These Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes are one of my go-to sides—they’re so easy and ready in under 15 minutes. This well-tested recipe gives you perfectly crisp outsides and soft, tender centers. Great for salads, tacos, bowls, or snacking!
These roasted sweet potatoes have become a staple in our house. My 1-year-old loves these. She would leave all the options on her plate aside and ask for a second and third serving of these sweet potatoes.
And this mama does not mind that. Sweet potatoes are incredibly nutritious, rich in fiber and potassium. Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are richest in beta-carotene. They are also lower in calories than regular potatoes.
One of the best ways to cook these glorious sweet potatoes is by roasting them. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness. I love to use my air fryer for these quick side dishes. It is so much more convenient than heating the oven.
I also like to steam sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot. Frankly, we have been enjoying sweet potatoes in every way possible. They are now part of every grocery order.
Which Sweet Potato to Use for Roasting?
There are so many different varieties of sweet potatoes, and they are not all the same in taste and texture.
My favorite for roasting has been orange-skinned sweet potatoes. They are moist, sweet, and creamy. Today I am using Garnet sweet potatoes.
Look for firm potatoes without many bruises or discolorations. Avoid the ones that are becoming softer. Store them in a cool, dry, dark, but well-ventilated place.
How to Cut Sweet Potatoes for Roasting?
For this recipe, we’re roasting sweet potato cubes, and I recommend cutting the sweet potato into ½-inch chunks.
You can also cut them into fries or wedges. The cooking time varies by the thickness and size.
First, wash and peel the sweet potato. It is easier to peel the skin using a peeler.
You can skip peeling them if you are buying organic. My family prefers peeled sweet potatoes.
Note: You want a sharp chef’s knife to cut sweet potatoes. They can be firm and hard to cut.
After peeling, cut into half or 3 pieces, depending on the length of the sweet potato.
Then, please, one portion vertically on the cutting board. And make the cuts shown in the picture above. You want to cut the slices about 1/2 inch in size.
Then lay each slice flat on the cutting board and make half-inch cubes.
Try to keep all cubes roughly the same size.
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes in the Air Fryer?
A little seasoning goes a long way for these sweet potatoes. I like to keep it simple and toss the cubes with some avocado or olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well so all the sweet potatoes are coated in the oil and seasoning.
Let’s talk about preheating the air fryer. I have made these both with and without preheating, and it works well either way. When not preheating, it takes a couple of minutes more to get the perfect roasted sweet potatoes.
Place the sweet potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
I used my Instant Vortex air fryer for this recipe. It has the preheat option, so I preheated the air fryer to 400°F.
This air fryer reminds you to preheat it, and then also reminds you to turn or shake the food. I feel that is a great little feature.
Air fryer for 10-12 minutes for the perfect texture. Shake the basket for about 6 minutes.
If you like them well-cooked, then add a couple of extra minutes.
Air fryer takes half the time as an oven, so on regular days and for small quantities, I prefer to use an air fryer.
Note: When I make these for the baby, I cut them into even smaller pieces and air fry for 8-10 minutes.
If you want to cook in the oven, preheat it to 425°F and cook for approximately 30 minutes. Toss the sweet potatoes every 10-15 minutes to ensure even cooking.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to cut the sweet potatoes into similar-sized cubes. This will ensure they cook evenly.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer. Make sure they are in a single layer in the air fryer. You can cook in batches.
- There is no need to boil sweet potatoes before roasting in the air fryer. Yay!
- I recommend serving these air-fried sweet potatoes right away; they soften as they cool.
Seasoning Options
Here are some more seasoning ideas!
- Onion powder
- Cumin powder
- Red chili powder or paprika for a spicy version.
- Curry powder for curry roasted sweet potatoes. Or add the basics such as turmeric, cumin, and my homemade Garam Masala.
- Oh, and at the end, you can add the Chili Lime Seasoning from Trader Joe’s. So good!
Make them sweet by adding the following flavors
- Brown sugar
- Maple syrup
- Cinnamon and Honey for a holiday version
Hope you enjoy these easy air fryer roasted sweet potatoes. They are a perfect side dish to any meal!
More Air Fryer Veggies To Try
Vegetables
Crispy Air Fryer Kale Chips
Air Fryer
Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds
Vegetables
Air Fryer Beets
Air Fryer
Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Crispy & Tender)
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound Sweet Potatoes
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil, or olive oil
Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/3 teaspoon Salt , I used pink himalayan salt, adjust to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly cracked, adjust to taste
Instructions
- Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Transfer the sweet potatoes to a bowl. Add the avocado oil and seasonings. Toss them well, so they are all coated with the seasoning.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Add the seasoned sweet potatoes to the air fryer and spread them in a single layer (cook in batches if needed).
- Air fryer for 10-12 minutes for the perfect texture. Shake the basket at about 6 minutes.
In Oven
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a large sheet pan. You can also add the olive oil and seasonsings on the sheet pan.
- Spread evenly so they do not overlap. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Flip every 10-15 minutes for even cooking.
Notes
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer. Cook in batches.
- No need to boil them before roasting. Yay!
- Serve them right away; they soften as they cool.
- onion powder
- cumin powder
- red chili powder or paprika for a spicy version
- curry powder for curry roasted sweet potatoes. Or add the basics such as turmeric, cumin, and garam masala
- Oh, and at the end, you can add the Chili Lime Seasoning from Trader Joe’s. So good!
Made these just now – came out great! I added some additional seasonings and cooked for 14 mins total to get them more crispy. Yum!!
Hi Monica – Happy to hear you enjoyed the sweet potatoes!
Awesome this was my first time using an air fryer turned out great. I experimented quite a bit like oil vs no oil they all turned out pretty amazing I used 4 potatoes from the farmers market 1 potatoe at a time.
Hello there – It’s wonderful to hear that. Thank you for sharing back 🙂
Hi – So happy to hear that.
These were simple and perfect – had them with salad greens and runny eggs for a quick and healthy dinner. THANK YOU!
Hi Kelly – So glad to hear you enjoyed the sweet potatoes!
Thanks for sharing. Made last night and we really liked them. Hubby said it would go up a notch if we had garnets. I’m now hunting them down 😉
Hi – So happy to hear that. 🙂
These were perfect and so easy!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the sweet potatoes, Taylor!
Ok…this is my new favorite way to eat sweet potatoes!! Thank you!
Hi – So happy to hear that 🙂
I’m so glad to have found this recipe for instant vortex air fryer. That’s the one I use too and most recipes I find are for other brands so I have to be careful with the temperature. Thank you SOOO much for sharing your recipes.
Hi – So happy to hear that it helped 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! Can you use frozen sweet potato cubes? If so, what temp and how long to cook in the air fryer?
Hi Ali – I have not tried, but I do think they will work well. Just add a couple of minutes to the cooking time. Hope you enjoy them!
I regularly make roasted sweet potatoes but they take 30+ min in the oven. I like them crispy and may take 40min for what I like. Then I pop them in the airfryer for 3 to 5min to crisp up. With peeling and cutting just right I take almost an hour! Yall that’s a lot of time for a side dish. I made your air fryer version and could not believe how they came out just like the oven and then crispy all in 15min cooking. Thank you I cannot believe I did not do this sooner.
Hi Natalie – So happy to hear that. Thank you for sharing your experience 🙂
Can you put honey or syrup on before frying or toss them in that afterwards?
Hi Michelle – Either way works. I have tried seasoning with agave before and then cooking, and it works well.
Do I put the brown suga and maple sugar and mix with the potatoes then put them in the air fryer or after
Hi Cheloe – Either way works. I have tried seasoning with agave before and then cooking, and it works well.
Sounds great! I have an i instant pot so I have to put them in layers many times.
can we have two layers of cubes?
Hi Krish – Sorry I am a bit confused about your question. You have an instant pot air fryer? Ideally you want to put the sweet potato cubes in a single in the air fryer basket.