Sweet potato fries are one of my go-to kind of fries! Waffle fries are a quite close second, but until I get whatever tool that’s needed to make that intricate design, I’m sticking with my chefs knife and the sweet potato.

It’s unfair to compare regular French fries with sweet potato fries. Because the reality is that I’ve yet to make sweet potato fries that will stay crispy indefinitely. It’s only the nature of the potato. Unless they are especially-ultra thin (and you somehow manage to not burn them in the process) otherwise the crispy factor only lasts a few minutes.

In the past, oven baked/roasted sweet potato fries get crispy but it’s a fine line between thin and too thin which can result in burning and sticking to the pan. So yes, you guessed it! Air frying is my new go-to method. Crispy exterior, buttery interior. No sticking, golden brown and dependable. YES!

Now the air fryer isn’t going to change the fact that over time the moisture within the sweet potato will eventually soften them up a tad. However these air fryer crispy sweet potato fries didn’t get all draggy and floppy at all and were still dipable and satisfying.

To Make These Air Fryer Crispy Sweet Potato Fries Set out:

sweet potatoes
olive oil spray
kosher salt
paprika
onion powder
garlic powder
chipotle powder (optional)

One trick I do for crispier fries is…(dramatic pause)…I buy smaller, more stubby sweet potatoes. My theory is that I will get more uniform pieces and not too many truly long fries, which risk gettin floppy or draggy.

First, scrub the sweet potatoes well and then with a sharp chefs knife, slice them into planks and then into thin sticks. Cutting the sweet potatoes into uniformed sticks will help cook the fries evenly, so some fries aren’t overcooked while others are undercooked.

Add the sweet potato sticks into a medium bowl. Then spray with the non-aerosol olive oil spray and toss until lightly coated. Alternatively, you could toss them in 1-1/2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season the sweet potatoes with a couple pinches of kosher salt. Then a few shakes of onion and garlic powder, paprika and chipotle powder.

Spray the basket to your air fryer and preheat it to 400℉ (or 200℃).

What Is Air Frying?

An air fryer is a counter top appliance that requires less oil (anything from a few spritz to 1 tablespoon) yet produces crispy food that rivals most deep fried foods. By using circulating hot air, it moves at a high speed so the food tends to cook in a fraction of the time.
There are a bunch of different makes and models of air fryers. Someone at the table did the research (as he’s known to do) and found this air fryer [affiliate] to be one of the dependable. But do your research and purchase one that fits your lifestyle.

How is Air Frying Healthier?

Air frying is healthier because only a thin layer of oil coats the food and when the hot air comes in contact it will crisp. Saving you a ton of fat and calories (without sacrificing any flavor!) because food is not being submerged in a vat of hot oil.
Keep in mind, not all air fryers are equal. Some preheat and some do not. Some are smaller than others therefore you may need to work in smaller batches to air fry.

Work in batches, laying a few seasoned sweet potatoes in an even layer into the basket. Air fry for 4 minutes before tossing either by shaking or turning with tongs. Then continue to air fry for an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until the exterior is crisp and golden.

It’s perfectly okay to go ahead and check on them as they air fry.

I highly recommend serving them right out of the air fryer. This way you get to enjoy them crispy. I truly make and serve after each batch. However, you can also add them all back into the air fryer basket to rewarm.

Remember the smaller the sweet potato the crispier the air fryer crispy sweet potato fries.

As far as dipping sauces go. I made two different kinds, plus *cringes* ketchup. Two dips that are actually 2 ingredients each. A fry sauce and a maple honey. The maple honey is satisfying with the smoky spices on the air fryer crispy sweet potato fries. It also only so happened to be my personal regular.

What Is Air Frying?

An air fryer is a counter top appliance that requires less oil (anything from a few spritz to 1 tablespoon) yet produces crispy food that rivals most deep fried foods. By using circulating hot air, it moves at a high speed so the food tends to cook in a fraction of the time.

There are a bunch of different makes and models of air fryers. Someone at the table did the research (as he’s known to do) and found this air fryer [affiliate] to be one of the go-to. But do your research and purchase one that fits your lifestyle.

How is Air Frying Healthier?

Air frying is healthier because only a thin layer of oil coats the food and when the hot air comes in contact it will crisp. Saving you a ton of fat and calories (without sacrificing any flavor!) because food is not being submerged in a vat of hot oil.

For more Air Fryer recipes, click here for my growing collection.