How to Cook Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in the Air Fryer

Frozen sweet potato fries come out crispy and tender when made in an Air Fryer. For the best results, cook the fries from frozen in a preheated air fryer—and don’t crowd the pan. Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.

If all I made in my air fryer were French fries, I’d be okay with that. (Of course, I make a lot more than just like—like chicken breasts and meatballs). They come out so good. If you’ve made sweet potato fries before, you know that they often turn out a little softer than regular fries. When made in the air fryer, they’re crispy on the outside and tender in the center. 

Select Your Frozen Sweet Potato Fries.

There are several styles of frozen sweet potato fries available at the grocery store. Here’s what to expect when you cook them in the air fryer.

• Straight-cut fries. Think of this as the classic French-fry cut. A 16 to 20-ounce bag cooks in about 17 minutes in the air fryer.
• Shoestring style. Very thin-cut fries. Available with seasoning or without. These thin fries cook quickly in the air fryer. Toss them as they cook and check for doneness after 12 minutes.
• Crinkle cut. Thick fries with a ridged cut. These are crisp on the outside and soft in the center. Cook time is similar to straight-cut fries. A 20-ounce bag takes between 17 and 19 minutes in an air fryer.
• Waffle cut. A French fry that looks like a waffle. Available in seasoned and unseasoned. Cooks in about 18 minutes. Take care when tossing these in the air fryer basket to prevent them from breaking. Either toss gently or use a pair of kitchen tongs.
• Tater Tot/Puff. Soft and tender, these little sweet potato nuggets turn out great when cooked in the Air Fryer. The tater tots on the bottom of the air fryer basket can get soggy. Toss these gently, after about 10 minutes of air frying. If you toss them too soon, they can break apart.

The question (almost) everyone has: Do you need to use oil?

Nope! You can cook sweet potato fries in the air fryer without using oil.

If you’d like to make them a little extra-crispy, coat the frozen fries with lightly with cooking spray or toss them with two teaspoons of oil before cooking.

Two Keys for Success. The Temperature and “the Shake.”

Cook frozen sweet potato fries in a preheated 375° air fryer. This temperature is a little lower than some brands recommend. During testing, I found that a lower temperature and a slightly longer cooking time resulted in sweet potato fries with a crisp outside and tender center. It’s worth the extra minute or two of cooking time.

And for the best results, give those fries a shake! The fries on bottom of air fryer basket stay soft unless they’re tossed during cooking. One toss is great but for really crispy fries, shake the basket a few times as they cook.

How to Cook Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in the Air Fryer. Dos and Don’ts.

• Don’t Thaw the Fries. The key to crisp sweet potato fries? Don’t thaw your fries before air frying. Thawed fries don’t cook evenly in the air fryer and can turn out soggy, since moisture sits on the surface of the fry as they thaw. 
• Do Preheat the Air Fryer. Cook the frozen sweet potato fries in a preheated air fryer. Most models preheat quickly—mine only takes three minutes.
• Don’t Crowd the Air Fryer. Air Fryers work best when air can easily circulate around the food. If your air fryer is a basket model, fill it about halfway, not to the top. A 16 to 20 ounce bag works great. If you’ve got more fries to cook, split them into two batches to prevent soggy fries.
• Do Give them a Shake or Toss. After about eight minutes of cooking, toss the fries by either gently shaking the basket or turning them over with a spatula on the tray.
• Don’t Forget About Them. Different brands and styles of frozen sweet potato fries take different amounts of time to cook. Remember to check them after about 12 minutes of cooking. 

Remember: The Smaller the Batch, the Shorter the Cook Time.

A small batch of frozen sweet potato fries cooks faster in the air fryer than a large batch. This is because it’s easier for the air to circulate around the fries when the basket or tray isn’t full. If you’re making a full (16 to 20 ounce) bag, plan on about 18 minutes. If you’re making 9 ounces of fries, plan on about 14 minutes.

Do you need to salt or season the fries? 

Some brands of frozen french fries come pre-salted. So you don’t need to salt them. If you want to add salt, it’s best to add it to taste.

If you’d like to add seasoning, add one to two teaspoons of salt-free seasoning to 20 ounces of fries. Toss the fries to evenly coat them with seasoning.

Seasoning ideas for sweet potato fries. 

• Garlic Powder
• Dried Rosemary
• Roasted Chicken Seasoning. 
• Smoked Paprika.

How to add salt and seasoning to frozen fries so it sticks. (The secret? Timing is everything.)

If you’ve ever tried to season frozen French fries, you know the results can be hit or miss. Adding seasoning while they’re still frozen can cause it to fall off. And putting seasoning on hot, cooked fries sometimes has the same result. So what do you do?

Season sweet potato fries three minutes into cooking. The surface is soft and the salt and seasoning sticks nicely.

How to Reheat Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in the Air Fryer. 

If you’ve got leftover fries, you can reheat them in the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Add the leftover fries to the basket or tray and heat for about three to four minutes. Since the fries are already cooked, just get them hot. If you reheat them for too long, they can dry out.

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Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries

Frozen sweet potato fries come out crispy and tender when made in an Air Fryer. For the best results, cook the fries from frozen in a preheated air fryer and toss them a few times as they cook. Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword sweet potato fries

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 16 to 20 ounces frozen sweet potato fries, see note.
• salt, optional
• seasoning, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat Air Fryer to 375°F.

2. Add frozen French fries into air fryer basket or place them in a single layer on the pan.

3. If you're seasoning them: cook for three minutes. Add seasoning. Toss gently.

   Cook for 10 minutes. Toss or shake fries.

4. Cook until golden brown, an additional 8 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.

5. To reheat: Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F. Reheat fries for about three to four minutes.

Recipe Notes

Fill the air fryer basket halfway or place fries in a single layer on the tray. 

For crispier fries, spray the fries with cooking oil or toss with two teaspoons of oil before cooking.

Shoestring fries cook faster than other types, check them after 12 minutes.