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Air Fryer sweet potatoes are perfect as a side or as a whole meal. With your air fryer, you can make a “baked” sweet potato without heating up your oven and kitchen!

Don’t have an air fryer? Don’t worry—my recipe for Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes has you covered. 

What kind of oil should I use? 

The kind of oil that you use is completely personal preference—I like to skip oil altogether! 

Oil definitely provides a more crispy potato experience, so if you decide that the crispier route is calling your name then I recommend rubbing or brushing the whole sweet potatoes using olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil.

In my testing, I found no significant difference between the greased and ungreased sweet potatoes. The greased one had a slightly prettier skin after cooking, but it did not affect the flavor.

Should I season my potatoes? 

This is up to you! This recipe is for whole, “baked” air fryer sweet potatoes, just like if you made them in the oven. Most people do not consume/eat sweet potato skin like they might a baked potato, so seasoning it would add some flavor but wouldn’t be eaten directly.However, if you would like to season your potatoes, rub them with oil and add your favorite seasoning.

Other yummy spices to play with include garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne, and brown sugar—but play around! Let me know what spice blends are favorites in your family!

Should I Poke sweet potatoes before baking/air frying?

In the photo above, you’ll see two sweet potatoes that I baked in the air fryer. The one on the left has not had any holes poked into it. The sweet potato on the right has had holes poked in it with a fork.

There is no need to ever poke holes in potatoes or sweet potatoes before baking or air frying. In fact, I would advise you to AVOID poking holes in sweet potatoes because the sugars will leak out and burn. Since sweet potatoes contain a lot of natural sugars, baking sweet potatoes caramelizes the sugar in the skin.

When the skin is poked, those sugars come out instead of stay in. This can affect the flavor because your sweet potato may have a bit of a burned, rancid flavor if the sugar is too burned.

The sweet potatoes will naturally “burst” at the natural seams if it needs to, but this won’t hurt it or your air fryer.

What air fryer should I use?

I swear by my Vortex Plus Air Fryer (find it here). It can do so much it’s almost magical: air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, dehydrate—it’s like an all-in-one oven, but better! Plus, the size is perfect to cook meals for my family and I: not too big but not too small.

Alternatively, you can use the Duo Crisp Air Fryer Lid—it works like a regular air fryer, but rather than being a different appliance, it’s just a lid that converts your usual Instant Pot into an air fryer!

How to cook air fryer sweet potatoes

To make these delicious whole sweet potatoes in the air fryer, start by washing the potatoes—don’t peel them! Pat them dry with a towel, then rub them down with just enough oil to coat the skins if desired, and place them into your air fryer. 

There’s no need to wrap the whole sweet potatoes in foil before cooking, unless you want to! It makes no difference. 

Wait about 40-50 minutes, and you’ll be ready with air fryer sweet potatoes fit for a feast! 

Sweet potato wedges in the air fryer

To make these sweet potato wedges, wash and pat your sweet potatoes dry, then peel and cut them lengthwise into quarters or eighths (depending on how thin you want your wedges to be). 

Lightly coat the wedges in oil and salt (and optional seasonings), then place them into your air fryer. I find that they take about 20 minutes for optimum crispiness, but this is flexible depending on how crispy you like them to be!

The trick to make crispy sweet potato fries in the air fryer is to add a little bit of cornstarch to your seasoning blend (about 2 tablespoons) and toss them up.

Air fryer sweet potato chunks

When making chunks, wash, and peel your sweet potatoes. Next, chop the potatoes into roughly one inch cubes and toss them in olive oil, salt, and seasonings if you want them. Place them into the air fryer, and cook for about 20 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes.

Air fryer sweet potato mash

To make air fryer sweet potato mash, cook whole sweet potatoes as explained above. Once they’re done, set them aside until they’re cool enough to touch. Then skin them and add butter, milk or cream, and salt—just as you usually would with mashed potatoes. Mash them together with a masher or a sturdy fork, but be careful not to use a mixer or overmix them! Overmixed potatoes turn out something like glue—not at all pleasant, and definitely hard to swallow!

If you need some inspiration, check out my recipe for Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes!

More perfect potatoes

These Instant Pot Baked Potatoes will change the way you prepare dinner! Fluffy, easy, and perfectly cooked “baked”—these potatoes are done in less time than it takes to preheat the oven.

Or, try these Instant Pot Salt Potatoes. They’re a huge cultural summer staple in Syracuse, New York, and sooo creamy, smooth, and perfectly salty. 

What to serve with roasted sweet potatoes 

• Black Bean and Corn Salad
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• Perfect Instant Pot Carrots
• Instant Pot Broccoli + FAQ
• Instant Pot Bacon Green Beans

Air Fryer Recipes

• Cream Cheese Wontons (Air Fryer or Deep Fried)
• Cookie Dough Dessert Wontons (Air Fryer or Deep Fried)
• Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs + Air Fryer Hard Boiled Egg Test
• Bacon Wrapped Smokies in the Air Fryer
• Baked Potato in Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Chicken Wings from Fresh or Frozen
• Air Fryer Sweet Potato
• Air Fryer Cookies
• Instant Pot Chicken Legs from Fresh or Frozen (finish them in the air fryer!)

About Lisa

About Lisa

Lisa Childs is the food blogger behind Tried, Tested, and True. Join the hundreds of thousands of people each month that learn from Lisa-

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