Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

I love sweet potato fries. Whenever they’re on a menu, I usually choose them over regular fries — they’re sweet, crisp, and packed with flavor.

Making sweet potato fries at home is simple. I usually bake them, though they’re excellent deep-fried. Since getting an air fryer, I’ve been experimenting with air-fried sweet potato fries and they turned out fantastic.

The air fryer is now one of my favorite kitchen tools: it’s fast, easy, and doesn’t heat up the whole kitchen like an oven. It also uses far less oil than deep frying, so you get crispy fries with less fat.

If you prefer oven-baked fries instead of using an air fryer, try an oven-baked method for similar results.

Start by peeling the sweet potato. Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potato skin can be thick and woody, so I remove it. A vegetable peeler works fine, but a sharp knife can be quicker — just take care not to shave off too much flesh.

Cut the peeled sweet potato into sticks roughly 1/2 inch thick so they cook evenly and crisp up nicely.

Toss the sweet potato sticks with a small amount of oil and a sprinkle of salt. That’s all you need before they go into the air fryer.

Arrange the fries in a single even layer in the fryer basket if possible. If you have more fries than fit in a single layer, a bit of overlap is okay — you may need to flip them more often to ensure they all crisp up evenly.

Set the air fryer to 400°F and cook for 15 minutes.

After the initial 15 minutes, flip the fries and cook another 7–10 minutes. Some air fryers circulate heat so well that flipping isn’t necessary; with mine I flip to ensure the underside crisps as well. Cook until the fries are tender inside and golden at the edges.

Sweet potato fries pair wonderfully with a creamy, mayo-based dip — the richness complements the sweet, crispy fries. Popular options include chipotle lime sauce, buttermilk ranch, Thai mayo, or cilantro-lime mayo.