Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges

With crispy edges and tender sweet potato inside, these Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges are like sweet potato fries but much healthier, thanks to the air fryer. They’re made with pantry staples in less than 20 minutes, making them a fantastic everyday side dish!

Regardless of what you serve this sweet potato wedges recipe with, these jewel-toned and crisp-crunchy beauties will steal the show! They feature a hot, crunchy exterior and a tender and light interior, making every bite better than the last. A savory and flavorful seasoning blend of nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and smoked paprika coats and flavors the sweet potatoes, air fryer magic does the rest! 

Thanks to the steady hot circulating air in the air fryer, the potatoes cook up evenly and develop a crunchy exterior similar to deep frying but with a fraction of the oil (just 1 ½ tablespoons!). The result is a side dish you will like as much as you feel good about eating. And with a 20-minute start-to-finish cooking time, there’s never a bad time to make this recipe! For more delicious sweet potato recipes, check out my Sweet Potato Lentil Red Curry, Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash, and Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie.

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes: Choose sweet potatoes with smooth skin that are heavy for their size. You can peel the sweet potatoes or leave the skin on. When slicing, cut them into evenly-sized wedges.

Oil: I prefer to use olive or avocado oil, but canola or grape seed oil also work. For the best sweet potato wedges recipe, use a good quality oil. 

Nutritional Yeast: This vegan-friendly ingredient boasts a cheesy, savory flavor which perfectly accents the sweetness of the potatoes. You can find it in your supermarket’s health food or baking aisle or at health food stores. 

Seasonings: Garlic powder adds nutty flavor and a light natural sweetness. The smokiness of smoked paprika bolsters the sweetness in the potatoes. Salt and pepper accentuate all of the flavors in these air fryer sweet potatoes wedges, making them balanced and delicious.

How to Air Fry Sweet Potato Wedges

• Preheat. Preheat the air fryer at 375°F for 5 minutes.
• Slice the sweet potatoes. To cut sweet potatoes into a perfect wedge shape, first slice the sweet potato in half lengthwise. Then place the cut side down on your cutting board and carefully slice at an angle to create wedges. These can be as thin or thick as you’d like. Keep in mind, the air fry time will vary based on thickness. The cook time I suggest is for wedges about 1/4-inch thick.

• Season sweet potatoes. Add the sweet potato wedges to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle them with the oil, salt, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Gently toss to coat.

• Add to air fryer. Spread sweet potato wedges in the air fryer basket. Avoid overlapping them, but they can touch.

• Air fry. Roast in the air fry at 375°F for 10 minutes. Check the sweet potatoes for doneness. When ready, they will be fork-tender and crispy on the edges. If not, cook for another 2-5 minutes until tender inside and crispy on the edges. 

• Season and garnish. Season the sweet potatoes to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle them with minced fresh parsley or cilantro and serve hot! I’ve included a recipe for a delicious and easy Gochujang Aioli down below!!

Recipe Pro-Tips

• Preheat the air fryer. It will need to preheat for at least 5 minutes, getting it nice and hot and ensuring that the potatoes will roast evenly and get nice and crispy. If your manufacturer’s directions don’t recommend preheating the air fryer, you can skip this step if desired.
• Cut the potatoes into even pieces. Uniformly sized potato wedges air fry most evenly, so cut them into similar sizes. 
• Turn the potatoes during cooking. If it appears the potatoes are not cooking evenly, shake or turn the potatoes after the first 10 minutes of air frying. This redistributes the potatoes, preventing hot spots and ensuring even cooking.
• Adjust the cooking time as needed. A common question is “how long to air fry sweet potato wedges?” The answer is somewhat nuanced. The cooking time will vary depending on how thin you cut the potatoes and your desired crispiness. Larger wedges will cook on the longer end and smaller on the shorter end of the recommended cooking time.

Recipe Variations

Try different sweet potato seasoning options to adjust the flavor combinations to complement the rest of your meal:

• Sweet and Spicy: Swap ground cinnamon, a pinch of cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of cane sugar for the nutritional yeast, garlic, and paprika for a sweet kick of heat, perfect for serving with barbecue and Tofu Chili.
• Herbal: For a fragrant herbal flavor, season the wedges with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon each of dried thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Serve this with Vegan Scallops for a satisying meal.
• Cumin Chili: The smoky, citrusy, and warm combination of cumin and chili powder complements sweet potatoes like a dream. Season the potatoes with the nutritional yeast, and one teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder. Add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder a pinch of paprika for an extra smoky finish. I love enjoying this variation with Tempeh Tacos!

Storage Directions

• Refrigeration: Leftover air fried sweet potato wedges can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 
• Freezing: The cooked wedges can be frozen in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Cool them to room temperature before freezing them in a freezer-safe container.
• Reheating: For crispy wedges, reheat leftovers in an air fryer preheated to 375°F for 3-5 minutes until heated through.

Frequently Asked Questions

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