Air Fryer Candied Yams in 10 minutes

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Air fryer candied yams in 10 minutes is within your reach with this super simple recipe. All you need is to pull out your air fryer and a few ingredients and you are on your way to the best candied yams you’ve ever tried! This recipe makes the perfect side dish for any meal and will wow everyone on your holiday table!!

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What are southern candied yams?

Southern candied yams are treat from the southern states of the United States. Candied yams have a super sweet flavor and a sticky texture. People traditionally serve them as a side for dinner or for Thanksgiving or other holidays.

When we make Southern candied yams, we follow the traditional recipe, adding a bit to the spices and using the air fryer to give them a slightly crispy outside and sticky outside.

Candy yams Ingredients

When you make this candy yams recipe, you’ll want the following ingredients:

Sweet Potato - We use fresh yams that you can find at just about any grocery store.
Butter - You could sub in oil if you want to make this a vegan recipe.
Light Brown - Light brown sugar brings out the sweetness in the candied yams.
Spices - When making candy yams, you will want to have cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger powder.
Salt - You don’t need much, just add a bit to taste
Lemon juice - This helps to freshen the flavors and make them pop.

To make your life easier, you’ll also want to make sure you have the right tools for the job. Here’s what you’ll need when you make this candied yam recipe:

Cutting board
Knife
Air Fryer (You can use your oven instead)
Tongs

Air fryer Candied Yams

Here’s how to make candy yams in the oven. When you are ready, let’s get started:

First, peel the sweet potatoes and using a mandolin, slice the sweet potatoes to ¼ of an inch thickness.
Next, take a 6 inch baking pan or dish and arrange the slices. If using a round pan, start arranging in a circular fashion starting from the inside (overlapping half the slice) of the pan moving towards the outside. If using a square or rectangle pan arrange in a line (overlapping half the slice).
Once arranged, make the syrup by melting the butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Next, add the light brown sugar, spices, salt and lemon juice. Stir until the syrup thickens to a sauce-like consistency.
When ready, drizzle the sauce over the potatoes making sure that all slices are fully covered in the sauce.
Finally, place the basket in the air fryer and air fry for 10 minutes at 300 F.

Enjoy warm with your favorite sides and main dish!

How to make candied yams in the oven

Here’s how to make candied yams in the air fryer. When you are ready, let’s get started:

First, peel the sweet potatoes and using a mandolin, slice the sweet potatoes to ¼ of an inch thickness.
Next, take a 6 inch baking pan or dish and arrange the slices. If using a round pan, start arranging in a circular fashion starting from the inside (overlapping half the slice) of the pan moving towards the outside. If using a square or rectangle pan arrange in a line (overlapping half the slice).
Once arranged, make the syrup by melting the butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Next, add the light brown sugar, spices, salt and lemon juice. Stir until the syrup thickens to a sauce-like consistency.
When ready, drizzle the sauce over the potatoes making sure that all slices are fully covered in the sauce.
Finally, place the pan in the oven and cook at 450 F for 30 minutes.

Enjoy warm with your favorite sides and main dish!

Pro Tips to make the best southern candied yams

When you want to make the best air fryer Southern candied yams, you will want to follow these simple tips and tricks:

We use a 6 inch pan, but if that does not fit your air fryer, you can adjust the size as needed. You may need to adjust the time just slightly if you use a bigger or smaller pan.
Make sure to have the syrup cover all the yams. If you make a bigger batch, just make sure to adjust the syrup size accordingly!
Serve with your favorite main dishes, for Thanksgiving, or any other holiday you celebrate this coming season!

FAQs

Are sweet potatoes and yams the same?

Though stores and people often group them together, yams are technically not sweet potatoes and have a starchier texture compared to sweet potatoes. Our recipe calls for sweet potatoes due the extra sweetness and texture.

Can I use canned sweet potatoes?

Yes! You can use canned sweet potatoes, but we prefer using fresh ones ourselves.

Are canned sweet potatoes just as good as fresh?

We generally prefer using fresh. Canned sweet potatoes often come with additional sugar or syrup that they used for canning. The texture is also a bit softer, but they do work for the recipe so you can certainly use them if you prefer.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! Candied yams taste great reheated. It makes them a great food to make ahead when you plan to have a large dinner gathering or know you will be busy when you want to make them.

How to store leftovers?

Once the candy yams have cooled, place them in an airtight container or cover tightly with cling wrap or aluminum foil. You can then place the container in the fridge. To reheat, you can place them in a warmed oven and heat until warmed through.

How long do they last?

The candied yams should last about 3 to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

Other recipes you need to try

When you want even more good food to eat, you will need to try these super tasty recipes:

Let us know what you think

If you make this delicious recipe, let us know how it went! When you make this, be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!

Air Fryer Candied Yams in 10 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

Sweet Potato 1
Butter 4 tbsp
Light Brown sugar 3 tbsp
Cinnamon powder ½ tsp
Nutmeg ½ tsp
Ginger powder ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Lemon juice 1 tbsp

Instructions

Air fryer Candied Yams

Here’s how to make candy yams in the oven. When you are ready, let’s get started:

First, peel the sweet potatoes and using a mandolin, slice the sweet potatoes to ¼ of an inch thickness.
Next, take a 6 inch baking pan or dish and arrange the slices. If using a round pan, start arranging in a circular fashion starting from the inside (overlapping half the slice) of the pan moving towards the outside. If using a square or rectangle pan arrange in a line (overlapping half the slice).
Once arranged, make the syrup by melting the butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Next, add the light brown sugar, spices, salt and lemon juice. Stir until the syrup thickens to a sauce-like consistency.
When ready, drizzle the sauce over the potatoes making sure that all slices are fully covered in the sauce.
Finally, place the basket in the air fryer and air fry for 10 minutes at 300 F.

Enjoy warm with your favorite sides and main dish!

How to make candied yams in the oven

Here’s how to make candied yams in the air fryer. When you are ready, let’s get started:

First, peel the sweet potatoes and using a mandolin, slice the sweet potatoes to ¼ of an inch thickness.
Next, take a 6 inch baking pan or dish and arrange the slices. If using a round pan, start arranging in a circular fashion starting from the inside (overlapping half the slice) of the pan moving towards the outside. If using a square or rectangle pan arrange in a line (overlapping half the slice).
Once arranged, make the syrup by melting the butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Next, add the light brown sugar, spices, salt and lemon juice. Stir until the syrup thickens to a sauce-like consistency.
When ready, drizzle the sauce over the potatoes making sure that all slices are fully covered in the sauce.
F

Notes

We use a 6 inch pan, but if that does not fit your air fryer, you can adjust the size as needed. You may need to adjust the time just slightly if you use a bigger or smaller pan.

Make sure to have the syrup cover all the yams. If you make a bigger batch, just make sure to adjust the syrup size accordingly!

Serve with your favorite main dishes, for Thanksgiving, or any other holiday you celebrate this coming season!

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About Anvita

Hi! I’m Anvita, the founder of The Belly Rules The Mind. I was born and raised in India but now I reside in the United States.

Founder of TheBellyRulesTheMind.net I love to travel and experience different cultures and cuisines. Having lived in different countries across the globe like, India, Australia, Germany and United States has taught to enjoy and appreciate culinary experiences. I believe that food brings people together.

As a self taught cook, I am always trying new recipes and variations to see what tantalizes my family's tastebuds. I am always trying to replicate meals from around the world that we have cherished. Hope you enjoy them too. Read more