Crispy roasted sweet potatoes are made in an air fryer. They are a top 8 free, gluten free, dairy free, and vegan side dish. Air fryer roasted sweet potatoes are the perfect Thanksgiving or holiday gathering offering.
Jump to:
- Why We Like This Recipe
- Ingredients
- The Ingredient Low Down
- Instructions/ Directions and Tips
- Oven Cooking Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Substitutions
- Variations /Adaptations for Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Equipment
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Storage
- Top Tip
- FAQs on Crispy Sweet Potatoes
- What To Serve With
- Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- 📖 Recipe
- Food Safety
- Latest Posts
Why We Like This Recipe
The reason this Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe is becoming one of our favourites is it is a great way to make a side dish without using the oven. It uses the air fryer and the stove. The parboiling and steaming can be done in advance and then the sweet potatoes stored in the fridge. For those without an air fryer we include how to make crispy sweet potatoes using the oven.
The kids love this air fryer roasted sweet potatoes recipe as it adds variety to our meals and sweetness. They cannot handle having the same mashed potatoes day in and day out. These help us bring more types of foods that are high in vitamins into their diet.
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes
- Garlic Powder
- Fresh Rosemary
- Salt
- Pepper
- Neutral Oil
See recipe card for quantities.
The Ingredient Low Down
Sweet Potatoes
Both sweet potatoes and yams will work for this Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe. Our stores don’t always carry sweet potatoes all year long but instead they bring in yams. There is a difference between the two and to find out which is readily available near you. Yams won’t taste as sugary as sweet potatoes can. To check out the different types of each check out this Bon Appetit article. If either are new to your diet always check with your medical team to make sure they are safe for you before buying.
Fresh Rosemary, Garlic Powder, Salt, and Pepper
We have a kitchen sill herb garden we use all year long. We do this as it is cheaper to buy a plant at the nursery under $4 and a bunch will cost about the same. The plant will feed us all year with proper care. This is just how we save money and add flavour.
Dried rosemary is perfectly fine to use instead. Reduce the amount to 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of dried rosemary instead of 2 tablespoons (30 ml). Always check that dried spices like dried rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper are free from cross contact as more are processed in plants on the same lines as allergens like dairy and wheat.
Neutral Oil
Any high smoke point neutral oil that is safe for you will work well. We like to use canola as it is safe for us and doesn’t flavour the sweet potatoes with a strong oil flavour.
Instructions/ Directions and Tips
Step 1
Peel and large dice the sweet potatoes into ½ inch x ½ inch cubes.
Step 2
Bring a medium pot to a boil .
Step 3
Put cubed sweet potatoes in the boiling water and parboil for 2 minutes.
Step 4
After 2 minutes of boiling, remove the potatoes from the pot by straining them in a colander. Be sure to drain the water out of the pot.
Step 5
Put the colander containing the sweet potato cubes in the drained pot that has been removed from the heat and cover with a kitchen towel.
Step 6
Let the sweet potatoes steam under the kitchen towel for 5 minutes.
Step 7
Remove the potatoes from the colander and lay out on a second kitchen towel and pat any last bit of water off the cubes.
Step 8
Preheat the air fryer to 400F or oven to 375F..
Step 9
Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and toss with neutral oil, garlic powder, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Mix well to coat all the sweet potato cubes evenly.
Step 10
Put the sweet potatoes in the basket of the air fryer and cook for 24 mins at 380F, shaking the contents to stir often. Depending on the size of the air fryer and basket more than one batch may need to be done to cook them all and not overcrowd the air fryer.
Hint: The steaming is important as it helps make the sweet potatoes fluffy inside.
Oven Cooking Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
If using the oven, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil a 9x 13 glass casserole dish. Lay out the sweet potatoes in a single layer as best as possible and bake for 30 minutes at 375F. Flip the potatoes every 10 mins, paying close attention to any areas that may have more than a single layer on them.
Substitutions
- Cauliflower - For a lower carb, lower sugar option try cauliflower. Use both the florets and the stem cut in equal sized bites. Cauliflower doesn’t need to be boiled before air frying.
- No Garlic - If actual garlic isn’t safe but garlic flavoured oil is, use a garlic flavoured oil instead of garlic powder.
- Potato - If sweet potatoes are not right for you potatoes can be subbed in instead.
Check out our recipe for Herbes de Provence Roasted Potatoes for how a recipe on roasting potatoes.
Variations /Adaptations for Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Spicy - Add cayenne pepper to the herb and spice mix. This will add a subtle heat kick that builds slowly.
- Curried - Add curry powder in place of rosemary.
- Kid friendly - Serve with safe ketchup/catsup or egg free, soy free mayonnaise.
Equipment
Air Fryer - for cooking the sweet potatoes.
Bowl - to toss and coat the potatoes.
Medium Pot - to parboil the sweet potatoes.
Colander - for draining and steaming the potatoes.
Knife and Cutting Board - to get the perfect sized sweet potato cubes.
Measuring Spoons - for measuring the spices.
Vegetable Peeler - to remove the skins of the sweet potatoes.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
-Fridge
In a well sealing container Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes will keep for up to 3 days.
-Freezer
If freezing it is best to freeze after the steaming and drying before the sweet potatoes are cooked fully in the air fryer. This is a great way to cook up a lot and cut prep time over two days.
Reheating
-Oven
Toss with a bit of oil, if needed. On a lined cookie sheet lay the sweet potatoes out as if cooking for the original time and reheat at 350F for 10 mins. Flip the cubes and cook for an additional 10-15 mins or until starting to crisp.
-Stove Top
In a pan, heat the sweet potatoes over medium heat with a tiny bit of oil. Turn the air fryer roasted sweet potatoes often. Cook until heated through and the potatoes are slightly crispy. About 10 mins.
- Microwave
In a microwave safe bowl or plate place a serving of sweet potatoes and heat for 45 seconds. Stir well. Check that they are heated through. If not hear for another 25 seconds. We do not recommend the microwave to reheat as the air fryer roasted sweet potatoes will not crisp up.
Top Tip
To speed up cooking the crispy roasted sweet potatoes freeze them after steaming and drying. The sweet potatoes can be roasted until crispy from frozen with a bit of time added in either the air fryer or the oven. They may take a few more minutes to heat through and can be cooked frozen, like frozen french fries in a bag from a store.
FAQs on Crispy Sweet Potatoes
Yes!
Sweet Potatoes are naturally gluten free. It is not the sweet potatoes but how they are cooked and what is added to them that pose a risk to those on a gluten free diet. The sweet potato tuber is a gluten free root vegetable but spices and flours added to recipes are where gluten can sneak in. Always check that the spices are packaged in a gluten free factory or grow your own spices in a kitchen still garden.
The kitchen they are cooked in is also important. The crispy sweet potatoes made in a dedicated gluten free kitchen area or not will play a part in possibly transferring gluten to the dish. For those on a strict gluten free diet they may need to have food prepared in a completely gluten free kitchen. Some utensils, appliances, and surfaces can retain the gluten particles and may not be safe for some.
You can fully cook the crispy sweet potatoes and then pop them in the air fryer or oven to warm up and make sure they are their best for serving. This is perfect for Thanksgiving dinner planning. They can be made and reheated for the big dinner.
The best way to save time making this dish is to freeze it after the steaming step of the recipe. The crispy sweet potatoes can then be cooked from frozen in the air fryer or thawed and roasted. They may take a bit longer to heat through but they will be easy to make.
They are perfect for breakfast in the morning with chickpea scrambled “not Eggs”. For a leftover dinner, throw a few diced green peppers, onions, and tomatoes in a pan and fry them all up with a bit of safe chorizo sausage and the air fryer roasted sweet potatoes. It makes a fantastic quick dinner.
What To Serve With
This Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe is the perfect buffet, roast dinner side dish, or Thanksgiving accompaniment. It goes well with either a roast ham, turkey, or roast chicken. The roast sweet potatoes are perfect at potlucks and dinner with guests. The air fryer roasted sweet potatoes can be a side dish for soups like our Creamy Mushroom Soup or with lamb chops alike.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
Herbes de Provence Roasted Potatoes
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Bowl
- Medium pot
- Colander
- Knife
- Cutting board
- measuring spoons
- Vegetable Peeler
Ingredients
- 3 cups Sweet Potatoes peeled and cubed (roughly 2 large ones)
- 4 tsps Garlic Powder
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary stripped from the stem and finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 1-2 Tbsps Neutral Oil
Instructions
- 1- Peel and large dice the sweet potatoes into ½ inch x ½ inch cubes.
- 2- Bring a medium pot to a boil .
- 3- Put cubed sweet potatoes in the boiling water and parboil for 2 minutes.
- 4- After 2 minutes of boiling, remove the potatoes from the pot by straining them in a colander. Be sure to drain the water out of the pot.
- 5- Put the colander containing the sweet potato cubes in the drained pot that has been removed from the heat and cover with a kitchen towel.
- 6- Let the sweet potatoes steam under the kitchen towel for 5 minutes.
- 7- Remove the potatoes from the colander and lay out on a second kitchen towel and pat any last bit of water off the cubes.
- 8- Preheat the air fryer to 400F or oven to 375F..
- 9- Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and toss with neutral oil, garlic powder, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Mix well to coat all the sweet potato cubes evenly.
- 10- Put the sweet potatoes in the basket of the air fryer and cook for 24 mins at 380F, shaking the contents to stir often. Depending on the size of the air fryer and basket more than one batch may need to be done to cook them all and not overcrowd the air fryer.
- If using the oven, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish. Lay out the sweet potatoes in a single layer as best as possible and bake for 30 minutes at 375F. Flip the potatoes every 10 mins, paying close attention to any areas that may have more than a single layer on them
Notes
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
- Always check ingredients for allergens
- Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Have you made this recipe? Please leave a comment and us know how much you liked it.