Easy Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato

by Kayla Berman on July 17, 2024 0 comments

This easy method for preparing a whole baked sweet potato in the air fryer takes just 60 minutes! You’ll be left with a perfectly cooked potato – crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. It’s a nutritious and delicious side dish that tastes like nature’s candy!

Why You’ll Love This Air Fried Sweet Potato

Incredibly Nutritious: Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious foods you could eat. They are even referred to as a superfood! They are rich in lots of vitamins and minerals. Plus they are low calorie, low fat, and a great source of fiber.
Nature’s Candy: I truly think that the inside of an air fried baked sweet potato tastes better than candy. With just a little salt and butter … ugh, divine! I almost can’t believe how it can taste so wonderful and be so simple.
Super Easy: This method for air frying sweet potatoes is super duper easy! It doesn’t differ from the oven baking variation too much, but I just find the air fryer to be easier. It is a smaller appliance and the mess just feels more contained. I find it to be the easiest way to prep a potato!
Great For Meal Prep: These sweet potatoes are great for meal prep for all of the reasons we’ve discussed above …. nutritious, sweet, delicious, and easy! Store these in the fridge throughout the week and you have the perfect fiber-rich carbohydrate for all of your meals. Plus this recipe is a great option if you are spending an hour or two prepping food for the week in the kitchen and your oven is already occupied!

Ingredients

This sweet potato recipe only requires a few simple ingredients! The sweet potato itself, oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Can it get any easier than that?

Sweet Potato: This air fryer method for baking sweet potatoes should work for any type of sweet potato! I like all the orange sweet potatoes and Japanese sweet potatoes are delicious too.
Oil: Use any oil you’d like to coat the potatoes. Just a little oil is required! I love to use olive oil spray because it is super easy and covers the entire potato nicely. Avocado oil is a great alternative too!
Salt & Pepper: All you need on the outside of the potato when it comes to seasoning is the basics… salt and pepper.

Don’t want a whole baked sweet potato? No worries! Check out my Air Fryer Savory Sweet Potato Cubes or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries (From Frozen).

Equipment Needed

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Air Fryer – I use and love the Instant Slim 6QT Air Fryer Oven

How To Cook Sweet Potatoes In Air Fryer

An air fryer baked sweet potato is incredibly easy to make! It is truly a perfect side dish.

The magic to me is really in the cooking time. I don’t think you can skimp when it comes to sweet potatoes! Whether it’s in an oven or an air fryer, you need 1 hour.

The result is soft, fluffy, gorgeous sweet potato that truly tastes like nature’s candy! Bonus points if you get those oozing, caramelized sweet potato juices. That’s when you know you have a proper baked sweet potato!

Step 1: Prepare sweet potatoes. First thoroughly wash the sweet potatoes. Then poke holes all over the potatoes with a fork.

Step 2: Poke holes. Thoroughly coat the pierced potatoes in olive oil spray, salt, and black pepper.

two pierced sweet potatoes covered in olive oil, salt, and black pepper

Step 3: Air fry sweet potatoes. Place the potatoes in the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-60 minutes. Or until the inside of the potato is softened to your liking. You should be able to pierce the potato with a sharp knife very easily.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy!

two sweet potatoes in an air fryer basket before cooking

two sweet potatoes in an air fryer basket after cooking

Expert Tips

Don’t forget to poke holes! The fork holes in the sweet potato allow it to cook properly and create that soft, fluffy orange flesh we aim for.

Start with the perfect potato! The best sweet potato made in the air fryer starts with purchasing the best potato you can from the grocery store. It should have smooth skin and no soft spots, bruises, cracks, or sprouting.

Test for readiness! The specific cook time for air frying sweet potatoes will depend on a plethora of things such as the size of your potato and your specific air fryer. I always recommend simply testing the potato with a sharp knife. By simply piercing the skin you should be able to assess the fluffiness of the potato. Hint: we are looking for an extremely soft and fluffy texture for the best taste!

Serving Suggestions

There are countless scrumptious ways to serve this healthy side dish!

Keep It Simple: When it comes to baked air fryer sweet potato, I think simple is best. I love to serve mine with a slab of butter and sea salt. Maybe some cracked black pepper too!
A Little Elevated: My next serving option is a step up from just the basic butter and salt, but still nothing too crazy. Sweet potato does not need much to shine! Just add simple spices and your favorite seasonings … you could do garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, etc.
Make It Sweet: I sometimes like to enhance the natural sweetness of air fryer sweet potatoes with some sweet toppings too! Cinnamon, brown sugar, and honey are all great options. You could also really load it up with nuts, granola, greek yogurt, fresh berries, or peanut butter. What a great healthy snack or breakfast side!
Load It Up: Now this is where the fun comes in! Turn your air fried sweet potato into a loaded potato with all the works and your favorite toppings. I’m talking cheese, sour cream, ground beef or shredded chicken, fresh veggies, salsa, guacamole. YUM! The tex-mex direction sounds fabulous but you could really stuff anything you’d like into the potatoes.
Dollop & Drizzle: Turn your favorite dipping sauce or spread into the perfect potato topper. Ranch, tzatziki, cheese sauce, pesto, guacamole, or burger sauce just to name a few! A scoop of cottage cheese would be tasty too.
Thanksgiving Style: One of my favorite ways to enjoy sweet potato has always been and will always be in Thanksgiving casserole fashion. I just love the toasty marshmallows on top! Throw some into this baked potato for a simpler version of the classic side.

No matter which way you decide to serve your air fried potato – dressed to the nines or super simple – it is an easy, delicious, and nutritious side dish to serve with any main dish. Perhaps with my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs or Marry Me Salmon.

Storing Suggestions

You can store leftover air fryer sweet potato in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

FAQs

How long to cook sweet potatoes in the air fryer?

I recommend cooking whole sweet potatoes in the air fryer for 60 minutes at 400 degrees F. I know we all want quick when it comes to cooking, but I really think that a good sweet potato takes some time.

Small sweet potatoes can take less time, closer to 45 minutes, but medium and large sweet potatoes will require 60 minutes for the best results.

Are baked sweet potatoes better for you than regular potatoes?

I am not a nutritionist or dietician, so I am not a professional, but yes I do think sweet potatoes are a smidge better for you! They seem to be widely known as the healthier potato option as well, but in reality when you look at the nutritional breakdown the difference is not huge.

Both sweet potatoes and white potatoes are great low calorie, low fat sources of fiber, carbohydrates, potassium, vitamin B, and vitamin C. However, sweet potatoes do come out slightly on top because they are very high in beta carotene and vitamin A.

Should you poke sweet potatoes before air frying?

Yes you should poke sweet potatoes before air frying. The holes help release steam from the potatoes as they cook and create that desired fluffy, creamy center!

How do you know when sweet potatoes are fully baked in the air fryer?

There are a couple of signs to look for to know if your sweet potato is fully cooked.

First, I always like to poke the sweet potato with a sharp knife. It should slide in extremely easy with no resistance! You can also do a similar test by squeezing the sides of the potato. There should again be no resistance.

You can check with your eyes too! The sweet potato should be visibly puffed up a bit.

But my favorite way to know that my sweet potato is ready to enjoy is if starts to ooze a bit of those sweet, caramelized juices. That is when you know your potato will be extra sweet and delicious! YUM.

Related Recipes

More Air Fryer Recipes

More Easy Side Dish Recipes

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