Name: Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries (No Cornstarch!)
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 sweet potato; 1 tsp olive oil (5 mL); Pinch of salt

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With dozens of five-star reviews, you can guarantee these air fryer sweet potato fries are a total winner! Ultra-crispy on the outside, pillowy-soft on the inside, and ready in just 20 minutes, they’re the perfect healthier alternative to regular fries.

Air fryer sweet potato fries on a white background

The Perfect Snack, Made Healthier

Let’s be real—who doesn’t love fries? And if you’ve got an air fryer (or are thinking about getting one), you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this thing really make French fries?”

Spoiler alert: yes, yes it can. And they’re pretty amazing. (No messy deep fryers or cornstarch needed here!)

I’ve made countless batches of these air fryer sweet potato fries, and they turn out perfectly golden and crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside every time.

Reader rating

★★★★★

“I just made a batch of these for the grandkids in my air fryer. I’ve tried a couple of other recipes, but this one steals the show 🙂 This is officially my go-to recipe for sweet potato fries, thanks so much!!” —Ruby

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Here’s What You’ll Need

I like to keep the ingredient list short for my air fryer sweet potato fries (3, to be exact), but feel free to mix things up with your favorite seasonings! (Jump to the recipe for full printable instructions!)

Sweet Potatoes: Any variety works here—try jewel, garnet, or even purple sweet potatoes! (They’ll all turn out deliciously crispy.)
Oil: Just a light coating of a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like grapeseed, sunflower, or avocado oil, gives you that perfect crisp (and a little goes a long way!).
Spices: A sprinkle of salt is a classic, but you can have fun with it! Try garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, or even cinnamon for a sweet twist.

Fries Vs. Wedges

I’m including directions for how to make sweet potato fries and wedges below (the cuts and, therefore, the cooking times are slightly different).

To Make Sweet Potato Fries

Step 1: Cut The Potatoes
Cut your sweet potato lengthwise into thin planks to make traditional or shoestring fries. Then, cut each plank into strips.

How to cut sweet potato fries — You can also use a mandolin slicer, though depending on the quality of your slicer, the sweet potato may be too firm.

Step 2: Soak The Fries
Place sweet potato fries in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes (or as long as 8 hours) before air frying.

Soaking sweet potato fries in water to remove starch — Soaking is a critical step for removing excess starch and helping the fries become extra crispy.

Step 3: Dry The Fries
Drain and pat dry your sweet potato fries. Add to a bowl, then drizzle with vegetable oil (about 1 teaspoon per potato) and a pinch of salt. Toss the fries to coat them evenly.

Cooking sweet potato fries in an air fryer basket — Spread the fries out in as much of a single layer as possible so they brown evenly.

Step 4: Air Fry The Fries
Add fries to your air fryer basket. Cook at 390°F (200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes until crispy. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce, like ketchup or chipotle mayonnaise!

To Make Sweet Potato Wedges

Step 1: Cut The Fries
To make sweet potato wedges, cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again, and then in half again.

How to cut sweet potato wedges — Each potato should make 8 wedges, though you can cut them down smaller if your sweet potato is large.

Step 2: Soak The Wedges
Again, to make the sweet potato wedges extra crispy, soak them in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes (or as long as 8 hours) before air frying them.

Step 3: Dry The Wedges
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: Fry The Wedges
Add wedges to your air fryer basket. Cook at 390°F (200°C) for 18 to 21 minutes until crispy (they should still be tender on the inside).

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Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries (No Cornstarch!)

4.79 from 32 ratings

By: Sarah Bond

Prep: 1

Cook: 15

Total: 1 15

Servings: servings

With over 30 five-star reviews, you can guarantee these air fryer sweet potato fries are a total winner! Ultra-crispy on the outside, pillowy-soft on the inside, and ready in just 20 minutes, they’re the perfect healthier alternative to regular fries. Bonus: They’re ridiculously easy to make!

Ingredients

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

Instructions

Cut: To cut traditional fries, cut your sweet potato lengthwise into thin planks and cut each 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 (wedges may need an extra 1 or 2 minutes).

Notes

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

Do you need to preheat an air fryer? While you can preheat the air fryer (it takes about 2 minutes), it’s not necessary. If you don’t preheat it, you may just need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking 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 helps make your fries crispier. In a rush? You can blanch the fries by boiling them for 30 seconds and then plunging them into a bowl of cold water.

Nutrition

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

4.79 from 32 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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