Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato

Name: Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1-4 medium-sized sweet potatoes; 1-4 tsp. oil (avocado or olive); ¼-1 tsp. salt (to taste)

This quick and easy Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato recipe is ready in less time than baking in the oven! It is so simple to get dinner ready once you know how to air fry sweet potatoes with a little bit of oil and salt. You will find this is the best way to make these tasty spuds, and it’s the perfect kid-friendly side dish!

If you have spent any time reading this blog, you KNOW I have a deep love for sweet potatoes and all the recipes they go in.

Like these Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Hashbrowns, or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.

But one of the easiest side dishes is simply baked sweet potatoes.

While they are delicious and so healthy for you, they sometimes take too long to make. Especially if you’re in a hurry pulling together a weeknight dinner.

The solution… the AIR FRYER! I turn to this handy appliance way too often. (Well, maybe not too often.)

This method cuts the cooking time by almost half. Yes, half!

You can also make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes in a really similar way, if you prefer.

Oil, salt, and sweet potatoes are all you need for this recipe.

Ingredients

The simple ingredients you need to make this air fryer recipe include:

Sweet Potatoes. Make sure you get similar-sized potatoes so they can cook up evenly. Usually up to 4 can fit in a 6-quart air fryer basket.
Oil. You will want a high smoke point oil since it will be cooking for a while, but olive oil can be used.
Salt. Opt for a good-quality salt, like sea or kosher.

How to Air Fry Baked Sweet Potatoes

These are the steps to follow to make this Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato recipe:

Clean and Prepare

You want to be sure the sweet potatoes are clean and free of any dirt and debris.

Rinse the potatoes under running water. Scrub the outsides well.

Use a towel to dry them thoroughly.

Use a fork to poke each potato 8-10 times. These punctures allow steam to escape while they cook.

The outside of a sweet potato is cleaned. — Scrub the outside.

A potato is dried before preparing. — Scrub the outside.

Oil and Season

Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil over each potato. Use your hands to rub it in and completely coat them.

Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of salt over each one, as well.

Oil is drizzled over a sweet potato. — Drizzle oil on the potato.

Fingers rub the oil into the skin of a sweet potato. — Drizzle oil on the potato.

Cook in Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 370℉.

Line up the poked, oiled, and salted potatoes in the air fryer basket. Be sure none of the pieces are touching

Cook for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size. Flip the potatoes halfway through cooking.

When 30 minutes have passed, check the largest potato to see if it is fork tender. If the smaller potatoes cook up faster, you can go ahead and pull them out while the larger ones continue to cook. They are done when you feel no resistance inside.

Three sweet potatoes are lined in an air fryer. — Place the potatoes in the basket.

Sweet potatoes are air fried in half the time it takes to bake. — Place the potatoes in the basket.

Load Up and Serve!

You can serve this healthy side dish in SO many ways! It is delicious with a pat of butter along with some cinnamon and brown sugar.

Or, try topping them with:

Toasted Pecans
Pumpkin Spice
Apple Pie Spice
Bacon (or try this Air Fryer Bacon!)
Maple Syrup
Sour cream, cilantro, black beans, and corn for a Mexican treat

Air fried baked sweet potato is a healthy vegetable side dish.

Meal Prep and Storage

To Prep-Ahead: You can clean and prep the potatoes the day before, just leave them in the fridge until you’re ready to air fry.
To Store: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days.
To Freeze: Once the potatoes are cooled, wrap each one individually in foil, place them in a freezer-safe bag, and keep it in the freezer for up to 9 to 12 months.
To Reheat: Leave the potatoes in the foil and warm them up in the oven, or remove the foil and pop them back in an air fryer.

FAQs

Do you have to pierce a potato before baking in an air fryer?

As potatoes cook, the skin can act as a seal, keeping in hot air. If you don’t pierce them, the steam has nowhere to escape. While air frying takes less time than a traditional oven, it is still beneficial to poke holes in the outside.

Should I wrap my potato in foil before air frying?

Wrapping a potato in foil will make the skin soggy. If you would like crispy skin, air fry them without anything covering the outside.

Should sweet potatoes be soaked in water before air frying?

Sweet potatoes do not contain as much starch as white potatoes, so they do not need to be soaked beforehand.

Expert Tips and Tricks

Same size. Ensure all of the potatoes are similarly sized so they cook evenly.
Clean it up. Scrub off the outside of the sweet potatoes before cooking to remove any dirt or debris.
Get good ingredients. Since you aren’t adding much to this dish, make sure everything you use is high-quality, from the potatoes to the salt to the oil.
Give them a poke. Piercing the sweet potatoes will allow steam to escape while they cook.
Flip once. Turn the sweet potatoes over while air frying.

A fork digs into an air fried baked sweet potato.

Other Sweet Potato Recipes

Sweet potatoes are so versatile! Try one of these recipes next:

More Air Fryer Potato Recipes

If you’re ready to use your air fryer again, give one of the following potato recipes a shot:

Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

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