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If you want tender, fluffy sweet potatoes with deliciously crisp skins, the air fryer is the way to go. This method for cooking sweet potatoes is faster and easier than roasting them in the oven, with better results than microwaving. It’s a must for holiday cooking!

Overhead view of a row of cut-open air fryer sweet potatoes angling from the top left corner of the image to the bottom right corner.

🍠 What Makes This Recipe So Good

Air fryer sweet potatoes are super easy and totally hands-off. Unlike methods that give you super soft sweet potato skins, the air fryer gives you sweet potatoes that are wonderfully crispy on the outside, but still tender and fluffy on the inside.
Using the air fryer will make your holiday cooking SO much easier! This frees up your oven for your roast turkey, pecan pie, acorn squash with maple butter, or finishing your sous vide brisket.

💭 Chef’s Tips

I tested this method at a higher temperature for a shorter time, and at this temperature but with oil and salt rubbed into the skins of the potatoes. Both times, the sweet potatoes ended up burnt. Your experience may vary especially depending on your specific air fryer, but I highly recommend the time and temperature outlined below!
Sweet potatoes are super versatile, whether you cook them in the air fryer or with another method. Serve them with a little butter, salt, and pepper, or with butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Top them with BBQ chicken or taco meat. Whip them into a creamy side dish, or enjoy them all on their own. You seriously can’t go wrong with this gluten-free, low-carb, paleo, Whole30-compliant root veggie.

Overhead view of a vertical row of cut-open sweet potatoes on a sheet of parchment paper.

Delicious Ways to Use Sweet Potatoes

Overhead view of a vertical row of cut-open sweet potatoes on a sheet of foil.

Recipe By: Cheryl Malik

Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes

Prep 15

Cook 40

Total 55

Tender, fluffy sweet potatoes with deliciously crispy skins, cooked to perfection right in the air fryer.

2 sweet potatoes

Equipment

air fryer
running water
vegetable scrub brush optional, or paper towels
Fork
Tongs
Knife

Ingredients

▢ 2 medium sweet potatoes approximately 5-7 ounces each

Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 360° Fahrenheit. While air fryer preheats, wash sweet potatoes under running water, scrubbing away any surface dirt with scrub brush or paper towels.
Once sweet potatoes are washed, use fork to prick holes at least ¼-inch deep into skin of each sweet potato. Cover all sides of sweet potatoes with holes.
When air fryer is preheated, place sweet potatoes in air fryer basket in one even layer. Work in batches as needed if sweet potatoes are very large or air fryer is very small.
Place basket in preheated air fryer. Air fry sweet potatoes 40 minutes, then check doneness by inserting fork into potatoes. Sweet potatoes are ready when tines of fork easily pierce through skin to center of potatoes. Add cook time as needed until sweet potatoes are ready.
Once sweet potatoes are fully cooked, use tongs to carefully transfer sweet potatoes from air fryer to serving plates. Slice sweet potatoes open and fluff with fork, or cut sweet potatoes in half, then dress potatoes as desired and serve warm.

Cook times will vary depending on size of potatoes, size of air fryer, and age of air fryer. Adjust cook time as needed for your specific air fryer.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1sweet potatoCalories: 146calProtein: 3gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.03gSodium: 94mgPotassium: 573mgTotal Carbs: 34gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gNet Carbs: 29gVitamin A: 24132IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg