How do you make frozen sweet potato fries in the air fryer? It’s so simple! You’ll love this air fryer frozen sweet potato fries recipe for a delicious appetizer or side dish. When you freeze your own sweet potato fries, you can enjoy air fried fries whenever you wish in under 30 minutes! These healthy homemade sweet potato fries have no added sugar, additives, or other unwanted ingredients.
Sweet potato fries are what’s cooking today. Since we’re air frying the sweet potatoes, they are really more of a roasted vegetable, not fried fries.
With this recipe, I wanted to give you the convenience of frozen fries, but with a smaller ingredients list. Unfortunately, even the health food store brands of sweet potato fries may contain ingredients you’d rather keep off your plate.
For example, here are the ingredients for Alexia sweet potato fries:
- Sweet potatoes
- Vegetable oils (including highly processed canola oil or sunflower seed oil)
- Rice flour (a refined flour)
- Cane sugar (added sugar)
- Tapioca starch and corn starch
- Dextrin
- Salt
- Spices
- Mustard powder
- Gluconic acid (food additive)
- Xanthan gum
And here are the ingredients for Ore-Ida sweet potato fries:
- Sweet potatoes
- Vegetable oil blend (highly processed oils)
- Modified food starch
- Rice flour (refined flour)
- Dextrin
- Salt
- Sodium acid pyrophosphate (food additive)
- Annatto
- Leavening
- Xanthan gum
Meanwhile, here’s all you need to make my frozen sweet potato fries:
- Sweet potatoes
- Avocado oil or olive oil (fruit oils that undergo less processing than vegetable oils)
- Salt
With only a tiny bit of extra effort, you can skip the refined flours, added sugars, highly processed veg oils, and additives in store-bought frozen fries. Let’s get to it!
Jump to:
Benefits
Why are you going to LOVE this recipe? Here’s a few reasons:
- Packed with provitamin A: Potatoes and sweet potatoes have a lot in common nutritionally. However, one thing you get from sweet potato fries that you aren’t getting from white potatoes are provitamin A carotenoids. Your body can convert certain carotenoids (such as beta carotene) into vitamin A.
- Rich in potassium and fiber: Sweet potatoes are rich in other essential nutrients as well, including potassium. In addition, they are considered a heart-healthy “slow carb” that provides fiber.
- Simple recipe aligns with many special diets: Are you gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, sugar free, soy free, nut free, or dairy free? You can enjoy this recipe with no modifications. That’s one of the lovely things about recipes with a small number of ingredients; they work for many individuals.
- No ultra-processed foods involved: If you read my article on ultra-processed foods, you know they’re not so great for healthy weight management. Nearly all frozen sweet potato fries from the store count as ultra-processed. Health-wise, DIY frozen sweet potato fries are the way to go.
- Crispy appetizer, side dish, or snack: These air fried fries are a versatile addition to your menu. Serve them as a snack on game day, an easy side dish, or enjoy them as an appetizer before the meal. The air fryer is perfect for cooking sweet potato fries to crispy perfection without burning.
Benefits above aside, what if you want to make Alexia frozen sweet potato fries in the air fryer? Or what if Trader Joe’s sweet potato fries are your thing?
You can absolutely cook store-bought frozen sweet potato fries in the air fryer. I just like to give a wide range of options. What you do with the information is totally up to you.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make air fryer frozen sweet potato fries:
- Sweet potatoes
- Avocado oil
- Sea salt
- Cooking oil spray
I also recommend having a dipping sauce on hand. I have some suggestions for tasty dipping sauces below!
Equipment
There are so many options for air fryers out there! The Ninja Foodi, Cuisinart AirFryer, Emeril AirFryer, Pampered Chef Air Fryer, and more. You may have a small air fryer with an air fryer basket, or a larger air fryer oven.
I created this air fryer sweet potato french fries recipe with my 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. If you are using a different air fryer brand, you may need to modify the cooking time. If you have a smaller air fryer you may need to cook this recipe in more than one batch.
Aside from the air fryer, I also recommend having the following on hand:
- Potato peeler
- Sharp knife
- Large pot (for the parboiling step)
- Quart-size freezer bags
If you want to make frozen sweet potato waffle fries in the air fryer, you’ll need a waffle fry cutter. Just be careful! It can be really easy to cut yourself on mandoline slicers.
How to Cook Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in Air Fryer
Before cooking, you need to cut the sweet potatoes and prep them for freezing. Set a large pot of water to boil over medium heat on the stovetop. You’re going to need it in a bit.
Peel the potatoes and cut them around ½-inch thick and 3½-4 inches long. Try to cut the sweet potatoes as evenly as possible for more even cooking.
Put the cut sweet potatoes into your pot of boiling water and parboil for 3 minutes. Partially cooking the fries means they’ll need less air frying time.
With parboiling, you won’t need to overcook the fries to get them soft on the inside. They’ll air fry perfectly; crisp on the outside (with no burning!) and soft on the inside.
After the 3 minutes is up, drain the sweet potato fries in a colander. Rinse them with cool water to stop the cooking process. Set the cut sweet potatoes out in a single layer on paper towels to dry.
Pat the tops of the sweet potato fries to remove as much moisture as possible. Lay them out in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Freeze the sweet potatoes on the tray overnight.
Freezing the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the tray helps prevent them from sticking together. After they have frozen on the tray, you can store the sweet potato french fries in quart-size baggies in the freezer. Packaging them in baggies will help prevent freezer burn for longer term storage.
Now your frozen sweet potato fries are just as convenient to use as store-bought frozen fries. They’re ready to cook, with no thawing needed, whenever you are ready!
Cook Time and Temp
You need to air fry frozen sweet potato fries for a total of 25 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Start by misting your air fryer trays or basket with cooking oil spray.
Put the frozen fries in a bowl, and mix with the avocado oil. Sprinkle the frozen sweet potato fries with sea salt.
Spread the fries in single layer on your air fryer trays (or air fryer basket). I needed to use two air fryer trays for this recipe.
Don't overcrowd the fries! Cook them in multiple batches if you need to. It’s important that the air can properly circulate around the air fryer if you want the fries to crisp up.
Put the trays in your air fryer and cook for 10 minutes at 400F. Next, flip the fries, switch the position of the trays in your air fryer oven, and cook an additional 10 minutes at 400F. Then flip the fries again, switch the tray positions, and cook for 5 more minutes at 400F.
If certain fries are not crisped to your liking at this point, you can air fry them a little longer. Remove the sweet potato fries that are done, and keep cooking the others for a few more minutes. Sweet potato fries don’t get quite as crisp as those made from russet potatoes, but they shouldn’t be soggy.
What dipping sauces do you use for sweet potato fries?
My favorite dip for sweet potato fries is the no added sugar ketchup by True Made Foods. This ketchup uses veggies and fruits (like apples, carrots, and butternut squash) for sweetness instead of adding sugar. It tastes just as sweet and delicious as regular ketchup; my family did not suspect this was a healthier product.
If you want to broaden your culinary horizons, here are some other fry dipping ideas:
- Cider Gravy from the Chicken and Gravy Recipe (maybe with some cheese curds for an autumnal spin on poutine)
- Low Carb Cheese Dip
- Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce from the Air Fryer Jicama Fries Recipe
- The New Primal Mustard BBQ Sauce (contains 1 gram of added sugar from pineapple juice concentrate)
Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). One serving of these sweet potato fries (a reasonable amount, not a tiny portion) will set you back over 250 calories. It’s a lot for a side dish that is mostly carbs and fat, with limited satiating protein.
One of the reasons that low carb diets can be effective for weight loss is that they cut back on starchy veggies. These are vegetables like sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and corn that are relatively high in calories. In their place, keto and low carb diets emphasize non-starchy veggies, many of which have negligible calories.
So, what’s the best way to include sweet potato fries in your meal if you have a weight loss goal? I recommend keeping the rest of the meal light with lean protein and non-starchy veggies (cooked with limited oil). These elements will help you to feel full while you maintain the calorie deficit you need to lose weight.
You’re getting plenty of carbs with the sweet potatoes. Meats provide the B vitamins found in grains, plus they provide a more bioavailable source of certain minerals (such as iron). Most sedentary adults won’t need to add additional bread, pasta, rice, corn, etc. on top of the carbs already here.
I think it's important to understand why certain diets (such as low carb) benefit some people. It allows you to use strategies from these dietary patterns to your advantage, without fully adopting the way of eating. This information can be helpful to those who want to lose weight but don’t want to fully give up things like sweet potato fries.
FAQs
If you’re making store-bought frozen sweet potato fries, simply follow the oven baking directions on the packaging. The cooking times and temperatures will vary depending on the sweet potato fry shape and brand you use. You can bake homemade frozen sweet potato fries in an oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit until they are crisped to your liking.
Yes, you can reheat sweet potato fries that have previously been cooked. If they have been kept thawed and refrigerated, it should only take a few minutes in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit to crisp them back up.
Most store-bought frozen sweet potato fries aren’t the best choice health-wise. They often count as ultra-processed foods, containing added sugars, refined flour, additives, and/or highly processed oils. This recipe for homemade frozen sweet potato fries is a less processed and more nutritious (i.e., healthier) choice.
To prevent burnt sweet potato fries, cut the fries as evenly as possible for even cooking. Fries going into the oven should be dry (but lightly coated in oil) and in a single non-touching layer on the baking tray. Remove fries that have finished cooking from the oven early, so they don’t get the chance to burn.
Other Air Fryer Frozen Food Recipes You’ll Love
Air fryers do the best job cooking frozen foods! After you’ve made these air fryer yam fries, here are some more air fryer recipes you may enjoy:
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen Hash Browns
- Frozen Meatballs in Air Fryer Recipe
- Air Fryer Frozen Pizza
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats with yogurt post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 12 ounces sweet potatoes (340 grams)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- cooking oil spray of choice
- no added sugar ketchup (or your favorite dipping sauce for sweet potato fries)
Instructions
- Get a large pot of water boiling on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Peel your sweet potatoes and cut them into sweet potato fry shapes that are ½-inch (1.27 cm) thick and 3½-4 inches (9-10 cm) long. Try to make them all about the same thickness for more even cooking.
- Put the sweet potato pieces in the pot of boiling water and cook for three minutes. They will be parboiled (i.e., not fully cooked).
- Drain the sweet potatoes and rinse them in cool water to stop the cooking process.
- Spread the sweet potato french fries out in a single layer on paper towels. Pat their tops dry with more towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the cut sweet potatoes out on the sheet in a single layer. Freeze them on the tray overnight.
- Put the frozen sweet potato fries in a quart-sized baggie for longer-term freezer storage. You can use them whenever you're ready to have some fries!
How to Make Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in Air Fryer:
- Mist your air fryer trays with cooking oil spray.
- Put the frozen sweet potato fries in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Spread the sweet potato french fries in a single layer on your air fryer trays. Don't overcrowd them! I needed to use two air fryer trays for this recipe.
- Air fry for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Then flip the fries over, switch the position of the trays in the air fryer, and air fry for an additional 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Flip the fries again, and switch the position of the trays in the air fryer once more. Air fry for 5 more minutes at 400°F (200°C). (That's a total of 25 minutes of air frying.)
- If certain fries are not crisped to your liking, you can air fry them a little longer. Remove the sweet potato fries that are done, and keep cooking the others for a few more minutes.
- Let your sweet potato fries cool for a few minutes and then serve with your favorite ketchup or dipping sauce. YUM!
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