I got a new air fryer last weekend, gifted from a relative that wasn’t using it.  I never got on the air fryer train when they became popular a few years back. But I had always wanted to try one, and this one was free, so why not!?!

My first thing to make with my new toy – Sweet Potato Fries!  I fell in love with sweet potato fries a few years ago thanks to a burger place in my city called Local Burger. If you are ever in Northampton, Massachusetts go there. Seriously. You won’t be disappointed. We love Local Burger. Everything they have is amazing. Their burgers are the best I’ve found. They’ve got beer battered onion rings that I would kill for, and Capt. Crunch chicken tenders that sound weird but are amazing. But my favorite thing on the menu are the sweet potato fries with maple mayo. So good that I had to start making them myself.  

Usually I bake my sweet potato fries. It’s the same recipe as below but baked in a 425°F oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Since I had never used the air fryer before, I used the same basic recipe and followed the cooking time guidelines in the instruction manual. This cooking time could vary depending on your specific air fryer.

I cut my sweet potato into long thin pieces, making sure they are all a roughly uniform size. Mine were about ¼” wide. Then I soaked them in cold water for about 30 minutes. This helps remove the excess potato starch and helps the fries be crispier. 

When they’ve soaked, I dried them off with a paper towel and tossed them in a little olive oil. I have read that you can air fry without oil, so feel free to try that if you are limiting oil in your diet. 

Then I tossed the fries with a little Corn Starch. I always do this for my oven fries and it helps make them crispier. Not sure if it’s necessary for air fryer fries, but I did it anyway and they came out great.

When you start cooking the fries, be careful not to overfill the basket. I made this mistake at first, thinking that it was a pretty big basket and my one potato (2 servings) worth of fries would be fine in it.  But after a few minutes, I realized that the fries in the middle just weren’t cooking, so I removed them and cooked them in 2 batches.  

Wait until the fries are cooked to salt them. I’ve always found that salting them before makes them a bit soggier. I like my fries crispy. 

While the fries were cooking, I whipped up the maple mayo. This is a really quick and easy dip that is perfect for the fries. Just mix mayo, maple syrup and a little brown sugar and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes.  Yum.

Anyway, the fries were delicious, hot and crispy…crispier than the oven version. My daughter and I devoured them. I decided I love the air fryer and can’t wait to find more uses for it.

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries with Maple Mayo Dipping Sauce

Prep Time: 40 min.     Cook Time: 30 min.     Total Time: 1 hr. 10 min.
Serves: 2

Ingredients For Fries

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tsp. Corn Starch
• Salt to taste

Ingredients For Maple Mayo Dipping Sauce

• ½ c. mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat air fryer to 360°F.
2. Cut fries into matchstick size pieces. 
3. Put cut fries into a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 30 minutes
4. Drain fries and dry with paper towel. Toss fries with olive oil to coat. Dust with corn starch and toss to coat, making sure corn starch absorbs into the oil.
5. Cook in batches being careful not to overcrowd the basket for 15-16 minutes or until crispy, giving the basket a shake mid-way.
6. Season with salt and/or your other favorite seasonings and serve with dipping sauce
7. While fries are cooking, mix mayonnaise, maple syrup and brown sugar together in a small bowl.
8. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
9. Serve with Sweet Potato Fries.