With this handy cooking hack, you can cook sweet potatoes in minutes in the air fryer.
Sweet potatoes are a delicious alternative to traditional white potatoes. While they are often touted as “healthier” than their savoury counterparts, they actually have very similar calorie, protein, and carbohydrate contents – although sweet potatoes are higher in Vitamin A. If you are diabetic or are watching your blood sugar for other reasons, it’s often recommended to choose sweet potatoes over white potatoes.
The sweet variety has a lower glycemic index (GI), which measures how certain foods affect your blood sugar. You can cook sweet potatoes in many of the same ways you would have white ones, including making sweet potato fries or mash.
Many people also swear by baked sweet potato, to which you can then add your choice of toppings. And according to one cooking fan on TikTok, there’s actually a simple way to cook sweet potatoes that guarantees they’ll come out soft and fluffy every time – in just 30 minutes.
In a video on TikTok, the cooking fan explained all you need to do is pop your sweet potatoes into the air fryer instead of using an oven. With this method, you don’t need to boil them first or wait for hours for the oven to soften them up, as they take just half an hour to go from raw to ready.
She said: “Forget everything you know about cooking sweet potatoes, we’re doing it in the air fryer now. Air fryer sweet potatoes are perfect every time.”
The woman demonstrated the optimal method for prepping a sweet potato for cooking. She began by slicing the potato in half and drizzling olive oil over both halves, ensuring she rubbed the oil into both the front and back.
Next, she seasoned the potato with salt, massaging it into both sides. She then lined her air fryer with baking paper, placed the potatoes cut side down, and advised cooking them for 30 minutes at 400F (200C), highlighting that there’s “no need to preheat” the air fryer.
She explained: “They come out perfect every time. You’re going to want to check them to make sure they’re fork tender and then dress them however you want. You can do butter and cinnamon or you can go down a more savoury route like a baked potato.”
How to cook a sweet potato
- Baking: To bake a sweet potato in the oven, first preheat the oven to 200C. Wash the potato and pat it dry before piercing it a few times with a fork. Place it on a baking tray and bake for 45-60 minutes or until tender.
- Boiling: Peel your sweet potato and cut it evenly into cubes. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt, and place the potato cubes in the water. Boil for 15-20 minutes before draining the water. You can serve the cubes of potato as they are, or you can mash them.
- Roasting: To make sweet potato wedges, chunks, or fries, start by preheating your oven to 220C. Then wash and peel (optional) your potato into the desired shape. Toss the pieces with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings you want. Arrange them on a baking tray and cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.