When it comes to weeknight meal prep, simplicity and ease of preparation are always top of mind. These crispy potato wedges deliver on both fronts. Using an air fryer speeds up the cooking process and ensures a perfect crispiness that’s hard to achieve in a regular oven. Plus, with a minimal, primarily pantry-focused ingredient list, they’re a breeze to whip up.
As if that weren’t enough to love, these inexpensive air fryer baked potato wedges are quite versatile! They make a great appetizer when paired with a favorite dipping sauce or a hearty meal when loaded up with toppings. These fluffy, kid-friendly spuds are also the perfect side dish for all your favorite proteins like steak, pork, or chicken, so they grace our dinner table often. For more easy air fryer recipes, try my air fryer chicken thighs, air fryer grilled cheese, and air fryer stuffed peppers next!
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Russet potatoes – these starchy potatoes (also often called Idaho potatoes) are ideal for any application where you’re looking for a fluffy, rather than firm, interior like this recipe.
Olive oil – stick to regular, rather than extra virgin, for this recipe. Most EVOO will begin to smoke at around 375F, which is below the 400F cooking temperature we need to achieve maximum crispiness for this recipe.
Seasoning – a simple blend of salt, garlic powder, freshly ground black pepper, and smoked paprika pairs well with various cuisines. Feel free to experiment with other seasoning blends (e.g. seasoning salt, dried herbs, chili powder, or taco seasoning) to find your favorite.
Parmesan & chopped parsley – while optional, these simple garnishes give these healthy potato wedges a decidedly more grown-up appeal. Plus, who doesn’t love cheese on their fries?
How To Make Air Fryer Potato Wedges
1. Scrub the potatoes well to remove any dirt. Leave the skins in place — no need to peel. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut potatoes into wedges, by cutting each potato in half lengthwise. Place the halves cut-side down on the cutting board, and then cut each half lengthwise into quarters, or about 1-inch thick at the widest part.
2. Soak the potato wedges in a large bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to remove the starch. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the bowl and refill with cold water. Mix with your hands to clean the potatoes and drain once more.
3. Place the potatoes in a single layer on a lint-free tea towel or paper towels. Pat them very dry with another towel.
4. Wipe the same bowl dry and return the potatoes to it (or use a baking pan). Drizzle the potatoes all over with olive oil.
5. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, pepper, and smoked paprika. Toss well to combine.
6. Preheat the air fryer to 325°F. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket in a single layer, skin side down, with a little bit of space in between each potato wedge. Cook for 12 minutes.
7. Shake the basket to move the wedges around, then return them to a single layer. Increase the temperature to 400°F. Cook for 12 more minutes or until golden and crispy.
8. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper to taste, then top with grated parmesan cheese and fresh parsley to garnish. Serve immediately.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- If you’re short on time, you can skip the soak. Instead, rinse the wedges in a colander under running cold water for 30 seconds, pat them dry, and continue on with the recipe. Soaking will yield a crispier wedge, but the rinse does a good job in a pinch!
- Scale to your needs. This recipe yields 4 fat, homemade potato wedges per person, which is enough for a side serving. If you want larger servings, I’d make 1.5 to 2 times the recipe, and cook in a few batches.
- Get creative! Experiment with different seasonings and toppings to suit your taste! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Loaded potato wedges – swap the parmesan for cheddar, then add a dollop of sour cream, a handful of bacon bits, and a scattering of green onions for a perfect game-day snack.
- Cajun potato wedges – substitute your favorite Cajun seasoning brand for the homemade seasoning blend.
- Cheesy potato wedges – add your favorite blend of melty cheeses like cheddar, gouda, mozzarella, or Colby jack on top of the crispy potatoes right when they come out of the air fryer. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or beer cheese dip!
Frequently Asked Questions
You’re welcome to use Yukon Golds if that’s all you have on hand. They’re a great all-purpose potato, but they do have a denser makeup than starchier varieties. As such, your potato wedges will have a firmer, less fluffy consistency than if you were to use Idaho or Russet potatoes.
Sure! Half the fun of making your own fries or wedges at home is tailoring them to your liking. I find onion powder to be a bit sweeter and more of a prominent taste than garlic powder, but if you like that, go for it!
The primary reason is to remove excess starch and is a common step for making regular deep-fried potatoes like french fries or homemade potato chips. While starch contributes to a deliciously tender inner consistency, having too much starch on the surface can inhibit even browning and a crisp exterior.
It could be a few reasons. The potatoes didn’t soak or get rinsed well enough before starting, or they weren’t dried thoroughly. Both liquid and an excess of starch are enemies of crispiness! Also, make sure you are using cold water to soak the potatoes, as hot water can actually activate the starches and make them sticky on the surface. It’s also possible not enough oil was used to coat the potatoes. We’re using just a fraction of what we would for deep frying, so don’t decrease the amount called for in the recipe.
These air fried potato wedges are best served fresh from the fryer, but if you have any leftovers, pop them into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. When you’re ready to reheat, use the air fryer or a toaster oven set at 325F until the leftover potato wedges are warmed through and re-crisped.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Potato Wedges recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Air Fryer Potato Wedges
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound russet potatoes (about 2 large potatoes) (450g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Grated parmesan to serve (optional)
- Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes well (there is no need to peel the potato.)
- Cut the potatoes into wedges, by cutting each potato in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise into quarters, or about 1-inch thick at the widest part.
- Soak the potato wedges in a large bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to remove the starch. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the bowl and refill with cold water. Mix with your hands to clean the potatoes and drain once more.
- Place the potatoes in a single layer on a lint-free tea towel or paper towels. Pat them very dry with another towel.
- Wipe the same bowl dry and add the potatoes to it. Drizzle the potatoes all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, pepper, and smoked paprika. Toss well to combine.
- Preheat the air fryer to 325°F.
- Place the potatoes in the basket in a single layer, skin side down, with a little bit of space in between each potato wedge. Cook for 12 minutes.
- Shake the basket to move the wedges around, then return them to a single layer. Increase the temperature to 400°F.
- Cook for 12 more minutes or until golden and crispy. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper to taste, then top with grated parmesan and parsley, to garnish. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you’re short on time, you can skip the soak. Instead, rinse the wedges in a colander under running cold water for 30 seconds, pat them dry, and continue on with the recipe. Soaking will yield a crispier wedge, but the rinse does a good job in a pinch!
- Scale to your needs. This recipe yields 4 fat, homemade potato wedges per person, which is enough for a side serving. If you want larger servings, I’d make 1.5 to 2 times the recipe, and cook in a few batches.
- Get creative! Experiment with different seasonings and toppings to suit your taste! Here are a few of m
- Loaded potato wedges – swap the parmesan for cheddar, then add a dollop of sour cream, a handful of bacon bits, and a scattering of green onions for a perfect game-day snack.
- Cajun potato wedges – substitute your favorite Cajun seasoning brand for the homemade seasoning blend.
- Cheesy potato wedges – add your favorite blend of melty cheeses like cheddar, gouda, mozzarella, or Colby jack on top of the crispy potatoes right when they come out of the air fryer. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or beer cheese dip!
