{"id":3100,"date":"2025-05-06T13:42:59","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T20:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wrwofficial.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/06\/the-best-cubed-air-fryer-sweet-potatoes\/"},"modified":"2025-05-06T13:43:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T20:43:14","slug":"the-best-cubed-air-fryer-sweet-potatoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wrwofficial.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/06\/the-best-cubed-air-fryer-sweet-potatoes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Cubed Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Say goodbye to dry or shriveled sweet batches of air fryer sweet potatoes! This recipe offers a method of par-cooking your sweet potatoes before cutting them into cubes and air frying them. The resulting sweet potatoes are perfectly tender and moist, yet crispy and gently browning at the edges. <\/p>\n

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For a long time, I said that I owned an air fryer for two purposes: reheating pizza and making sweet potatoes. <\/p>\n

This was a joke, and I\u2019ve expanded my air fryer repertoire considerably since then. But air fryer sweet potatoes are still a mainstay in my home. (As is leftover pizza.)<\/p>\n

I serve my air fryer sweet potato cubes with tofu scramble<\/a> for breakfast. I pile them onto vegan bowls<\/a>. They\u2019re an easy side dish<\/a> at dinnertime. And I like adding them to tacos, too\u2014especially my sweet potato tacos with black bean spread<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Making sweet potato cubes in the air fryer might sound like a self-explanatory process. For me, however, it was not. <\/p>\n

It took me a while to get my air fryer sweet potatoes just right. This post is about the simple par-cooking step that gave me great results.<\/p>\n

Air fryer trial and error<\/h2>\n

In the past, I roasted sweet potato in the air fryer similarly to how I roasted it in the oven. I cubed raw sweet potatoes, seasoned them with oil, salt, and pepper, then let the air fryer<\/a> go to work. <\/p>\n

Sometimes, this worked out just fine. But a lot of the time I ended up with sweet potato cubes that were dry and shriveled. Sometimes, they had a pale, starchy appearance, even if their edges were heavily browned. <\/p>\n

The texture of these potatoes was, for lack of a better description, excessively air fried. <\/p>\n

Part of what I love about sweet potatoes<\/a> is their rich, sweet flesh and satisfying texture. These cubes were too airy; it was as if they\u2019d lost their substance. <\/p>\n

I kept coating the potatoes in more oil in an effort to combat this effect. I only ended up with sweet potatoes that were both dry and <\/em>greasy\u2014not a great combo.<\/p>\n

I could have just given up on making sweet potatoes in my air fryer, but I didn\u2019t want to. I eat a lot of sweet potatoes and keep my air fryer on the countertop often; I wanted to make this recipe work!<\/p>\n

I kept tinkering with time and temperature, with no luck. <\/p>\n

Finally, I added a step that turns out perfectly cooked sweet potato cubes each and every time: par-cooking.<\/p>\n

Par-cooked potatoes = perfect results<\/h2>\n

Par-cooking<\/a> is any process in which you cook a food incompletely before finishing cooking in another way, or at another time.<\/p>\n

You can par-boil noodles before making lasagna<\/a> or blanch vegetables before adding them to a casserole. Sometimes it\u2019s helpful to simmer fruit before baking it in a pie shell.<\/p>\n

Here, you\u2019ll prick your raw sweet potatoes and microwave them for about four or five minutes before you cube and air fry them. <\/p>\n

Technically, you could use the air fryer itself for the par-cooking step, but the microwave does the job faster. <\/p>\n

I first started using the microwave to par-cook sweet potatoes when I was writing The Vegan Week<\/a><\/em>. That book is all about meal prep, which means that it\u2019s also about tight schedules and efficiency. <\/p>\n

I wanted to present a means of oven-baking sweet potatoes with deep flavor and tenderness. Yet \u201clow and slow\u201d isn\u2019t always an option for the hurried home cook. <\/p>\n

Par-cooking sweet potatoes in the microwave before transferring them to the oven for baking does the trick: tender, candy-like potatoes in less time.<\/p>\n

Similarly, the microwave helps to give the sweet potatoes a head start in this recipe. It\u2019s also a cooking method that preserves their moisture. Once microwaved, the sweet potatoes will become crispy in the air fryer without getting dry.<\/p>\n

I know it may seem a little nuts to cook a vegetable in two ways, especially if convenience is a priority. But five minutes of microwaving goes by quickly, and it ensures great sweet taters every time.<\/p>\n

Adapting the recipe to your air fryer<\/h2>\n

This method works for my air fryer and my oven, so it ought to be adapted successfully for most types of air fryers. <\/p>\n

That said, air fryers can differ in their heat, efficiency, and timing, so you may need to experiment a little with the method. <\/p>\n

I have a Philips air fryer that\u2019s now discontinued (this one<\/a> is similar), but it\u2019s the type with a basket, rather than one that looks like a toaster oven. It has about a 4L capacity, and this recipe is developed accordingly.<\/p>\n

You can half or double the recipe if you\u2019re working with a different sized machine. <\/p>\n

How to make perfect cubed air fryer sweet potatoes\u2014each and every time<\/h2>\n

Step 1: Pick your sweet potato<\/h3>\n

I usually make this recipe with one large sweet potato. It\u2019s fine to prepare it with two smaller potatoes, but if you do that, you may need to adjust microwave time (four minutes for a single, smaller potato, or about seven minutes for two smaller potatoes at once).<\/p>\n

Step 2: Par-cook in the microwave<\/h3>\n

Prick the\u00a0sweet\u00a0potato\u00a0all over with a fork. Place it on a microwave-safe plate and microwave the\u00a0potato\u00a0for 5 minutes. <\/p>\n

At this point, the potato will be tender, but it won\u2019t be fully cooked. If you\u2019re working with a medium or small potato, rather than a large one, four minutes of microwaving will do the trick. <\/p>\n

No microwave? No problem. I include instructions for par-cooking in the air fryer itself in the recipe card.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Cube the potato<\/h3>\n

Allow the\u00a0potato\u00a0to cool for five minutes, then cut it into 1-inch \/ 2.5cm\u00a0cubes.\u00a0Careful as you do this\u2014it\u2019ll be hot!<\/p>\n

Step 4: Season the potatoes<\/h3>\n

I often use avocado oil spray when I\u2019m making anything in my air fryer; it\u2019s convenient and easy. So, you can transfer the cubes to your air fryer basket, give them a spray of oil, then season them with salt and pepper. <\/p>\n

Alternatively, you can toss them with a small amount of regular avocado oil in a bowl, season them with salt and pepper, and transfer them to the air fryer basket. <\/p>\n

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The par cooked sweet potato should be seasoned lightly before you transfer it to the air fryer and finish cooking it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Step 5: Air fry<\/h3>\n

Air\u00a0fry the potatoes at 400\u00b0F \/ 200\u00b0C for 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and browning along the edges.<\/p>\n

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Shaking the basket of your air fryer midway through cooking will ensure that the sweet potato cubes cook evenly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stop once halfway through\u00a0air\u00a0frying to shake the basket well; this helps the potatoes to crisp up evenly. <\/p>\n

Step 6: Serve<\/h3>\n

You can serve the sweet potatoes just the way they are, or you can sprinkle them with toasted chopped nuts or seeds. <\/p>\n

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After air frying, the potatoes will be tender and creamy on the inside and quite crispy around the edges. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Serve the sweet potatoes just as they are, seasoning to taste with extra salt or pepper, or serve them with a dressing or dip.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

You can also drizzle the potatoes with some kind of dressing. I\u2019m really partial to my cashew queso<\/a>, but vegan honey mustard<\/a> (I sweeten mine with dates), beet ketchup<\/a>, and yum sauce<\/a> are nice ideas, too.<\/p>\n

Meal prep & storage<\/h2>\n

A tender batch of cooked sweet potatoes is one of my favorite things to meal prep<\/a> over the weekend. This recipe finds its way into my own meal planning all the time.<\/p>\n

The potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re like me, and your first question about any food or recipe is \u201ccan I freeze this?\u201d the answer is yes! You can do so for up to eight weeks.<\/p>\n

Defrost the potatoes in the fridge overnight. Enjoy them cold, in salads<\/a> or bowls, or reheat them in the air fryer at 350\u00b0 for about five minutes. <\/p>\n

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The Best Cubed Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes<\/h2>\n

Author \u2013 Gena Hamshaw<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Prep Time: <\/span>5 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Cook Time: <\/span>15 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Total Time: <\/span>20 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Yields: <\/span>2<\/span> servings<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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