When I moved to the United States nearly 3 decades ago, my roommate declared that I should get the real taste of America. So, off we went and landed up at McDonalds – one of the most popular fast-food chains.
Since I am a vegetarian, French potato fries seemed to be a wonderful choice. And boy, were they good! They came out piping hot out of huge fryers filled with smoking oil. And the tomato ketchup that I poured generously over them was sweetly tangy. Fast-food can indeed be addictive. That is, until you realize you are what you eat and digest.
Over time, as I started to clean up my health act (read about it here), I realized that there is always more to something than meets the eye. For one, the oils that restaurants and fast-food chains use have a high smoke point. This and repeated frying using the same oils over and over results in rancidity that could potentially be carcinogenic. For another, these oils are high in GMO (genetically modified organisms) which are not conducive to long term health.
Unless push came to shove (which it rarely did), I ditched fast-food restaurant fries for good. This is, until recently.
Air Fryer Recipes
A few Christmases ago, our nephew gifted us an air fryer. It lay unused in my pantry for several months. One day, during my spring cleaning and decluttering rituals, I found this air fryer hidden away. By that time, air fryers were the rage all over. Cooks were churning out amazing looking recipes in their air fryers, without needing to use much oil.
So, I decided: it is now or never. Either I start using my air fryer to get mileage out of it, OR I donate it to someone that will not allow dust to gather on it.
That was just the beginning. Over time, we’ve been using our air fryer regularly to make some amazing snacks, or many times, to heat up our food.
For our Air Fryer Recipes, check out:
- Crispy Air Fryer Tofu & Tofu Pakoda
- Crispy, Delicious, Banana Nuggets
- Cabbage Wada: Savory Cabbage Lentil Bites
- Crispy Air-Fried Masala Okra
- Air Fryer Masala Wada – Lentil Burger Patties & Fritters
- Gobi Pakora: Air Fryer Cauliflower & Broccoli Fritters
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
I’d like to say that one of the biggest reasons to own or use an air fryer is to make this delightfully classic snack. These sweet potato fries are super light and nourishing. Zero guilt eating since there is nothing greasy or deep fried about them. You can also use healthy, organic and cold-pressed oils of your choice (mine would be avocado oil for this recipe).
All air fryers and sweet potatoes are made differently. So, you may have to experiment a couple of times to get this recipe just right for your taste. My recipe is for 2 people, since I have a small air fryer, so you can use this as a measure to make larger batches. Or multiple batches.
Several tips and tricks to make these delish sweet potato fries:
- Cut your sweet potato slices so they are all approximately the same length and thickness. Using a mandolin will help you slice them evenly and thinly.
- Some people suggest soaking the sweet potato strips in water for several minutes. I have tried both ways, and the end results are pretty much identical. So, soaking is optional.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. The sweet potato fries need to be placed in a single layer in the air fryer basket. This is to make sure that the fries cook evenly. If you don’t own a larger air fryer, then plan to make several batches.
- Air fryer times vary, so you need to open the basket a few times to check on progress.
- It may take a few tries to get the hang of this recipe, but the journey itself is a wonderful experience. Hang in there and don’t give up and head to the nearest fast-food restaurant!
- You can get creative on what you want to add to your sweet potato fries. A few seasoning suggestions are turmeric powder, chili or cayenne pepper powder, freshly ground black pepper, rosemary or other herbs, garlic or/and onion powder. And a dash of salt, of course.
- Once you have the basics down, you can also use this recipe as a guideline to make any kind of potato fries. You can use regular russet potatoes, purple potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes.
The orange in sweet potatoes sings the praises of beta carotene. Sweet potatoes have a lower Glycemic Index (GI), more fiber when compared to their white cousins. There is absolutely no reason why you’d want to visit a fast-food restaurant, when these low oil, healthy homemade fries can satisfy your craving.
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Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 1/2 Teaspoon Avocado Oil - Or Olive Oil
- 1/2 Cup Sweet Potato - 1 Medium Size
- 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/8 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt
- 1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper - Fresh Ground
- 1/8 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
Instructions
- Cut the tips off the sweet potato and peel the skin.
- Cut into long, thin and even strips. The more even they are, the more evenly they will cook.
- Optional: Soak them in water for 15 minutes. As my notes mentions, I personally did not find a significant difference between the soaked and un-soaked batches.
- If you soaked the sweet potatoes, dry them with a clean kitchen napkin.
- Into a mixing bowl, add the sweet potato strips. Add the avocado oil and mix well with your hand (or spoon) until the oil is evenly coated on all sides.
- Preheat the air fryer at 370F for 2 minutes. Place the sweet potato strips in a single layer in the air fryer basket, spreading them out as much as possible.
- Air fry for 5 minutes at 370F.
- Empty the fries back into the mixing bowl. Add turmeric powder, salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper powder. Mix everything well. Return the fries to the air fryer, layer them in a single file as before and air fry for an additional 5 minutes.
- Check and remove any browned fries that are ready. Fries may cook at slightly different rates, due to varying thicknesses. Fries will usually crisp up once removed on a plate.
- Serve with Hummus sprinkled with paprika powder or with spicy sriracha sauce.
Notes
- Cut your sweet potato slices so they are all approximately the same length and thickness. Using a mandolin will help you slice them evenly and thinly.
- Some people suggest soaking the sweet potato strips in water for several minutes. I have tried both ways, and the end results are pretty much identical. So, soaking is optional.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. The sweet potato fries need to be placed in a single layer in the air fryer basket. This is to make sure that the fries cook evenly. If you don't own a larger air fryer, then plan to make several batches.
- Air fryer times vary, so you need to open the basket a few times to check on progress.
- It may take a few tries to get the hang of this recipe, but the journey itself is a wonderful experience. Hang in there and don't give up and head to the nearest fast-food restaurant!
- You can get creative on what you want to add to your sweet potato fries. A few seasoning suggestions are turmeric powder, chili or cayenne pepper powder, freshly ground black pepper, rosemary or other herbs, garlic or/and onion powder. And a dash of salt, of course.
- Once you have the basics down, you can also use this recipe as a guideline to make any kind of potato fries. You can use regular russet potatoes, purple potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes.
