- Cook time can vary! Depending on your air fryer basket and how thick you've cut your cubed potatoes, the cooking time can vary. If you've cut your potatoes larger than ½" thick, a longer cook time should be expected. Similarly, if your air fryer tends to run hot, they may be ready after just 15 minutes. Adjust the cook time as needed.
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket. This is a big mistake people make when cooking with an air fryer. For best results and proper air circulation, avoid piling layers of potatoes in the air fryer basket. For the best, crispy sweet potato cubes, I recommend cooking in a single layer and cooking in batches as needed.
Serving
I love serving this simple side dish as a fry substitute with recipes like Healthy Chicken Burgers, Air Fryer Salmon Burgers, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders and Air Fryer Brats.
Air fryer sweet potatoes are also delicious served alongside Pan Seared Chicken with Dijon Mustard Sauce, Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs or Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Thighs!
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes You May Like
⭐️ Did you make this? Please leave a comment below & rate the recipe to let me know how it came out! ⭐️
🍳Recipe
Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Peel (optional) and dice the sweet potatoes into ½ inch pieces.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Add the potatoes to a large bowl and add the salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, garlic powder and olive oil. Toss the potatoes to coat with the seasonings and oil.
- Place the potatoes in a single layer of the air fryer (cook in batches if needed) and cook for 15-20 minutes until slightly browned on the outside and soft in the middle.
- Serve as a side with your favorite meal.
Notes
- How to reheat air fryer sweet potatoes: The best way to reheat these potatoes while keeping them as crispy as possible is to place them back in the air fryer basket and cook at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes, or until sufficiently warmed through again.
- Cook time can vary! Depending on your air fryer basket and how thick you've cut your cubed potatoes, the cooking time can vary. If you've cut your potatoes larger than ½" thick, a longer cook time should be expected. Similarly, if your air fryer tends to run hot, they may be ready after just 15 minutes. Adjust the cook time as needed.
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket. This is a big mistake people make when cooking with an air fryer. For best results and proper air circulation, avoid piling layers of potatoes in the air fryer basket. For the best, crispy sweet potato cubes, I recommend cooking in a single layer and cooking in batches as needed.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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