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Published: Feb 27, 2023 · Modified: Mar 15, 2023 by Tino Marie · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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This Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe is guaranteed to give you perfectly roasted, melt-in-your-mouth sweet potatoes. Seasoning with chili powder, paprika, and salt produces a simple, yet complimentary peppery flavor profile that plays beautifully with sweet potatoes.

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This Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes recipe produces perfectly roasted, melt-in-your-mouth sweet potato cubes. If you’re looking for sweet potatoes with a guaranteed crispy exterior, this isn’t that recipe.

Keys to this lovely, roast-y outcome include 1) cutting the sweet potato into similar-sized cubes so that they cook evenly, 2) giving the sweet potato cubes a quick water rinse to remove excess starch before air frying, and 3) spreading the cubes evenly across a baking sheet during air frying. 

Perfectly cooked sweet potatoes in the air fryer

I like to keep the seasonings simple when roasting sweet potatoes, but there's no denying that sweet potatoes and chiles belong together. I recommend adding chili powder, paprika, and salt to create a simple, yet complimentary peppery flavor profile that plays beautifully with sweet potatoes.

Jump to:
  • Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes Ingredients
  • Instructions for Air Fried Sweet Potatoes
  • Suggested Substitutions
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Air Fryer Sweet Potato FAQ
  • Related Side Dishes
  • Perfect Pairings
  • Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes Ingredients

For this Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes recipe you will need the following ingredients.

  • sweet potatoes
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • chili powder
  • paprika
  • cayenne pepper (optional) 

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions for Air Fried Sweet Potatoes

peeled sweet potatoes

Peel the sweet potatoes. 

diced sweet potatoes in ½ inch cubes

Slice and cube the potatoes into approximately ½” pieces; this will ensure even cooking.

rinse sweet potato cubes with water before cooking

Rinse with cold water and strain. I SWEAR by this step.

Add olive oil to sweet potatoes

Pat the rinsed sweet potato cubes dry with a towel. Add the sweet potatoes to a baking sheet and toss with olive oil.

Season sweet potatoes by sprinkling evenly, then tossing to combine

Add salt, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper (optional) to a bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes, and mix for a minute to distribute the season evenly.

sweet potatoes roasted in the air fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once preheated, place the baking sheet of sweet potatoes in the air fryer and cook at 400°F for 12-14 minutes. You can flip halfway through, but it's not necessary. 

sweet potatoes roasted in the air fryer

Once finished cooking, remove from oven and season with additional salt, if desired.

Hint: Did I mention not to skip the rinse with water before cooking step? If you don’t rinse them the exteriors turn a touch wrinkly and get just the slightest bit tough. Whereas the rinsed ones keep a pleasantly soft exterior. 

differences in appearance and texture when rinsing sweet potatoes with water before cooking
To rinse or not to rinse sweet potatoes before air frying

Suggested Substitutions

Here are a few simple swaps you can make to the recipe without significantly changing the final dish. 

  • Olive oil - Try canola or vegetable oil instead. 
  • Chili powder - Use an alternate variation like ancho chili powder. 
  • Paprika - Smoked paprika and hot Hungarian paprika are both excellent substitutes. 

Equipment

Air fryer. I used a Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Smart XL Air Fry Oven (see link below).

A note on air fryer cooking. This Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes recipe will also work with basket-style air fryers although you may have to adjust the amount of sweet potatoes you can cook at once (depending on the capacity of your air fryer).

Baking sheets. These fit well in the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven XL.

Storage

Store any leftover Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes in a lidded container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I like to add leftover sweet potato cubes to rice bowls and salads.

sweet potatoes roasted in the air fryer

Air Fryer Sweet Potato FAQ

Should I rinse my sweet potatoes before air frying?

Answers vary to this question, but I say yes. I am pro rinse your sweet potatoes with running water before you air fry. Why? To get rid of excess starch. I’ve tested air frying sweet potato cubes with and without rinsing, holding all other conditions constant (cooking temperature, cooking time, amount of olive oil used, seasonings). The results are subtle, but telling. If you don’t give them a rinse beforehand I have found that the exteriors get wrinkly looking and tend to toughen a bit. Rinsing beforehand results in smooth, melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly roasted sweet potato cubes from exterior to interior.

What temperature should sweet potatoes be air fried at?

I find that air frying at 400 is the sweet spot to achieve those perfectly roasted sweet potato cubes, which takes around 12-14 minutes.

What kind of sweet potatoes are best for air frying?

I’m using Jewel sweet potatoes, but you can also use Red Garnet, Covington, and Beauregard. I have not tried this recipe with white sweet potato varieties.

Related Side Dishes

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Perfect Pairings

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

  • Instant Pot Pork Butt
    Instant Pot Pork Butt
  • instant pot salsa chicken
    Instant Pot Salsa Chicken (with Fresh or Frozen Chicken)
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    Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe is guaranteed to give you perfectly roasted, melt-in-your-mouth sweet potatoes.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 14 mins
Total Time 24 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 sweet potatoes

Equipment

  • 1 Air Fryer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 pound) peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1-2 dashes cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Peel the sweet potatoes. Slice and cube the potatoes into approximately ½” pieces; this will ensure even cooking.
    2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
  • Rinse with cold water and strain. I SWEAR by this step. If you don’t rinse them the exteriors turn a touch wrinkly and get just the slightest bit tough. Whereas the rinsed ones keep a pleasantly soft exterior. 
  • Pat the rinsed sweet potato cubes dry with a towel. Add the sweet potatoes to a baking sheet and toss with olive oil.
    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Add salt, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper (optional) to a bowl and stir to combine.
    teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1-2 dashes cayenne pepper
  • Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes, and mix for a minute to distribute the season evenly.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Once preheated, place the baking sheet of sweet potatoes in the air fryer and cook at 400°F for approximately 12-14 minutes. You can flip halfway through if you’d like, but it's not necessary. 
  • Once finished cooking, remove from oven and season with additional salt, if desired.

Notes

Hint: Did I mention not to skip the rinse with water before the cooking step? Rinse your sweet potato cubes before cooking to ensure smooth, perfectly roasted sweet potato cubes. 
Keyword air fryer roasted sweet potatoes, air fryer sweet potato cubes
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Christina from Midwexican

About Christina

I'm a Minnesota native who can't get enough of south-of-the-border flavors. My recipes combine comforting Midwestern eats with bold Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. If you love comforting food, bold flavors, and - most importantly - tacos! then you'll love what I'm cooking!

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