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With silky, tender insides and lightly crisp skin, these Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes taste just like oven-baked, in a fraction of the time! Enjoy them as a side dish with your favorite toppings or scoop out the flesh for recipes.
For more air fryer sweet potato recipes, check out my Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges and Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.
Quick Look: Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
- 🔪 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 45 minutes
- 🍽 Total Time: 50 minutes
- 👨👩👧👧 Servings: 2 sweet potatoes
- 🌱 Calories (per serving): 214
- 🫘 Protein (per serving): 4g
- 🍠 Dietary breakdown: Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free, with an oil-free option.
- 😋 Flavor Profile: Naturally sweet and earthy, with tender, fluffy insides and lightly crisp skin.
- ✅ Difficulty: Super easy — just pierce, air fry, and enjoy!
Summarize & Save This Post With
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Key Ingredients
- Toppings Ideas
- How to Make Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Jenné’s Recipe Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Directions
- Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato FAQs
- More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato Recipe
Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Faster than the oven: Whole sweet potatoes cook in 40–45 minutes in the air fryer, compared to an hour or more in the oven.
- Just one ingredient: All you need is sweet potatoes, plus a little oil if you like tender skin. No foil, no fuss!
- Mostly hands-off: Pierce, pop them in the basket, and let the air fryer do the work while you prep the rest of dinner.
- Endlessly versatile: Enjoy them as a snack or side with your favorite toppings, or scoop out the flesh for pies, biscuits, and cinnamon rolls.
- Great for meal prep: Leftovers keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer, and reheat like a dream. Make a batch on Sunday and enjoy throughout the week!
If you love baked sweet potatoes (and you know I do!), you’ll love making them in the air fryer. They come out with lightly crisp skin and silky, tender insides, all in a fraction of the time it takes in the oven.
With just three simple steps and about 50 minutes, you’ll have perfectly cooked whole sweet potatoes ready to enjoy. Serve them hot with a pat of vegan butter and your favorite toppings, or scoop out the flesh and use it in your favorite sweet potato recipes. The options are endless!
This method is a lifesaver during the holidays, too. While your oven is busy with casseroles and pies, let the air fryer bake your sweet potatoes, then scoop out the flesh for my Vegan Pecan Pie. Sweet potato puree is my not-so-secret ingredient, and it makes the filling irresistibly silky!
For more air fryer vegetable recipes, check out my Air Fryer Broccolini, Air Fryer Carrots, Air Fryer Zucchini, and Air Fryer Green Beans.
Key Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes: Choose potatoes with smooth, deep orange-tan skin that are heavy for their size. Store them in a dry,cool place for 2-3 weeks, then wash or scrub them to remove debris or dirt before piercing. You can use any type of sweet potato, such as purple or Japanese.
Avocado Oil: This optional oil coats the potatoes’ skin, making it more tender than crisp. If necessary, you can substitute another high-heat oil, such as grapeseed or canola.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Toppings Ideas
Dress up your air fryer sweet potatoes however you like! Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy them:
- Classic: A pat of vegan butter, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and a sprinkle of chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley.
- Sweet: Cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup, and toasted pecans.
- Loaded: Black beans, salsa, avocado or Guacamole, and a dollop of Vegan Sour Cream.
- Chili-Stuffed: Spoon on a hearty scoop of Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili or Hearty Tofu Chili for a filling meal.
- Different Varieties: Try Japanese or purple sweet potatoes for sweeter, starchier flesh, using the same method.
How to Make Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Prepare. Wash the sweet potatoes well and pat them dry. Using a fork, pierce each sweet potato about six times.
- Coat with oil. If using oil, coat each sweet potato with ½ teaspoon of oil with your hands or a pastry brush.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F if your model requires it. Place the sweet potatoes in the basket in a single layer.
- Air fry the sweet potatoes. Cook for 40–45 minutes, until they’re fork-tender and soft inside.
- Serve. Slice the sweet potatoes open and add your favorite toppings.
Jenné’s Recipe Tips
- Choose similar-sized potatoes. Medium sweet potatoes of about the same size cook evenly and finish at the same time. Larger ones will need extra minutes.
- Pierce the potatoes. As the sweet potatoes heat up, they release steam and expand. Poking each one about six times with a fork lets that steam escape, so they don’t burst.
- Use oil for tender skin. For softer skin, rub each potato with ½ teaspoon of oil before air frying, using your hands or a pastry brush. Skip the oil if you prefer crispier skin.
- Preheat if directed. Not every air fryer needs preheating, but if your manufacturer recommends it, preheat for even, thorough cooking.
- Leave room for air. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer with space between them so the hot air can circulate. Cook in batches if your basket is crowded.
- Cook until fork-tender. The sweet potatoes are done when a fork slides easily into the center. If they’re still firm at the end of the cooking time, keep air frying in 3–5 minute increments until tender.
Love cooking with your air fryer? You’re in the right place! You’ll also want to try my Air Fryer Plantains, Air Fryer Eggplant, Crispy Air Fryer Tofu Recipe, and Air Fryer Cauliflower.
Serving Suggestions
Use the air fryer baked sweet potatoes to make delicious Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (as pictured above). Or serve these air fryer sweet potatoes as you would their baked counterparts, as a side dish with nearly any main dish, such as:
And if you’re looking for even more, check out my roundup of Best Sweet Potato Recipes!
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Store leftover air fryer sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Let the potatoes cool to room temperature, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, or reheat them from frozen on low in the microwave until warmed through.
- Reheating: Warm the potatoes in a 350°F air fryer for 5–10 minutes, or microwave them in 1-minute bursts until hot.
Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato FAQs
The air fryer is faster, thanks to its rapidly circulating hot air. Medium sweet potatoes usually take 60 minutes or more to bake in a 425°F oven, but only 40–45 minutes in a 375°F air fryer.
No foil needed! The skin seals in moisture, so the insides turn out soft and tender. Plus, if you oil the potatoes and then wrap them in foil, the skin will turn soggy.
No, you don’t need to soak them. Just scrub them well and pierce them with a fork before adding them to the basket.
Cook medium whole sweet potatoes at 375°F for 40–45 minutes. Larger potatoes may need more time and smaller ones less, so keep an eye on them as they cook.
Yes! Sweet potato skin is completely edible. Just scrub the potatoes well before cooking. If you prefer softer skin, coat the potatoes with a little oil before air frying.
Arrange the potatoes in a single layer with a little space between them so the hot air can circulate. Most air fryer baskets fit two to four medium sweet potatoes, though air fryer ovens can accommodate more. If your potatoes are crowded, cook them in batches.
They’re ready when a fork slides easily into the center with no resistance. If they’re still firm, keep cooking them in 3–5 minute increments until tender.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Side Dishes
The Best Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Main Dishes
Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
Salads & Bowls
Lentil Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Soups & Stews
Silky Sweet Potato Soup
If you tried this Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
- 1 tsp avocado oil, optional (see notes below)
Instructions
- Scrub the sweet potatoes and pat them dry.
- Using a fork, pierce each sweet potato about six times.
- For a tender rather than crisp skin, coat the potatoes with ½ teaspoon of oil each with your hands or a pastry brush.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F, if required. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket and cook for 40-45 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork and soft inside.
- Slice open and top as desired.
Notes
- Pierce the potatoes about six times so the steam can escape and they don’t burst.
- Use oil for tender skin. Rub each potato with ½ teaspoon of oil, or skip it for crispier skin.
- Preheat the air fryer if your model requires it.
- Choose similar-sized potatoes so they cook evenly. Larger ones need extra time.
- Leave room for air. Cook in a single layer, in batches if needed.
- Cook until fork-tender. If they’re still firm, add 3–5 minutes at a time.
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: Air fry at 350°F for 5–10 minutes, or microwave in 1-minute bursts until hot.
Thanks! Turned out perfect
Awesome. Thanks for sharing!!