Air Fryer BBQ Sweet Potato Chips (Homemade BBQ Seasoning)

These Air Fryer BBQ Sweet Potato Chips are thin, crispy sweet potato rounds tossed in a smoky homemade BBQ seasoning and air fried in about 15 minutes. They taste like a bag of barbecue chips, with the natural sweetness of sweet potato underneath.

The trick to great BBQ sweet potato chips is the seasoning. Most BBQ rubs are loaded with brown sugar, and sweet potatoes already have plenty of their own. In the air fryer, all that sugar scorches before the chips crisp. When I tested a sugary homemade rub on my Air Fryer BBQ Potato Chips, that batch didn’t turn out, so this recipe uses a low-sugar BBQ blend built for chips.

If you want plain, salted chips instead, use my Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips. If you’d rather have something thicker and spicier, try my Spicy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.

Why this recipe works

• Low-sugar BBQ seasoning. Smoked paprika and a little dry mustard give the BBQ flavor without the sugar that burns.
• 1/8-inch slices. Thin enough to crisp all the way through, thick enough to hold the seasoning.
• A quick soak and a full dry. Rinsing off surface starch and drying the slices well is what gets chips crisp instead of chewy.
• Done in one batch for a snack, two for a crowd. Two medium sweet potatoes make about 4 servings.

Homemade BBQ Seasoning for Sweet Potato Chips

This homemade BBQ seasoning for chips gets its flavor from spices, not sugar, so it stays smoky instead of scorching in the air fryer. Smoked paprika is the base and gives the chips their barbecue flavor and deep red color. Garlic powder and onion powder add the savory taste you know from bagged BBQ chips. Chili powder brings mild heat, a little dry mustard adds the tang of a BBQ sauce, and ground cumin rounds it out with an earthy note. Salt and black pepper finish the blend and help it cling to each slice.

For more heat, add a pinch of cayenne. If you like your BBQ chips sweet and smoky, save a little brown sugar to sprinkle on after cooking, never before. Stir the seasoning together in a small bowl before you start slicing, and you’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.

Using store-bought BBQ seasoning? That works too. Check the label: if sugar is one of the first ingredients, use the smaller amount, cook at the lower end of the time range, and watch the last few minutes closely.

Extra seasoning keeps in an airtight jar for several months. It’s also good on popcorn, roasted vegetables, and fries.

Ingredients for BBQ Sweet Potato Chips

You need four things, plus the seasoning above. Exact amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Sweet potatoes: Pick medium, long, narrow ones. Narrow potatoes give even, chip-sized rounds that fit in a single layer.
• Oil: Olive oil or avocado oil. One tablespoon is enough to coat two potatoes; more oil makes softer chips, not crispier ones.
• Homemade BBQ seasoning: The low-sugar blend above, or a store-bought rub.
• Salt: A final pinch right out of the air fryer, when it sticks best.

Equipment: an air fryer, a mandoline slicer (or a sharp chef’s knife), a large bowl, and clean kitchen towels or paper towels for drying.

How to Make BBQ Sweet Potato Chips in the Air Fryer

Step 1: Slice the sweet potatoes. Scrub the sweet potatoes (peeling is optional). Slice them into 1/8-inch rounds with a mandoline, using the hand guard. If you’re using a knife, aim for slices as even as possible; uneven slices burn at the edges while the thick ones stay soft.

Step 2: Soak. Cover the slices with cold water for 15 to 20 minutes. This rinses off surface starch so the chips don’t stick together and crisp more evenly.

Step 3: Dry completely. Drain, spread the slices on towels, and pat the tops dry. Wet slices steam instead of crisp, so don’t rush this step.

Step 4: Season. Toss the dry slices in a large bowl with the oil until every slice is coated. Sprinkle on the BBQ seasoning and toss again.

Step 5: Preheat the air fryer. Heat the air fryer to 380°F (193°C) for 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 6: Air fry in a single layer. Lay the slices in the basket without overlapping, working in batches. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking or flipping every 4 to 5 minutes. If light slices start blowing around, set a small wire rack on top so they don’t get pulled into the fan.

Tips for Crispy BBQ Sweet Potato Chips

• Keep the sugar out of the basket. Sugar in a rub scorches long before the chips are crisp. Add any brown sugar after cooking.
• Use the mandoline. Even 1/8-inch slices all finish at the same time, so you’re not picking burnt and soft chips out of the same batch.
• Dry the slices more than you think you need to. Surface water is the most common reason chips come out chewy.
• One layer, every batch. Overlapping slices steam each other and stay soft.
• Basket vs. oven-style air fryer. Oven-style models with racks cook more slices at once but often run hotter on the top rack, so rotate the trays halfway.
• Judge by color and edges, not the timer. Air fryers vary a lot. Chips are done when the edges are lightly browned and the centers look dry, even if they still bend.

Serving, Storing, and Variations

Serving. Serve BBQ sweet potato chips as a snack, a game day appetizer, or a side with burgers, pulled pork, and sandwiches. Ranch, French onion dip, and a chipotle mayo all pair well with the smoky seasoning.

Storing. These are best the day you make them. Once fully cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To re-crisp, air fry at 350°F for 1 to 2 minutes.

Variations.

• Spicy BBQ: Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne to the seasoning.
• Sweet and smoky: Toss the hot chips with 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar right out of the basket.
• Different chip, same seasoning: Use this BBQ blend on regular potatoes with my Air Fryer BBQ Potato Chips method.
• Thicker cut: For a softer, fry-style side, cut sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch strips and follow my Spicy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries instead.

BBQ Sweet Potato Chips FAQ

Why did my BBQ sweet potato chips burn?

Usually it’s sugar. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, and many BBQ rubs add brown sugar on top, so the seasoning scorches before the chips crisp. Use a low-sugar rub, add any sugar after cooking, and start checking at 8 minutes.

Why aren’t my sweet potato chips crispy?

The slices are too thick, still wet, or overlapping. Cut them 1/8 inch thick, dry them well after soaking, and cook in a single layer. Also let them cool for a few minutes; they crisp as they cool.

Do I need to soak sweet potatoes before air frying?

It isn’t required, but a 15- to 20-minute soak in cold water rinses off surface starch and gives crisper, less sticky chips. Dry them completely afterward.

Can I make BBQ sweet potato chips in the oven?

Yes. Bake the seasoned slices on a wire rack set over a sheet pan at a low temperature, around 250°F to 300°F, flipping halfway, until crisp. It takes noticeably longer than the air fryer.

Can I use store-bought BBQ seasoning?

Yes. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons for 2 medium sweet potatoes, and reduce the added salt if the blend is salty. If sugar is listed first on the label, watch the chips closely at the end.