Ninja FOODi Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Here’s how to cook frozen sweet potato fries in an air fryer–without thawing them first–to get crispy, crunchy fries that are still soft on the inside. They are perfect as a sweetly delicious side dish, appetizer, or snack!
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Why Air Fry Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in the Ninja FOODi
There are several reasons why air frying frozen sweet potato fries is better than baking them in the oven.
It’s faster
Making frozen sweet potato fries in the oven may take 45 minutes or more to preheat the oven and cook the fries, depending on their thickness and size.
But with air frying, it’s only a matter of minutes until they are cooked and delicious. It takes only five minutes to preheat the air fryer and about 15 minutes of baking to enjoy crispy, delicious fries.
It’s Healthier
The air fryer is one of the healthiest ways to cook your fries. The cooking process eliminates a lot of the excess oil and calories that are found in your typical fries. By using only a small amount of oil, you’ll be eating sweet potato fries that are lower in fat and calories without sacrificing taste.
Air frying frozen sweet potato fries also helps maintain their nutritional value because they retain more of their vitamins that would be lost if they were baked in an oven.
They Get Crispier
Frozen foods tend to get mushy when they thaw during the baking process, and frozen sweet potato fries are no different. Baking them in the oven does not usually result in crispy, crunchy fries.
Air frying them in an air fryer helps make them crispy by quickly cooking the outside of the cut sweet potato fries without overcooking them. Plus, when you air fry them without defrosting them first, the outside will be crispy like a fried potato chip, but soft on the inside!
Ingredients Needed for Ninja FOODi Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Learning how to cook frozen sweet potato fries in air fryer is really simple, because you need just a few ingredients: frozen sweet potato fries, spray oil, seasoning, and some dipping sauce. And the oil, seasoning, and dipping sauce are optional!
Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
I’m sure there are several brands of frozen sweet potato fries available at your local grocery stores, but some are healthier than others.
Many manufacturers add preservatives and coatings intended to prevent the fries from sticking together and help them crisp up, but most of these added ingredients have no place in a healthy diet.
Fortunately, there are a few brands that add only natural ingredients necessary for the manufacturing process. Here are my favorite frozen sweet potato fries for air frying:
- Alexia (has added sugar)
- Trader Joe’s (no added sugar)
- Whole Foods brand
- Homemade Sweet Potato Fries
Cooking Spray
When learning how to cook frozen sweet potato fries in the air fryer, getting them perfectly crisp can be tricky. Air frying frozen food can often result in soft or soggy food, or the outside may burn before the inside gets heated.
Spray oil is often used when air frying to keep the outside of your food from drying out or burning, but when it comes to frozen sweet potato fries, oil may make your fries soft. Since every brand of fries is different, it really depends on which one you use.
My suggestion is to check your fries when you toss them halfway through the cooking time, and use a little oil if you think they are drying out. If they look good, then skip the oil.
Seasonings
Many brands of sweet potato fries are already seasoned, but if your brand isn’t or you would like to add more seasoning, feel free.
Here are some seasonings I’ve used and loved:
- salt and pepper
- Everything But the Bagel seasoning (Trader Joe’s is my favorite)
- garlic salt and onion powder
Dipping Sauce
I’ll be honest, sometimes I like my sweet potato fries with just seasoning, other times I need some dipping sauce already!
Here are some suggestions for those times when you need some sauce:
- ketchup
- Ranch dressing
- Alabama white sauce
- mayonnaise
- honey mustard dressing
Tips to Get Crispy Sweet Potato Fries from Frozen
Learning how to cook frozen sweet potato fries in an air fryer involves just a couple “rules.” Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your fries are thoroughly cooked and crispy, too.
Don’t Overfill the Air Fryer
One of the most important tips for crispy fries is to not overfill your air fryer–leave plenty of room for the air to circulate. Overfilling your air fryer can lead to uneven cooking, leaving some of the sweet potato fries cold and soft, while others may even burn.
The size of your air fryer will determine how much you can cook at a time. But if you have a small air fryer like I do, you may want to cook half the bag of frozen sweet potato fries at a time.
Toss the Fries Halfway Through the Cooking Time
One of the best ways to make sure your fries get crispy is to toss them once or twice during the cooking time. This ensures that they are cooked evenly on all sides and and there are no burnt spots or areas left uncooked.
How to Cook Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in Ninja FOODi Air Fryer
Here are the steps for how to cook frozen sweet potato fries in the air fryer.
1. Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees for 5 minutes.
2. When the air fryer is preheated, dump about half the bag of sweet potato fries into the air fryer. Arrange them so they are in a single layer if possible, or stack kind of criss-cross on each other to allow the air to circulate through them. Bake for about 8 minutes.
3. About halfway through the cooking time, open the air fryer and toss the fries to ensure even cooking. If the fries appear to be drying out, you can spray them with a little cooking oil.
4. Bake for about another 5 minutes.
Note: The cooking temperature and time are approximations based on the fries I used and the size of my air fryer. You may need to make adjustments based on your appliance and the fries you choose.
5. Once the fries are done to your liking, arrange on a serving plate and add seasonings and dipping sauce if you prefer.
Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite board for later!
