How to Make Air-Fryer Honey Sweet Potatoes
Sometimes, deeply savory side dishes filled with herby, earthy flavors can overpower a light protein. Whether you’re cooking a sweet pork loin, a simple salmon or a baked chicken, these air-fryer sweet potato bites are sure to pair perfectly. The best thing about this side dish is that you don’t have to heat your house up with a super hot oven—pop the potato cubes into your air fryer and they’ll be ready in 20 minutes.
What Are the Best Sweet Potatoes to Air Fry?
The U.S. Sweet Potato Council classifies five basic sweet potato types: orange skin with orange flesh, red skin with orange flesh, yellow skin with white flesh, purple skin with white flesh and purple skin with purple flesh. We use the typical orange-fleshed sweet potato for this recipe because its texture has the right amount of moisture and they’re naturally very sweet. White- and purple-fleshed sweet potatoes are drier than orange ones, so if you experiment with those varieties, know that the end result might be slightly different.
How to Cube Sweet Potatoes Before Cooking
The way you prepare sweet potatoes before cooking makes all the difference in flavor. We want to end up with really sweet, perfectly crisp potato cubes. To achieve this, you’ll want to give your taters a good scrub and then fully peel the skins. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the potato in half—or in thirds if it’s a long potato. Placing the cut side down on a cutting board, slice the potato vertically into thirds or fourths, depending on the width. Then, lay the slices flat on your board and cut into cubes. They should be 1/2-inch thick.
Ingredients for Air-Fryer Honey Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes: While there are quite a few sweet potato varieties, we stick with the classic orange-skinned sweet potatoes. When you buy them, make sure they don’t have too many imperfections and that they are firm rather than soft.
- Honey: While any honey will work here, try opting for a jar of raw honey from your local farmers market or co-op! Raw honey doesn’t taste as highly processed as the bear jar honey you see in grocery stores because raw honey has no added high-fructose corn syrup or other fillers.
- Cinnamon: Apart from the basic salt and pepper, cinnamon is the only other spice you’ll need for this recipe. Not only does it round out the sweetness of this side dish, but it also has impressive health benefits (just like honey and sweet potatoes!).
Directions
Step 1: Coat the potatoes
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the honey, oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper; add the potatoes and toss to coat.
Step 2: Air fry
Transfer the cubes to a greased tray in the air-fryer basket. Cook until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes.
Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Recipe Variations
You can go the spicy route and toss them with a little chili powder, paprika and garlic powder. Or, toss them with fresh chopped rosemary and use coconut oil in place of canola oil. Looking for more sweet potato recipes to add to your meal plan? Here are all of the sweet potato recipes you’ll ever need.
How to Store Air-Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Store air-fryer sweet potato cubes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to five days. Before prepping the recipe, keep the sweet potatoes in a cool and dry place like a pantry. (Keeping them in the refrigerator will make the center hard and the flavor not as pleasant.) Learn more about how to store potatoes the right way.
Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Tips
Can you leave the skins on the sweet potatoes?
Yes, you can leave the skins on sweet potatoes. They’re edible and full of nutrients, like fiber and antioxidants. You can even try making air-fryer sweet potato fries, which leave the skin on.
Why do my air-fryer potato bites feel overcooked?
In our testing, we find cook times vary dramatically between brands of air fryers. As a result, we give wider than normal ranges on suggested cook times. Begin checking at the first time listed and adjust as needed.
