Have this delicious and healthy side dish on your dinner table in under 15 minutes. These air fryer sweet potato cubes are coated in herbs, spices, and olive oil after the first round of frying. Then, air fried again until perfectly crispy on the outside and tender and creamy on the inside.
Jump to:
- Why you will love this air fryer sweet potato cubes recipe
- Choosing your sweet potatoes
- Ingredients notes
- Detailed directions
- Do I need to peel sweet potatoes
- Tips for success
- Recipe shortcut
- Store and reheat
- Serving tips
- Seasonings variations
- Frequently asked questions
- Other easy air fryer vegetables ideas
- Sweet potatoes recipes you may also like
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why you will love this air fryer sweet potato cubes recipe
- Quick - take much less time to roast in the air fryer than in the oven.
- Healthy - gluten-free, paleo, vegan; rich in fiber, vitamin C, Magnesium, Potassium, and Calcium.
- Versatile - great for meal prep, salads, and side dishes. You can make them savory, sweet, or even spicy. They look great on a holiday table as well.
Choosing your sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes with a deep orange flesh ( moist types) are usually less starchy and they are great for almost any cooking method: roasting, steaming, air frying or baking.
Jewel, Garnet and Beauregard are the most popular moist types in the US. While Hannah and Purple ones are the dry types you can easily find in the produce aisle.
Buy the way, you can cook a whole sweet potato in air fryer.
For this recipe, I recommend using jewel or garnet potatoes. They come out tender in the inside and crispy on the outside. Make them savory with herbs and salt or sweet with cinnamon and brown sugar.
Hannah white sweet potatoes are another type that is great for roasting. Their skin is much thinner and does not require peeling.
Pick firm potatoes with no bruises, wrinkles or soft spots.
By the way, in 2022 sweet potatoes got on a clean 15 list. It means that the least amount of pesticides was used to grow the produce on the list.
Ingredients notes
- Sweet potatoes - I used organic Garnet sweet potatoes.
- Olive oil - you will need just a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Avocado oil will work great as well.
- Salt - add some sea salt by taste.
- Spices and herbs - I used garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and allspice. You can experiment with savory or sweet favorite spices to make this recipe.
See the recipe card below for ingredient notes
Detailed directions
You can find a recipe card with quick directions and the option to print at the bottom of the post.
- Prepare the potatoes - first, wash, scrub and pat dry the potato well. Use a veggie peel or a sharp knife to peel the skin. Place the potato on a cutting board and slice it into ½-1 inch disks. Stack them by two and cut them into even cubes.
- Add oil and air fry - in a large bowl, add sweet potato chunks, salt, and oil. Mix to coat well. Arrange the chunks in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Some overlapping is OK as they will shrink, just do not overcrowd the air fryer too much. Air fry at 390°F for 8 minutes, shaking and tossing them halfway through.
- Season and finish frying - transfer the potatoes back to the bowl and add seasoning. Mix well. Move the seasoned potato cubes back to the air fryer basket and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until browned on the outside and tender soft inside when pierced with the fork. Enjoy hot!
Note: we all know, spices do not taste great when burnt. That's why I always add dry herbs and spices after the first round of air frying for maximum flavors and to avoid burning.
Do I need to peel sweet potatoes
This is totally up to your preference. We always prefer peeled potatoes.
Potato peel can add extra texture and it contains a lot of extra fiber and other nutrients. Do not forget to scrub and wash the peel extra well before cooking.
Tips for success
- make sure to pat dry the potato well after washing it to get rid of extra moisture.
- cut the potatoes into ½-1 inch cubes. Larger chunks will take longer to cook and will not crisp up that well.
- cut into the same size chunks for even roasting.
- overlapping is OK, but for better results, arrange the cubes in a single layer. Air fry in batches if necessary.
- soak cubed potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes, they will release some starch and the potatoes will be crispier.
- cooking time may be different depending on your air fryer model. I used my Ninja XL air fryer.
Recipe shortcut
If you are really in a rush to get dinner on a table, look for already pre-cut sweet potatoes.
I always find peeled and perfectly cubed sweet potatoes at the Whole Foods store.
Store and reheat
Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days. Air frying them for about 3-4 minutes is the best way to reheat.
It is safe to freeze roasted sweet potatoes for up 3 months. I do not recommend freezing roasted potatoes as their texture might be different after reheating.
If you freeze the potatoes, use the air fryer or oven to reheat them.
Serving tips
It is a healthy and simple side dish that pairs well with almost everything. Serve them hot as a delicious side dish with chicken, turkey, or beef.
Or add cold roasted chunks to your favorite salad for extra taste and nutrients.
Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and a little bit of maple syrup for a delicious breakfast.
Seasonings variations
- Savory: black pepper, cumin, chilly powder, paprika, curry powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper
- Sweet: maple syrup, brown sugar with some cinnamon.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use only salt and spices if you need to avoid oil. In this case, I recommend at least using a little bit of oil spray at the bottom of the air fryer basket to prevent it from sticking.
Yes, lay some parchment paper over your baking sheet and roast the potato chunks for about 25 minutes at 400°, flipping them halfway.
Follow your air fryer manufacturer manual for the best results. I stopped preheating my Ninja XL air fryer. After testing both ways, I did not find much difference in preheating except for needing to add an extra minute of cooking time.
Other easy air fryer vegetables ideas
- Air fryer carrots and potatoes
- Air fryer frozen butternut squash
- Air fryer parsnip french fries
- Air fryer acorn squash
Sweet potatoes recipes you may also like
📖 Recipe
Air fryer sweet potato cubes
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Air fryer I used Ninja XL
Ingredients
- 2 large orange sweet potatoes garnet or jewel
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt (add more for serving)
- ½ teaspoon dry thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon allspice (optional)
Instructions
- Wash, scrub and pat dry the sweet potato. Peel it using a veggie peeler or a knife (optional). Cut the sweet potato into ½-1 inch cubes.
- In a large bowl, add potato cubes, salt and oil. Mix to coat.2 large orange sweet potatoes, ¼ teaspoon salt (add more for serving), 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Arrange the potatoes in air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 390°F for about 8 minutes tossing them gently halfway though.
- Transfer the potatoes back to the bowl. Add herbs and spices. Mix to coat.½ teaspoon dry thyme, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon allspice (optional)
- Air fry for another 4-5 minutes at 390°F or until crispy on the outside and fork tender on the inside.
Notes
- cut the potatoes into even cubes for even cooking.
- you can leave the skin on for extra fiber and nutrients.
- do not overcrowd the air fryer basket. Cook in batches if necessary.
- adding spices after the first round of cooking prevent them from burning.
- use favorite sweet or savory spices.
- nutritional facts are for information purposes only, and not to be considered medical advice.
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