Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes

These air fryer sweet potatoes are coated in warming seasonings, tossed in olive oil, and fried to crispy-yet-tender perfection. Serve them with your favorite dip for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or side dish!

Table of Contents

• 🧡 Why you’ll love this recipe
• 🍠 What are air fryer sweet potatoes?
• 📜 History
• 🌱 Are air fryer sweet potato cubes vegan?
• 🤔 Which sweet potato is best for air frying?
• 🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
• 📝 Instructions
• 🥪 What to serve with sweet potato cubes
• 🧄 Dips for sweet potato cubes
• 🌡️ Storage & reheating
• ♻️ Variations
• 🧑‍🍳 Top tips
• 💬 FAQ
• 🍴 More potato recipes
• 📋 Recipe

🧡 Why you’ll love this recipe

• Nutritious: Made in the air fryer and coated in heart-healthy oil, these sweet potato cubes are full of monounsaturated fats, vitamin A, and other nutrients. This is comfort food you can actually feel good about!
• Quick: Not only is this recipe easy to prepare, but the cubes are cooked in less than 20 minutes!
• Budget-friendly: With just 6 simple ingredients needed, these air fryer sweet potato cubes are satisfying to the tastebuds and light on the wallet.
• Versatile: Naturally gluten and dairy-free, this vegan recipe suits a variety of dietary needs and can be adjusted to fit your taste preferences, too!

If you love air fryer sweet potatoes, you need to try our sweet potato quesadillas, Southwest sweet potato salad, sweet potato chili, chickpea fries, and enfrijoladas.

🍠 What are air fryer sweet potatoes?

Much like our crispy air fryer hash browns, air fryer sweet potatoes are a homemade spin on restaurant-style potatoes that take half the time to cook. They're every bit as tender and crispy as sweet potato fries but require less oil and retain more nutrients!

All you have to do is cut your potatoes, coat them in seasonings, and pop them in the air fryer. It doesn't get any easier than that!

Within minutes your whole family will be enjoying their new favorite side dish. They're crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and loaded with warming seasonings like cumin, paprika, and garlic.

📜 History

Over the last few years, sweet potato consumption has quickly risen. Sweet potato fries and cubes seem to be on every restaurant menu you go to, and for good reason — they're delicious!

However, fried sweet potatoes are not a new invention. Although popular in western society, the method of frying sweet potatoes has existed in Japan in the form of tempura since the late 16th century.

The first official record of modern-day sweet potato fries was recorded by an agricultural innovator and researcher, George Washington Carver, in the early 1930s. This deep-fried delight took hold in American cuisine and has become a beloved snack ever since.

From there, thanks to a German man named Fred van der Weij, air fryers were introduced to the mainstream public in 2010, and the rest is history. People from all over the world began air-frying everything from quesadillas and zucchini to sweet potato cubes, fries, and more!

🌱 Are air fryer sweet potato cubes vegan?

Sweet potato cubes are inherently vegan since they are made with nothing more than sweet potatoes, spices, and oil. However, it is important to note that some restaurants use animal products such as duck fat or lard for frying. These, of course, are not vegan-friendly.

Luckily, when prepared at home, it is easy to opt for a plant-based oil such as avocado or olive oil, which is exactly what we do! As a result, you taste all the crispiness of restaurant-style potatoes without the need for animal-based ingredients.

🤔 Which sweet potato is best for air frying?

Due to the minimal ingredients in this recipe, it's important to choose high-quality seasonings and sweet potatoes. Contrary to popular belief, there are actually many varieties of sweet potatoes, and each carries a unique taste, texture, and color.

For these air fryer sweet potato cubes, we prefer to use orange-skinned varieties like Garnet, Heirloom, and Jewel sweet potatoes. They're sweet, moist, and perfect for cooking.

For the best results, look for potatoes that are even in color, firm to the touch, and free of bruises.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Sweet potatoes: As mentioned, it's important to choose high-quality orange sweet potatoes. Other varieties won't yield the crisp texture or sweet taste you're looking to achieve. They can be peeled or unpeeled.
• Oil: We tend to reach for olive oil, but avocado oil works just as well. They both have a mild taste and are a great source of monounsaturated fats like oleic acid, which is anti-inflammatory.
• Cumin: Earthy, nutty, and warm, cumin has a distinct flavor we love. It's also a great source of iron and can help improve digestion.
• Garlic powder: Everything tastes better with garlic powder! It adds the perfect balance of savory, toasty flavor.
• Smoked paprika: Not only does this add a hint of smoky, spicy sweetness to the fries, but it also provides a pop of color for a beautiful presentation.
• Salt & pepper: Used to enhance the rest of the ingredients. Potatoes can handle a fair amount of salt, so don't be afraid to have a generous hand!

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 Instructions

Step 1: Preheat

Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 4-5 minutes. This isn't 100% necessary, but we found it's a good way to kickstart the cooking process to ensure your sweet potatoes turn out crispy every time.

Step 2: Season the potatoes

While the air fryer warms, add the sweet potato cubes to a mixing bowl with oil, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss the ingredients well to coat the cubes evenly.

Step 3: Arrange the potatoes

Once seasoned, add the potatoes to the preheated air fryer in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd them.

Step 4: Air fry

Air fry for 14-16 minutes, making sure to shake the air fryer basket halfway through to prevent the sweet potatoes from sticking to the bottom and to help them cook evenly.

Step 5: Serve

Remove the sweet potato cubes from the air fryer basket, and serve immediately while they're still warm. Happy eating!

If you have questions about making air fryer sweet potatoes, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🥪 What to serve with sweet potato cubes

Of course, you can serve these air fryer sweet potato cubes on their own as a savory snack. However, they also pair perfectly with mains like these:

• Vegan chicken: An easy-to-make, high-protein vegan meat alternative.
• Cemitas poblanas: A boldly-flavored Mexican sandwich.
• Fish tacos: Crispy tofu "fish" served in corn tortillas with flavorful toppings.
• Tortas cubanas: Plant-based sandwiches packed with three kinds of "meat," melty cheese, refried beans, and tons of vegetables.
• Tacos al pastor: Spit-roast tacos made vegan and gluten-free.

🧄 Dips for sweet potato cubes

If you love dips and sauces as much as we do, you can't go wrong with dipping, dunking, or drizzling your air fryer sweet potato chunks with options like these:

• Garlic aioli: A creamy vegan aioli with a hint of spice.
• Creamy balsamic dressing: Tangy, creamy, and herbaceous dressing.
• Lemon tahini dressing: Sweet, tangy, and irresistible sesame tahini sauce.
• Adobo: Mixed with vegan mayo, this makes a smoky and irresistible dip!

🌡️ Storage & reheating

When it comes to air fryer sweet potatoes, there are several options for storage and reheating. Just follow these tips:

• Fridge: Air fryer sweet potato cubes are best eaten fresh while they're still warm and crispy. If you have leftovers, they can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just be sure to store them in an airtight container.
• Freezer: Once cooked and fully cooled, air fryer sweet potato cubes can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable bag for up to 12 months. You can even reheat them immediately from frozen!
• Reheating: The best way to reheat your sweet potato cubes and keep them crisp is to place them in the air fryer for a minute or two. Alternatively, you can warm them in the microwave (they just won't crisp us as nicely).

♻️ Variations

• Sweet: For a dessert-style recipe, season your sweet potatoes with cinnamon and sugar, and pair them with dairy-free sour cream.
• Herbs and spices: Switch up the flavors by using different herbs and spices like Italian seasoning, cayenne, garam masala, and turmeric.
• Regular potatoes: Try Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes for a more savory taste.
• Baked: No air fryer? No problem! Bake these sweet potato cubes in the oven instead.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Prepare the potatoes: Don't forget to thoroughly wash and dry your potatoes prior to frying.
• Cube evenly: For evenly cooked air fryer sweet potato chunks, chop them into equal-sized pieces.
• Don't overcrowd the basket: You want the sweet potato cubes to cook in an even layer in your air fryer. If they overlap, the air will not circumvent well, and they won't cook evenly. Work in batches if need be!
• Keep an eye on them: Depending on the size of your potatoes and your air fryer, the cooking time may vary. Be sure to keep an eye on them as they cook, and don't forget to shake and flip them halfway through!

💬 FAQ

🍴 More potato recipes

If you enjoyed these air fryer sweet potato cubes, be sure to check out some more potato-forward dishes like the following:

• Red skin mashed potatoes: A rich, buttery, and hearty side dish that perfectly rounds out any meal.
• Mexican candied sweet potatoes: Slow-cooked and spice-infused sweet potatoes perfect for a festive fall or winter treat.
• Stewed potatoes: A creamy, plant-based side dish that's bold in flavor and mouthwateringly delicious.
• Potato cakes: A 5-ingredient recipe that's crisp on the outside yet soft, creamy, and cheesy on the inside.

📋 Recipe