Roasted to perfection in just 15 minutes, these air fryer sweet potatoes boast both crispy edges and a fork-tender center. Coated in a parmesan herb mixture, they’re an easy and indispensable side dish for any meal.
I debated sharing this roasted sweet potato recipe because at some point it’s like how many sweet potato recipes does one site need?
From roasted purple sweet potatoes to sweet potato tots and everything in between, you could probably cook for a year with the amount of recipes on here that include sweet potato.
That said, this air fryer approach to the roasted sweet potato has been on repeat lately thanks to the BJ’s sized bags I’ve been buying every week.
You’d think we’d be sick of them by now but apparently the combination of parmesan and herbs with a perfectly crispy sweet potato round knows no limitations.
If you’re looking for that perfect side dish that can be served with virtually any meal, these air fryer sweet potatoes are it.
And because we’re using the air fryer, they’re ready after just 15 minutes of roasting. Can’t beat that!
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE SWEET POTATOES IN THE AIR FRYER
- medium – large sweet potatoes
- avocado oil
- Italian seasoning – or a blend of basil, oregano and thyme
- garlic powder
- salt
- parmesan (or pecorino romano)
WHAT KIND OF SWEET POTATOES ARE BEST FOR AIR FRYING?
I’m using good old garnet sweet potatoes here. There are so many varieties of sweet potatoes and yams however and most will work with this recipe.
I love purple sweet potatoes (usually making them into fries) as well and often swap them in for traditional orange sweet potatoes.
When choosing garnet sweet potatoes, look for firm ones without much bruising or indentations on the skin.
You don’t have to peel the sweet potatoes if you give them a good wash (and I prefer not to because the skin crisps up wonderfully when roasting) but if there are any brown spots, you’ll want to use a peeler or knife to get rid of them.
From oil sprays to muffin cups and from pizza pans to racks, we've got them all, and they make fantastic Christmas presents, too!
HOW TO CUT SWEET POTATOES FOR AIR FRYING
There are a variety of ways to air fry sweet potatoes. You can do so whole, cut into fry shape, chopped in cubes (like air fryer eggplant) or, as shown here in rounds.
I’m partial to rounds for this recipe because the shape, with its extra surface area, lends itself really well to getting that perfect crispiness everyone craves from a roasted vegetable.
The rounds roast beautifully landing the texture somewhere between a potato chip and fry. It’s the best of both!
If you prefer smaller potatoes, try these air fryer baby potatoes which crisp up stunningly! Red potatoes are also great for the air fryer.
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER SWEET POTATOES
If your air fryer has a preheat setting, feel free to set to 400°F and preheat. This isn’t necessary however.
Thoroughly wash the sweet potatoes then cut into rounds about 1/8″ thick. Choosing sweet potatoes of a similar shape and size will help ensure the rounds are similar in size when cut.
Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl, drizzle with the avocado oil and toss to combine.
Combine the herbs and cheese in a small bowl then dump on top of the sweet potatoes. Toss together making sure each sweet potato is coated with the mixture.
Transfer the seasoned sweet potatoes to the air fryer in a single layer. If you have an air fryer oven model arrange the rounds on the trays. If you have a basket model, place them in the basket keeping them in a single layer. You may have to roast the potatoes in batches.
Air fry at 400°F for 15 minutes until the tops of the sweet potatoes are golden brown, the edges crispy and the middles fork tender.
If you have a basket air fryer, shake the basket half way through roasting. This isn’t necessary for oven models with trays although you can rotate the trays if you’d like for even baking.
Garnish with fresh herbs if desired and serve.
TIPS FOR THE BEST AIR FRIED SWEET POTATOES
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer! Keeping the potato rounds in a single layer is imperative in this recipe. Work in batches if necessary.
- Enjoy immediately. These are best served straight out of the air fryer while hot and crispy.
- Keep it simple! No need to peel, soak or par-boil the sweet potatoes before roasting. That’s what’s great about this air fryer recipe!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK SWEET POTATOES AND YAMS IN THE AIR FRYER?
This recipe takes just 15 minutes to air fry the sweet potatoes. That’s about half the time it would take in an oven at the same temperature.
Cutting the sweet potatoes in thin rounds also helps keeps the cooking time down which is another reason I prefer this shape to fries or cubes.
If you decide to cut the potatoes into a different shape keep in mind the cooking time might vary. Air frying whole sweet potatoes can take as long as 45-50 minutes if they’re large.
HOW TO SERVE AIR FRYER SWEET POTATO ROUNDS
Because of the universally loved parmesan-herb coating, these sweet potatoes are a side dish that can go with almost any main meal. They hold their own in fancy holidays spreads just as well as weeknight dinners.
Serve them alongside a simple protein like this air fryer salmon or air fryer lamb chops or something off the grill like venison backstrap.
Or, try this air fryer burger recipe for your main protein.
You can also use them as a base to a meal and top with shredded meat like braised leg of lamb or braised veal brisket.
They’re so versatile, they can even be enjoyed for breakfast with some eggs and bacon or your favorite breakfast meat.
STORAGE TIPS
While these are best enjoyed immediately out of the air fryer, if you have leftovers, they can be stored in an air-tight container and reheated in the air fryer before serving.
Using the air fryer to reheat will help re-crisp the potatoes versus the microwave.
This recipe isn’t great for freezing. You likely won’t have that many leftovers anyway!
MORE SWEET POTATO SIDE DISHES TO TRY:
Mashed Purple Sweet Potatoes
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Cashew Cream
Rosemary Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Goat Cheese and Spinach Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Parmesan Herb Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 medium-large sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, *see note
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup grated parmesan, or pecorino romano
Instructions
- Wash exterior of sweet potatoes well then slice into rounds about 1/8" thick. Place in a large bowl.
- Combine the spices and cheese in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the sweet potatoes with the oil then toss well to fully coat each round.
- Add the parmesan herb mixture to the bowl and toss again to distribute the mixture among the sweet potatoes.
- Arrange the seasoned sweet potatoes in your air fryer in a single layer either on trays for oven models or in the basket. Work in batches if necessary.
- Air fry at 400°F for 15 minutes until edges are crispy and middles are fork tender. The tops of the sweet potato rounds should be golden brown.
- Best served immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
These were the best!
These parmesan-herb air-fried sweet potatoes were absolutely delicious. I made this yesterday, and it turned out perfect! My family also loved them! This is definitely worth a try!
These are so good! I love the way they’re done. I have a sweet potato problem, so these are perfect for me.