Soggy sweet potato fries? I discovered the secret to crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries and it couldn’t be easier. Make this homemade sweet potato fries recipe in the air fryer and enjoy a delicious, quick, and healthy side dish that your whole family will love in a fraction of the time.
My regular french fry recipes – both my Copycat Crab Fries and my Homemade French Fries with regular potatoes- are super popular with readers. But my love for fries does not discriminate, and so I have been wanting to share a sweet potato french fry recipe for years now.
But there was just one problem. Every time I made sweet potato fries, I could not get them as crispy as traditional french fries no matter what I did – even in the air fryer, which is a miracle worker for all things crisp.
I even tried all the tricks when testing them:
1. I tried soaking my sweet potatoes in cold water to remove the starch.
2. I tried using more oil.
3. I tried coating the french fries with cornstarch.
None of these methods gave me the crispy french fry texture that I wanted.
And I then I found something new to try. Egg whites. I was doubtful, but I coated my sweet potato fries in egg whites, cooked them in my air fryer, and oh my word, they came out amazing. Crispy on the outside, and tender and delicious on the inside. Utter fry perfection.
If you, too, have been disappointed with the crispiness level of your sweet potato fries, you NEED to try this and let me know how it works for you.
Serve them with my BBQ Chicken Burgers or Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin for the perfect sweet and savory flavor combo!
Have a new Air Fryer? Check out my list of the best healthy air fryer recipes for beginners.
Why Egg Whites
I found this trick on the internet and apparently it hails from the book Run Fast. East Slow… and let me tell you, it’s a total game changer. And why does this work? Here’s my theory:
You know how when you pan fry an egg, the whites get nice and crispy? The same effect happens to your french fries!
The idea here is when you coat the sweet potato with egg white, it creates a barrier that prevents moisture from the cooking process from seeping into the fries and making them soggy.
Instead, the fries get crispy and golden brown.
Another benefit of using the egg mixture is it seems to allow the seasonings to stay on during cook time, which is awesome. Also, who doesn’t love a little bonus protein with their carbs, right?
Ingredients
These tasty fries are the perfect side dish for your busiest weeknights because it calls for just a few simple ingredients. You will need:
Sweet Potatoes – You can peel your potatoes, or leave the peel on. Sweet potatoes should be sliced into thin, uniform fries. Thicker fries will take longer to cook.
Avocado oil + Avocado oil spray – Thanks to the air fryer, you need very little oil to make these crispy sweet potato fries. And I like a blend of oil and an oil spray for the perfect crisp.
Salt + garlic powder – You can season your sweet potato fries with your favorite seasonings, but I enjoy them most with a simple salt and garlic powder seasoning.
Egg white – The secret ingredient!
How to Make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees Farenheit. Wash and dry sweet potatoes thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.
- Peel and slice sweet potatoes on a cutting board into thin fries, trying to keep them as uniform as possible. Thin strips will cook faster and crisp up more.
- Whisk 1-2 egg whites until frothy (if your potatoes are big, you will need two).
- Place fries in a large bowl and coat with egg whites – be sure to get them evenly coated. Toss fries with 1 Tbsp avocado oil, then season well with salt and garlic powder, or your favorite fry seasonings.
- Spray well with avocado oil cooking spray, then place the first batch in a single layer in your air fryer. For best results, don’t overcrowd them or your fries will not get crispy. The amount of fries per batch will vary depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Cook for 15-18 minutes or until fries are cooked through, crispy, and golden brown, giving the air fryer basket a little shake halfway through cook time.
- Enjoy with a naturally sweetened ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce – see some ideas below!
Helpful Tips
- Dry sweet potatoes thoroughly after washing
- Cut your sweet potato fries evenly in size to ensure even cooking.
- Do not overcrowd your air fryer basket; this will result in soggy fries.
- Shake your basket halfway through cooking to ensure even cooking.
- Serve your sweet potato fries hot for the best flavor and texture.
Seasoning Options
These healthy fries can be seasoned however your heart desires! You could try using:
- salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper
- chili powder alone or with a little brown sugar
- some yummy Everything Bagel Seasoning
- Trader Joe’s Ranch or Everything But the Elote seasoning
And don’t forget a yummy dipping sauce like:
- naturally sweetened ketchup
- melted cheese sauce
- maple mustard sauce from my Everything Bagel Chicken post
- homemade ranch from this Mason Jar Salad recipe
Recipe FAQs
You sure can! Freeze leftover sweet potato fries in a freezer safe container for up to three months. Note, if you want to freeze raw potatoes before Air Frying them, you must blanch them first.
Prepare raw sweet potato fries using the recipe provided. Then roast sweet potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, then flip. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Meal Prep and Storage
To Prep Ahead: In my opinion, sweet potato fries are best when made on the day you intend to serve them.
To Store: Store leftover fries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
To Freeze: Freeze leftover sweet potato fries in a freezer safe container for up to three months.
To Reheat: Reheat leftover sweet potato fries right in your Air Fryer until warmed through and crisp.
More Air Fryer Potato Recipes
Homemade Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Banana Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Air Fryer Baked Potato Recipe | Evolving Table
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips | Aleka’s Get Together
Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes | What Molly Made
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Sweet Potatoes
- Avocado oil + Avocado oil spray
- Salt to taste
- Garlic powder to taste
- 1 Egg white if your potatoes are large, you may need 2
Instructions
Air Fryer
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees Farenheit
- Peel and slice sweet potatoes into thin fries, trying to keep them as uniform as possible. Thin strips will cook faster and crisp up more.
- Whisk 1-2 egg whites (if your potatoes are big, you will need two).
- Place fries in a large bowl and coat with egg whites – be sure to get them evenly coated. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp avocado oil, then season well with salt and garlic powder or your favorite fry seasonings.
- Spray air fryer well with avocado oil spray, then place the first batch in a single layer in your air fryer. Don’t overcrowd them or your fries will not get crispy.
- Cook for about 15 minutes, shaking halfway, or until fries are fully cooked and crispy!
- Enjoy with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce!
Oven
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Follow steps 2-4. Then place prepared sweet potato fries onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Coat with cooking oil spray.
- Roast sweet potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, then flip. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
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