Believe it or not, you can roast small chunks of sweet potatoes to perfection in just ten minutes with the help of an air fryer! When cooked just right, sweet potatoes turn a little crispy on the outside and stay soft on the inside- kids just love them!
The air fryer saves so much time! If you don't have an air fryer, you can easily make these sweet potatoes in the oven - it will just take longer (time to preheat your oven + longer cook time).
I am not one to have every appliance out there. In fact, I was very resistant to the air fryer when it first came out. Afterall, I don't care for fried anything really. It turns out that an air fryer is simply a mini convection oven - genius!
Now, back to the sweet potatoes - your kids will eat these up! The dusting of cayenne pepper is completely optional. Some kids like spice, others do not.
One of my kids loves spicey food and my other two don't want even a hint of 'spice' on anything. And, while I encourage my kids to continue to try foods that they don't like, "spicey" food is one exception that I make.
So, when I roast sweet potatoes for my kids, I put a light dusting of cayenne on half of them and leave the others to be seasoned just with salt. Yum!
For another air fryer sweet potato recipe, check out my sweet potato fries (from frozen) recipe - kids love them!
Why This Recipe is so Great
- 10 minutes from start to finish.
- High in fiber so kids feel full longer.
- Shorter cooking time, thanks to the air fryer.
- Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet.
- Made with simple ingredients that are easy to find year-round.
- Healthy side dish that can be served as a side to pretty much anything, even sandwiches!
- Roasted to a consistency that kids love: a little crispy on the outside, while remaining soft on the inside.
Ingredient Notes
Sweet potatoes That's it - just one main ingredient! Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable. They typically have an orange flesh and are high in fiber and beta carotene (vitamin A). Sweet potatoes are also a good source of vitamins C and B6, and potassium. Leave the skins on.
Dietitian Tip
For kids, repeated exposure to foods (up to 15 times!) is key to increasing acceptance of a food. And it doesn't mean that the food has to be prepared the same way every time.
For instance, sweet potatoes can be served 'baked potato style', mashed, roasted alone or with other veggies, air-fried in chunks, or made into sweet potato fries. If your kids say they don't like sweet potatoes after having them a few times, keep trying!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's a quick overview of the steps to make roasted sweet potatoes in the air fryer. For the full list of ingredients and specific instructions, scroll down to the recipe.
- Scrub the skins of the sweet potatoes well.
- Slice sweet potatoes into small rectangle shaped pieces, about one-half to one inch in length.
- Place sweet potato chunks, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss to coat.
- Spread sweet potatoes out in a single layer on an air fryer rack fit for your air fryer.
- Air fry for eight minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Photo Credit: amazon.com
Expert Tips
- Larger chunks will take longer to cook.
- Use a good quality knife to make it easier to cut through the sweet potato.
- Using a narrow sweet potato will result in more skin proportionate to the flesh. This will give it a thicker texture once roasted. To avoid this, peel about a quarter to half of the skin before slicing a narrow sweet potato.
- Kids are more likely to eat a vegetable that is cut into small pieces.
- The cayenne pepper is optional. Some kids enjoy foods with 'spice', others do not.
- If you are feeling adventurous, Tajin can be used in place of cayenne to give the sweet potatoes more of a citrus flavor.
- I use a Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven. Different air fryers may require small adjustments in temperature and/or cook time.
- If you do not have an air fryer, these sweet potatoes can be roasted in the oven at 425 degrees for about twenty minutes instead.
Recipe FAQs
No, you do not need to soak the sweet potatoes for this recipe. Soaking sweet potatoes is a recommended step when making homemade sweet potato fries, but not when you are roasting small chunks of sweet potatoes in an air fryer (or oven).
Roasted sweet potatoes can be served with pretty much anything: burgers, barbequed or grilled chicken, salmon, sandwiches, wraps. In fact, some restaurants have started to offer roasted sweet potatoes as a side in place of french fries - love it!
No. Leaving the skin on increases the fiber content, saves prep time, and helps the sweet potato chunks keep their shape.
Did you make this sweet potato recipe in your air fryer? Tell me how it went! Leave a comment below.
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Other Side Dish Recipes Your Kids Will Love
Perfectly Roasted Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chunks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato One large sweet potato or two smaller ones (about two cups when cut into pieces)
- 2 teaspoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 dash cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Scrub sweet potato well.
- Cut sweet potato into small chunks. See notes.
- Place sweet potato chunks into a bowl and toss to coat.
- Spread sweet potato pieces out in a single layer on the air fryer rack fit for your air fryer.
- Sprinkle salt on top of the sweet potatoes. If your kids like spicey food, top sweet potatoes with just a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Air fry at 400°F for 8 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
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