Tender, lightly crisp chunks of air fryer sweet potato are a lovely side dish or addition to a salad or other bowl meal. No air fryer? No problem! I've added oven directions, just for you.
Do you want to hear something sad? Dave doesn't like sweet potato! That means it's rarely on the menu around here.
That's why I created this recipe for air fryer sweet potato. I can quickly make just enough for me and the kid, and Dave can figure out his own starchy side dish.
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Recipe notes
Making sweet potato in the air fryer is super easy!
The key to success with this recipe is cutting your sweet potato into uniform, one-inch chunks. If your pieces are uneven in size, they will cook unevenly.
This recipe is as flexible as it is simple, and I wanted to talk about some ways to mix things up.
The first option you have is to peel or not. I like the texture that the peel brings to the table, but I know that not everyone does. Feel free to peel, if you want!
You can also mix up your flavors and omit the oil in this recipe, if you want to. The sections below dive into those variations.
Flavor variations
What's fun about making sweet potatoes in the air fryer is that you can mix up your flavors! In the photos, I'm making chili-lime sweet potatoes, but feel free to choose your own flavor adventure.
Try fun combinations of different oils, herbs, and spices, like:
- oils to try: toasted sesame, coconut, truffle oil, maple syrup instead of oil
- fun spices: cumin, coriander, cinnamon, curry powder, regular or chipotle powder, dried rosemary, ground sage
A like to add a little bit of acid to the mix in this recipe, because it offsets the sweetness so nicely. In the recipe card, you have the option of using lemon juice or lime juice. Which you choose really depends on what oils and spices you add.
Lemon juice has a more neutral flavor, so I'd suggest treating it as the default. Lime juice works well with spices like coriander and chili powder. If you're not sure, just go with lemon.
Oven variation
If you don't have an air fryer, I don't want you to miss out on these flavorful sweet potato cubes! I've added oven directions to the recipe below.
Basically, to make these in the oven, you follow the same preparation directions, but then you spread the pieces out on a baking sheet. Bake them at a slightly higher temperature for about twice as long, and you are in business.
You can choose to flip these, if you want them browned more evenly. If you prefer a more set-it-and-forget-it situation, though, you can skip the flip. They'll still cook through beautifully.
Oil-free option
I mentioned this above, but you can absolutely make this oil-free, if that's your jam.
Instead of a teaspoon of oil, toss your sweet potato chunks in a tablespoon of maple syrup before air frying. Like with oil, just make sure you evenly coat the pieces, so you won't end up with dry results.
How to serve and store
Air fryer sweet potato is a lovely addition to salads, tacos, and bowls. Here are some ideas for you!
- Add it to an avocado taco for a little sweetness.
- Throw the cubes into a salad with your favorite easy salad dressing.
- Serve it up with a side of panko tofu and stir fried kale.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for three to four days.
You can use these cold in a salad or warm them back up. To warm them, pop leftovers into the air fryer at 350° F for five to seven minutes. You can also warm them up in the microwave.
More ways to use sweet potatoes
📖 Recipe
Air fryer sweet potato chunks recipe (with oven directions!)
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato - cut into 1" pieces
- 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil - see note for oil-free
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt - see note
- up to 1 teaspoon seasonings of choice - see note
Instructions
- If you are baking, preheat the oven to 425° F.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the sweet potato chunks with the lime juice, oil and salt, making sure to coat the potato pieces well.
- In the air fryer: Air fry at 400° F for 15-20 minutes, stopping to shake the basket after 8 minutes.
- In the oven: Transfer the sweet potato pieces to a lined baking sheet, and spread them out into a single layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender and a little bit crispy.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- cumin
- coriander
- cinnamon
- chili powder
- curry powder
- rosemary
- ground sage
Got a question? Tried this recipe? Leave a reply!