Simple Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
Have you ever wondered if there was a faster way to bake sweet potatoes? You’re in luck — there is! This easy air fryer baked sweet potato recipe is ready in a snap with minimal effort and ingredients. There’s no oil, no mess, and you get total control over how you season and serve the final product. Let’s get baking!
Why I Love This Recipe
You might be asking yourself, “What’s the benefit of making sweet potatoes in the air fryer versus the oven?” And they answer is simple – this method saves time and energy.
Baking sweet potatoes in the oven is totally easy and effective! But sometimes, you don’t want to wait to preheat your whole oven (especially for a small batch). Air fryers preheat fairly quickly because they’re much smaller than your oven.
This recipe is also great for warmer months, when you don’t want to heat up your house even more by turning on the oven.
Nutrition Tidbits
As an added benefit, this recipe is super nutritious! Sweet potatoes are a wonderfully nutrient-dense food. They’re full of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, potassium, fiber, and powerful antioxidants.
Should you eat potato skin?
If you like it, absolutely! Although the flesh of the potato is where most of the nutrients live, the skin has some additional fiber. Just be sure to wash the skin thoroughly. I have a designated scrub brush for washing potato skins.
Preparation Steps
See full instructions by scrolling down to the recipe card.
1. Preheat
Before you prep your sweet potatoes, preheat your air fryer to 400F for 10 minutes.
2. Wash, dry, & poke potatoes
While your air fryer is preheating, thoroughly wash and scrub your potatoes, then pat dry. (Getting them as dry as possible will make the skin more crispy.)
Then use a fork to poke holes in the sweet potato skin. This is an important step! The holes will allow steam to escape during baking. Believe me… you don’t want your sweet potato exploding on you.
3. Bake
Place in the air fryer basket and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the sweet potatoes and check for doneness by poking with a fork, and then bake for another 10-20 minutes.
If you can stand waiting, let your sweet potatoes rest for 5-10 minutes. This step ensures that your sweet potatoes will be perfectly velvety and soft.
Finally, serve with butter and salt!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you wrap your sweet potatoes in foil, the steam will release inside and make the skin soft instead of crispy. The recipe will work either way – it just depends on your preference.
Air fryer baked sweet potatoes can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days and reheated as needed. (Fun fact: when potatoes are cooled and reheated, resistant starch is formed. This is a slowly digestible starch that can aid in blood sugar control, digestion, and appetite regulation.)
It doesn’t matter whether you choose round or oblong sweet potatoes, just make sure your potatoes are a similar size and shape so that they cook consistently.
Nope! You may notice that this recipe does not use any oil to coat the potatoes. I tested it both ways, and the only major difference I noticed between the two was that the version with oil looked a bit more shiny and pretty. The skin tastes great either way! With this version, you can control the amount of oil and seasoning that you add.
Many baked sweet potato recipes will call for salting the skin before baking. Adding a dash of salt or seasoning mix before baking is absolutely fine, but my family and I typically like seasoning our own potatoes afterwards.
What to Serve With Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Create a balanced meal and serve alongside sheet pan steak and veggies.
- Stuff it! Add seasoned shredded chicken and melted cheese or a salad mix to the top for a satisfying meal
- Make it zesty and top with spicy chili.
- Serve alongside a light, fresh salad to round out your meal.
Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
Toppings (optional)
- 4 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400F (This should take about 10 minutes.)
- Meanwhile, thoroughly scrub and dry the sweet potatoes. Pierce skin with a fork several times.
- Add sweet potatoes to the preheated air fryer and bake for 20 minutes. Check for doneness by poking with a fork, flip, then cook an additional 10-20 minutes. Let the sweet potatoes rest in the air fryer for 5 minutes before serving.
- Slice lengthwise and serve with a generous pat of butter and a dash of salt.
Notes
- 1 serving =  ½ potato. Nutrition facts were calculated with butter and salt added.
- Please note that nutrition facts are an estimate and can vary widely based on amounts and specific types used.
Nutrition
Looking for More Sweet Potato Recipes?
- Fall Harvest Salad with Sweet Potatoes
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Hash
- One-Pan Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas
- Sweet Potato Egg Cups
- Sweet Potato Bites
- Dairy-Free Egg Casserole with Sausage and Vegetables
