Air fryer sweet potatoes are the easiest way to get crispy skin and fluffy, fork-tender insides—faster than the oven and way better than the microwave! The peels slip right off, making them perfect for meal prep. I’ll walk you through the best sweet potato varieties (like Garnet and Japanese), how to batch-cook them, and simple seasoning ideas for a delicious side dish.
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Why Air Frying is the Best Way to Cook Sweet Potatoes
If you’ve ever microwaved a sweet potato only to end up with a dry, rubbery texture, or waited an hour for the oven to do its job, you’ll love how the air fryer transforms them. Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes come out perfectly fork-tender, with caramelized skin and a fluffy interior—ready in nearly half the baking time. Plus, the peels slip right off, making them ideal for other recipes like my Sweet Potato Pie or Sweet Potato Cornbread.
Batch-cooking sweet potatoes in the air fryer is a game changer for meal prep. Whether you’re making a quick lunch, a side dish, or a base for bowls and salads, this method ensures consistent results every time. Just season with simple salt and pepper, or mix it up with your favorite spices and toppings.
Best Varieties of Sweet Potatoes for Air Frying
Not all sweet potatoes are the same! Here’s a quick guide to popular varieties of sweet potatoes and what they’re best for:
- Garnet Sweet Potatoes – Deep orange flesh with a rich, almost nutty flavor. They caramelize beautifully in the air fryer and are excellent for roasting, mashing, or baking into desserts. Peak season: Fall and winter.
- Jewel Sweet Potatoes – Similar to Garnet but slightly milder in flavor. Great for all-purpose cooking, from fries to soups. Peak season: Year-round but best in late fall.
- Japanese Sweet Potatoes – White or yellow flesh with a drier, chestnut-like texture. They crisp up well in the air fryer and are delicious with just a sprinkle of salt. Peak season: Fall through winter.
- Purple Sweet Potatoes – Earthy and slightly less sweet, these have vibrant purple flesh and are best for roasting or making striking mashed potatoes. Peak season: Fall through spring.
Whether you’re cooking one or making a batch, this air fryer method works for all varieties, bringing out their natural sweetness while keeping them light and fluffy inside.
I love my air fryer and have been regularly adding to my air fryer recipes!
Simple Ingredients for Air Fryer Whole Sweet Potato
- Sweet potatoes: Choose similar-sized sweet potatoes, wash them well, and dry them well.
- Spray Oil & Kosher Salt: I like a little spritz on mine to crisp the skins even more! But it’s not necessary.
- Optional toppings: Some like to enjoy their sweet potatoes plain. However, most want to add a little something special. Read to the end of the post where I have loads of topping ideas!
The Best Air Fryer
The best air fryer is the one that works with your budget, kitchen space and lifestyle! Here are my favorites priced from lowest to highest:
There are many great air fryers out there, use your favorite, here are a few I recommend.
- Cosori Air Fryer is the next up, a dedicated air fryer with a larger square basket.
- Ninja Foodi Air Fryer & Indoor Grill — a nice wide and easy-to-operate air fryer. What I made these French toast sticks in.
- My favorite Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (it does it all!), love, love this air fryer, countertop oven.
How to Air Fry Sweet Potatoes
With less than five minutes of prep time and 35 of cooking time, these air fryer sweet potatoes make a great weeknight side or work great for meal prep.
Start this simple recipe with some basic prep. Wash your sweet potatoes, dry them really well. Then, carefully pierce them with a fork to prevent them from bursting out of their skin while being cooked.
Next, spray or brush the whole sweet potatoes with avocado oil or olive oil, if desired. This will create a crispier outside once cooked. If desired, sprinkle with a little kosher salt.
Then, place the sweet potatoes in your Air Fryer basket in a single layer; the rest is almost entirely hands-free!
Do not preheat the air fryer! Simply set the air fryer to 390° F cooking for about 35 minutes. The skins will crisp better if you start it when you place the sweet potatoes in the basket.
You will know your sweet potatoes are done when they start to ooze a bit of juices from the holes made with your fork. Or do a simple squeeze test with a hot pad, if they give to gentle pressure they are done!
Carefully remove the fluffy sweet potatoes from the air fryer basket and serve with your favorite toppings—And that’s it!
Do I have to soak potatoes before air frying?
No, you don’t need to soak sweet potatoes before air frying. Unlike regular white potatoes, sweet potatoes have a different starch and sugar composition, so soaking doesn’t significantly impact their texture.
When should I soak sweet potatoes?
If you’re making sweet potato fries and want them extra crispy, a quick 30-minute soak in cold water can help remove some surface starch. However, for whole or baked sweet potatoes, soaking is unnecessary.
Fresh Tips
- The best way to wash your sweet potatoes is to scrub them with a vegetable scrubber or brush in circular motions. Run them under cool water, and remember to dry them really well before spraying with oil or adding them to the air fryer.
- Choose similar-sized whole sweet potatoes, so they bake evenly.
- Air fryer baked sweet potato is a healthy choice, great for meal prep!
Sweet Potato Topping Ideas
Perhaps you like your sweet potatoes plain and fresh out of the fryer. Want to try something new and find more of your favorite toppings? Check out the following creative healthy options:
- Go traditional and add a little butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and mini marshmallows! (see FAQ for how to toast the marshmallows)
- Dress up your sweet potatoes with a bit of chili on top or leftover pot roast or stew.
- Make some compound butter to pack in the flavors!
- Or how about some cinnamon honey butter? YUM!
- For something extra unique, serve with ricotta cheese, a drizzle of hot honey (or regular honey), and some fresh blackberries.
- How about Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes?!? YUM!
- Try a dollop of Greek yogurt, a maple syrup or honey drizzle, and some pistachios or toasted pecans.
Variations & Substitutions
With such a simple recipe, there’s plenty of room to get creative! If you’d like, try some of these variations and discover your new favorite way to serve sweet potatoes:
- Chop the sweet potato into cubes, lightly toss them in oil, herbs, and a sprinkle of garlic powder, then cook in the air fryer. Try these roasted sweet potatoes in air fryer.
- Top with marshmallow fluff instead of using whole marshmallows.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into fries, air frying them using less oil, making way less of a mess in the air fryer. For additional flavor, serve them tossed in chili powder.
- Partially slice them for Hasselback sweet potatoes that will perfectly hold whatever topping you choose, like sour cream and chives. Similar to these Hasselback potatoes in air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start by slicing the sweet potatoes in half and adding any additional toppings desired, like a little butter, brown sugar, pecans, then mini marshmallows. Place in 400 degree air fryer and toast for 2-4 minutes until golden and bubbly.
Take all the guess work out of air fryer sweet potatoes, air fry for about 35-40 minutes at 390° F.
Unfortunately, no, but they are Whole30! Sweet potatoes are high in carbs, so they will not fit into a keto diet plan. However, they have many other health benefits, like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They aren’t considered fattening and are a healthier alternative to regular potatoes.
The culprit is moisture! Be sure to wash and dry your sweet potatoes well before air frying. You can also spritz with some spray oil after you dry them for crisper skin. Or increase the heat to 425° F for the last few minutes of air frying.
Yes! If your sweet potatoes are too soft, pop them back in the air fryer at a higher temperature (400°F) for 3-5 more minutes to crisp them up. Just be careful not to overcook them.
How can I prevent soggy sweet potatoes?
Try these tips for crispy, fluffy air fryer sweet potatoes:
- Increase the temperature: Cooking at 375-400°F (190-200°C) usually works best for crisping up the skin while keeping the inside tender.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket: Too many potatoes at once will trap steam, making them soft instead of crispy. Cook in batches if needed.
- Pat them dry: If washing or soaking, be sure to dry them thoroughly before air frying.
- Use a little oil: A light oil coating (like avocado or olive oil) helps crisp up the skin and prevents drying out.
- Preheat the air fryer: Starting with a hot air fryer ensures even cooking and helps crisp the outside faster.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate Leftovers: Let cooked sweet potatoes cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. When ready to eat, simply reheat and serve.
Freezing Instructions:
Make sure they are completely cooled before storing to avoid excess moisture.
- Whole sweet potatoes: Wrap tightly in foil, then place in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
- Mashed or boiled sweet potatoes: Transfer to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag, pressing out as much air as possible before freezing.
How to Reheat Sweet Potatoes in the Air Fryer:
For the best texture, slice your sweet potato in half and place it in a preheated 350°F air fryer. Air fry for 3-5 minutes until warm and slightly crispy.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are versatile and a great addition to any meal, whether you’re having pork, chicken, beef, fish, or green veggies. Here are some suggestions of what to serve with this healthy side dish:
If you like this air fryer recipe, then try this yummy Air Fryer Ravioli or savory Air Fryer Steak Tips. For breakfast, try these Air Fryer French Toast Sticks. Don’t forget dessert! Try this fantastic Fried Ice Cream! That is right; ice cream in the air fryer!
More Great Side Dish Recipes
- Easy Corn Casserole without Jiffy
- Crispy Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli
- Easy Cheesy Broccoli Au Gratin Recipe
- Southern-Style Green Beans
- Potatoes au Gratin (Potatoes Dauphinoise)
- Green Bean Casserole Recipe with bacon (no canned soup)
- Cheesy Funeral Potatoes
While you don’t need to wrap these sweet potatoes in foil before placing them in the air fryer, you must ensure you pierce them with a fork. Doing this prevents the potatoes from bursting while cooking, which can be a little messy.
I hope you loved this air fryer baked sweet potato recipe — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-3 medium sweet potatoes Depending on size of air fryer basket and number of people serving or for meal prep.
Optional
- spritz avocado oil if even crisper skin desired, spritz with a little spray oil, I like avocado oil
- kosher salt sprinkle on oiled skin if desired
- topping ideas in notes
Instructions
- Wash your sweet potatoes well, and dry well.
- Using a fork, poke holes on each side of the sweet potatoes. (This prevents them from bursting out of their skin while being cooked).
- Place sweet potatoes in air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching. Air fry at 390F degrees for 35 minutes, do not preheat the air fryer, this will help crisp the skins.
- Carefully remove them from the air fryer basket and serve with your favorite toppings. See Notes for topping and storage ideas.
Notes
- Go traditional and add a little butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and mini marshmallows! (see FAQ for how to toast the marshmallows)
- Dress up your sweet potatoes with a bit of chili on top or leftover pot roast or stew.
- Make some compound butter to pack in the flavors!
- Or how about some cinnamon honey butter? YUM!
- For something extra unique, serve with ricotta cheese, a drizzle of hot honey (or regular honey), and some fresh blackberries.
- How about Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes?!? YUM!
- Try a dollop of Greek yogurt, a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, and some pistachios or toasted pecans.
Nutrition
Kim
The sweet potatoes turned out great! Love using my air fryer and they were cooked perfect without heating the whole house.
That’s what I love about them too!
Sharon
Making sweet potatoes in the air fryer is an easy cooking option so you can have tasty potatoes any time.
YES!!
Anjali
My sweet potatoes came out perfectly using this recipe!! They were creamy on the inside and tasted amazing!
So glad to hear that! Thank you!
Holley
I love these sweet potatoes in the air fryer! Perfectly cooked everytime!
Thank you!
Caitlin
This is the most delicious sweet potato recipe, and so easy to make!
Thanks Caitlin!
Gina Abernathy
This time of the year we usually eat sweet potatoes at least twice a week. Cooking them in the air fryer cuts down on time.
It does, and leaves your oven free for other yumminess!
Carrie Robinson
I haven’t tried to “bake” sweet potatoes in my air fryer yet, but now I totally want to try this! Genius idea! 🙂
Thanks Carrie, I hope you love it!
nancy
came out really tender, soft and crispy at the same time. love this easy recipe
So glad to hear that Nancy, thank you!
Gabby
These were utterly delicious! Perfectly cooked with a nice crispy skin, and they were an excellent base for the chili I topped them with.
Oh yum!! Love the idea of chili stuffed sweet potatoes, what a flavor explosion!
Nathan
I love this method of cooking sweet potatoes! They turn out perfectly every time and they’re so warm and comforting. Great recipe!
Thanks so much Nathan!