Baked sweet potatoes are crispy in 30 minutes without using the oven

Sweet potatoes are a delicious seasonal staple and a welcome change from your standard white potato. Not only do they offer a wealth of nutritional benefits, but their naturally sweeter flavour and softer texture make them incredibly versatile. Sweet potatoes pair beautifully with richer, bolder toppings that you might not usually consider-think tangy cottage cheese, cooling sour cream, and a scattering of fresh green herbs or even a dollop of chilli con carne.

While they're often baked, their unique composition means they can cook much quicker than traditional spuds, especially when you use an air fryer. Home cook Jessica, founder of the popular food blog Jessica in the Kitchen, has perfected a method for making these tasty treats with a super crispy skin and a fluffy core in half the time of a conventional oven. This simple trick gets the sweet spuds ready in just 30 minutes, making them a perfect weeknight meal.

You don't need any fancy equipment or a long list of ingredients. Jessica reveals the secret to these perfect 'baked' potatoes is using just two pantry staples: a generous sprinkle of sea salt and a little oil.

As for cooking utensils, you'll need a pastry brush and a fork, plus your air fryer, of course.

Air fryer baked sweet potatoes recipe

• Two sweet potatoes
• 1-3 tsp oil
• A generous sprinkling of sea salt flakes

Method

Firstly, wash, clean, and pat dry your sweet potatoes for the crispiest results. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork to allow steam to escape, then place them in a bowl.

Rub the oil all over your sweet potatoes using your hands or a silicone brush, followed by a generous sprinkle of salt.

Transfer the seasoned potatoes to the air fryer basket and cook at 200°C for 30 to 35 minutes. Once cooked, carefully remove the spuds from the air fryer basket and slice them open in the centre.

With your fork, fluff up the inside. Add a knob of butter if you fancy, then serve with your chosen toppings.