We love Air Fryer French Fries – with just a teaspoon of oil, the air fryer yields golden crisp fries better than any fast food chain could serve.

So can the same be said of air frying sweet potato fries? We put them to the test in Food Network Kitchen.

We scrubbed and chopped sweet potatoes to try see if we could make air fryer sweet potato fries, but despite trying numerous chops and coatings, the outcome was unceasingly bleak.

We started the sweet potato fries with a typical French-fry slice, then tried matchstick fries and thicker steak fries. Regardless of sizing, each batch that we tested emerged limp, often with an acrid, burnt flavor.

We also adjusted the coatings, to see about a better texture. When vegetable oil didn’t work, we tried nonstick cooking spray. We also added cornstarch to try and crisp the exterior of the sweet potato to no discernible difference.

We adjusted the cooking temperature, testing anywhere from 350 to 450 degrees F, but nothing improved the result. Additionally, the fryer setup demanded that we only cook a few at a time.

Ultimately, we determined that this is one fry that’s best off not air-fried — cook your sweet potato fries in the oven.

Related Links:

Are Sweet Potato Fries Better Than Regular Fries?

Best Air Fryer Recipes

Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes