These frozen sweet potato fries made in the air fryer make a sweet, healthy, and unexpected after school snack or as a side with dinner. Kids will love them - especially when served with yogurt dip!
With essentially no prep time, it doesn't get much easier than this! No stress, less mess, and happy kids!
I don't know about you, but I am a 'hard sell' when it comes to new and 'trendy' appliances. I prefer keeping things simple and not having a hundred different things to have to store.
Plus, I had figured out how to cook a lot of foods with minimal oil in my regular oven... But, the air fryer... it saves so much time when compared to using the oven.
So, when I learned Cuisinart came out with a 'duo' toaster oven/air fryer combo, I. was. sold. This is not a sponsored post... I just really love cooking with it!
Serve these 'fries' either alone as a snack, or along side turkey burgers, or grilled chicken. So good!
Love your air fryer as much as I do? Then, you must try my air fried kale chips, apple slices, and beet chip recipes!
Recipe Highlights
Made in the air fryer, these sweet fries are a healthier alternative to traditional fries and are ready in no time! Liven up your kids' after school snack or dinner by serving these! I know dipping sweet potato fries in yogurt sounds a little strange but encourage your kids to try it! It's so good! If after trying it, they say it's really not their thing, that's okay! At least they tried it! Plus, good 'ol ketchup works, too!
- Making frozen sweet potato fries in the air fryer saves time. There is no need to preheat (this step alone saves me about ten minutes), and the fries cook so much faster than cooking them in the oven.
- Sweet potato fries are high in fiber so your kids will stay full longer.
- Sweet potato fries have more fiber and vitamins than traditional fries.
- Sweet potato fries made in the air fryer are healthier than sweet potato fries served in restaurants because restaurants (at least the ones I am familiar with) deep fry their fries.
- Kids tend to have more 'self control' (ie: listen to their hunger cues) when eating sweet potato fries when compared to eating regular fries (probably because they have a high satiety factor).
Ingredient Notes
- Frozen Sweet Potato Fries Contain vitamins A (beta-carotene), C, and E. They are also high in fiber. Try to find a brand that does not contain added sugar, like Trader Joe's or Ore-Ida.
- Salt Added for flavor. If your kids like plain sweet potato, they will likely enjoy sweet potato fries without adding salt.
- Cayenne pepper Optional. Added for flavor. Use just a little to add a hint of spice. The combination of cayenne pepper and salt with the sweetness of sweet potatoes is really delicious. Still, if your kids don't like spice, I suggest not adding any cayenne pepper at all.
Which Brand of Sweet Potato Fries to Buy
The three most common brands of sweet potato fries are Ore-Ida, Trader Joe's, and Alexia. Ore-Ida and Trader Joe's brands have almost the same ingredients. Ore-Ida sweet potato fries, though, contain more than two times as much sodium as Trader Joe's brand per serving. Neither Ore-Ida or Trader Joe's brand of frozen sweet potato fries contain added sugar.
Alexia frozen sweet potato fries do contain added sugar. I had my kids do a blind taste test. They thought (and I agreed!) that the Alexia 'fries' tasted sweeter and most like sweet potatoes. Still, none of us voted Alexia to be our favorite in taste or texture. Trader Joe's made first place, Ore-Ida second, and Alexia third overall (flavor and texture).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's a quick overview of the steps to make these sweet potato fries in an air fryer. For the full list of ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe.
- Coat your air fryer basket with a high heat oil, like avocado oil to prevent food from sticking.
- Lay frozen sweet potato fries in a single layer on the air fryer basket recommended for your air fryer.
- Sprinkle with salt.
- If adding cayenne pepper, lightly dust the fries with cayenne pepper.
- Set your air fryer to 400 degrees and air fry for at least 7 minutes.
- Carefully remove fries from air fryer, toss and serve.
Expert Tips
- For quickest and best results, lay the fries close together but not so close that they are touching.
- To be sure all sides are cooked evenly, you may want to toss the 'fries' after the first five minutes, even if they are in a single layer. I don't usually do this, but I'm not as particular about 'crispiness'.
- The ends of frozen sweet potato fries burn easily.
- Cooking at a higher temperature will reduce cooking time, but the ends of the sweet potato fries will be burnt.
- Never use aerosol spray cans in your air fryer.
- It's best to use a good quality oil mister or simply use a silicone basting brush to brush oil on to the air fryer basket to prevent food from sticking. The same method can be used to lightly coat foods with oil for extra crispiness.
- Stay near the air fryer while cooking because your nose might be the first to pick up if food is being overcooked.
- If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake them in the oven. Simply, follow the manufacturers instruction for time and temperature.
- I used a Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven. Different air fryers might require small adjustments in temperature and/or cook time.
Recipe FAQs
They can be! When sweet potato fries are made without added sugar and with minimal oil, as with the air fryer or when baked in the oven, sweet potatoes fries can make a healthy snack or side.
Yes! Simply place previously cooked sweet potato fries in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes to reheat.
Frozen sweet potato fries can be found in most traditional grocery stores in the U.S. They can be found in the frozen section, where you would also find frozen french fries.
Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces frozen sweet potato fries Half of a 15-20 ounce bag.
- A pinch of salt optional
- A pinch of cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Coat the air fryer basket with a high heat oil (like avocado oil) to prevent sticking.
- Spread frozen sweet potato fries out in a single layer.
- Sprinkle with salt (optional).
- Lightly dust half of the sweet potato fries with cayene pepper (only if your kids like spice).
- Set your air fryer to 400°. Air fry for 7 minutes.
- Check the 'fries'. If they aren't crispy enough for you, place them in the air fryer for an additional 2 minutes.
- Carefully remove the sweet potato fries from the air fryer and let cool slightly before serving.
Melanie Anders
I don't have an air fryer but wondered what size you suggest. I have seen 5 qt. and 7 qt. I like the Cuisinart toaster oven combo you mentioned.
Kristi
Great question! The size of the air fryer will depend on how much space you have and how many people you will be feeding. As a general rule of thumb, the 3-5qt size is suggested for a family of 3-5 people. Still, if you don't mind cooking in batches, you could go with this size even with a larger family. I love the Cuisinart/toaster/oven combo -I use it almost daily. It cooks so quick that even when I have to cook in batches, it's still much less time than when using the oven. I hope this helps!