Learn how to bake Caribbean sweet potatoes in your air fryer in a fraction of the time that it would using your oven. These potatoes are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside and baked to perfection.
I absolutely love baked potatoes, growing up my family would make them very often because it was a cheap and cheerful meal.
We could serve them with either melted cheese, tuna or cooked up legumes with a side serving of salad.
One thing I hate was the length of time it took to bake them in the oven. It felt like a laborious task.
Having to wash/scrub the potatoes, blot them, prick holes in them and wrap them in foil.
It took at least an hour for the potatoes to bake in the oven which actually felt like an eternity at the time.
Nowadays, I shun baking sweet potatoes in the oven and instead I use my Ninja air fryer which does the job in a fraction of the time.
I honestly don't know what I would do without my air fryer these days - it bakes, roasts, dehydrates and much more.
Caribbean sweet potato vs regular sweet potato
Without sounding biased, my favourite sweet potato that I love to bake in the air fryer has to be the Caribbean variation.
In the Caribbean and central America, you will notice that the sweet potato has a red/purple skin with white to off white flesh.
This isn't the same as what Americans may use for their Thanksgiving recipes to make for example 
- Sweet potatoes - You will need 2-4 of them, I used a total of 3, white fleshed (Caribbean) ones. Try to purchase sweet potatoes that are similar in size and firm (no soft spots).
- Olive oil - Use to rub over the exterior and to help with crisping up the skin.
- Pink salt and black pepper - to enhance the taste of the potatoes flesh once cooked.
- Vegan butter - A little square of vegan better (optional) to top the flesh.
- Filling of your choice - see below, in the recipe post.
Reasons to make this recipe
- The sweet potatoes take a lot quicker in the air fryer than they do in a conventional oven.
- Baking sweet potatoes in the air fryer is equally as healthy as using the oven, so it's a win win!
- It is a great alternative to using the oven.
- A great way to use some Caribbean sweet potatoes.
The steps
- Thoroughly wash and blot the sweet potatoes dry.
- Prick each of the sweet potatoes all over with a fork.
- Rub each of the sweet potatoes with the olive oil (you can do this by hand or using a pastry brush).
- Sprinkle with the pink salt and black pepper.
- Place the sweet potato in the air fryer basket (use a liner if necessary).
- Select 375F/190C for 40 minutes (keep in mind medium-large sweet potatoes will take longer).
- After the given time, check the readiness of the sweet potatoes, you can use a fork and it should pierce with no resistance (the flesh should squash with ease) or use a thermometer and insert in the centre (internal temperature should be 210F/98C).
- Use tongs to carefully remove the sweet potatoes from the basket.
- Use a knife to slice lengthways down to the centre of the sweet potato and allow the steam to escape.
- Fluff the flesh up with a fork (optional) and add a knob of vegan butter or your preferred topping.
What toppings to serve with
- Jackfruit Chilli
- Stewed Chicken
- Vegan Cheese
- Flaked fish i.e saltfish
- Tuna
- Stewed Kidney Beans
Notes and tips
- Do not freeze the baked sweet potatoes instead store any leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- You can re-heat the sweet potato in the air fryer (on the lowest/re-heat/warm setting) or in the microwave.
- It is VERY important to pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork as this will help to release the steam and buildup of pressure.
- Make sure to thoroughly wash and blot the sweet potatoes dry prior to baking them.
- The length of cooking time may vary depending on the size of your sweet potato. Mine were small to medium in size.
- 40 minutes is a general cooking timeline so treat it that way, small potatoes may bake sooner and larger ones will take much longer so keep that in mind.
More air fryer recipes to try
- Air Fryer Frozen Okra
- Yuca Chips
- Vegan Fried Chicken (Oyster Mushrooms)
- Corn on The Cob in Foil
- Air Fryer Chickpeas
- Kale Chips
- Pineapple Rings
- Breadfruit Fries
**Please comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Support my website by leaving a donation through Buying Me a Coffee. A site to show your appreciation of my hardwork over the years. Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**
Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes (Caribbean Style)
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (14g)
- ½ teaspoon pink salt (3g)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (1g)
- a knob of vegan butter for the topping
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash and blot the sweet potatoes dry.
- Prick each of the sweet potatoes all over with a fork.
- Rub each of the sweet potatoes with the olive oil (you can do this by hand or using a pastry brush).
- Sprinkle with the pink salt and black pepper.Place the sweet potato in the air fryer basket (use a liner if necessary).
- Select 375F/190C for 40 minutes (keep in mind medium-large sweet potatoes will take longer).
- After the given time, check the readiness of the sweet potatoes, you can use a fork and it should pierce with no resistance (the flesh should squash with ease) or use a thermometer and insert in the centre (internal temperature should be 210F/98C).
- Use tongs to carefully remove the sweet potatoes from the basket.
- Use a knife to slice lengthways down to the centre of the sweet potato and allow the steam to escape.
- Fluff the flesh up with a fork (optional) and add a knob of vegan butter or your preferred topping.
Video
Notes
-
- Do not freeze the baked sweet potatoes instead store any leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
-
- You can re-heat the sweet potato in the air fryer (on the lowest/re-heat/warm setting) or in the microwave.
-
- It is VERY important to pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork as this will help to release the steam and buildup of pressure.
-
- Make sure to thoroughly wash and blot the sweet potatoes dry prior to baking them.
-
- The length of cooking time may vary depending on the size of your sweet potato. Mine were small to medium in size.
-
- 40 minutes is a general cooking timeline so treat it that way, small potatoes may bake sooner and larger ones will take much longer so keep that in mind.
Leave a Reply