I'm predicting that this Air Fryer Potato Wedges recipe will be a new favorite, so you might as well bookmark it now! The potatoes are perfectly seasoned and have a crispy exterior and a tender center. Crispy Air Fried Potato Wedges make a wonderful and easy side dish to many entrees including steak, chicken, and seafood.
About This Recipe
My mom used to make the best baked potatoes. She cooked the potatoes in a pot over the stovetop, with a small amount of water, a tab of butter, some salt, and black pepper.
Once the potatoes were tender, she transferred them to a baking dish and sprinkled them with paprika. She carefully tucked them around a whole chicken. The potatoes would get nice and crispy and soaked in all the yummy drippings.
This Crispy Air Fried Potato Wedges recipe was created with mom's oven-baked potatoes recipe in mind. I can't help but think she would have approved.
Why This Recipe Works
For starters, this Air Fryer Potato Wedges recipe is freaking delicious! The combination of lemony sumac, butter, and garlic, reminds me of lemony Greek Potatoes, only more flavorful.
Cooking the potatoes in a pressure cooker first then an air fryer (or in my case, a Ninja Foodi, affiliate link) ensures that the potatoes are tender on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside.
What Goes Into This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- Potatoes — Although the recipe calls for Russet Potatoes, an acceptable substitute would be Yukon Gold Potatoes. Use either 3 large or 4 medium potatoes.
- Garlic — If you don't have fresh garlic, you can substitute ½ teaspoon garlic powder instead.
- Herbs — If you need to substitute the Herbs de Provence, use ½ teaspoon dried oregano and ½ teaspoon dried thyme or parsley.
- Spice — To add more heat, add ¼ teaspoon — ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. If you prefer just a hint of spice, replace the crushed red pepper with ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Sumac — If you don't have sumac (affiliate link), substitute 1 teaspoon paprika or chili powder for the color, and a pinch of citric salt for the tangy flavor.
How to Make Air Fried Potato Wedges
Step 1 | Slice and Season Potatoes
Scrub Russet potatoes with a vegetable scrub brush (affiliate link). If you prefer, wash and peel them instead. Use a sharp knife to slice the potatoes in half then in quarters. Add to a large bowl and season with salt, lemon pepper, sumac, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Step 2 | Pressure Cook Potatoes
Add 1 cup of water to the NinjaFoodi (or Instant Pot) bowl. Place seasoned potato wedges in the Ninja Foodi basket or on a trivet and attach the lid. Set the vent knob to SEAL. Select Pressure Cook and set the timer for 4-5 minutes. It will take approximately 10 minutes to come up to pressure.
Step 3 | Prepare Buttery Herb Seasoning
Meanwhile, whisk melted butter, olive oil, pressed garlic, and Herbs de Provence. When the 4 minutes are up, turn the knob to VENT to quickly release the pressure. It will take approximately 2 minutes for the pin to drop. Transfer the potatoes into a large bowl then pour the buttery herb seasoning over the potatoes. Stir gently with a spatula to combine.
Step 4 | Air Fry Potato Wedges
Pour the water out of the Ninja Foodi pot and place the pot back into position with the basket inside. Using tongs, transfer half or all of the seasoned potatoes into the air fryer basket. Air fry/air crisp the potatoes for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Use tongs to flip the potato wedges halfway through. Serve immediately.
Note: I tested air frying the potato wedges in two batches and then in one larger batch. Both ways worked. However, this will also depend on the size of the air fryer being used.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy the Air Fryer Potato Wedges Assyrian-style, with Vermicelli Rice, chicken, and a Middle Eastern Salad. Another option is to enjoy them the American way, with a hamburger and a side of ketchup or ranch for dipping.
Optional Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mix salt, lemon pepper, sumac, red pepper flakes, melted butter, olive oil, crushed garlic, and Herbs de Provence.
- Add potato wedges to a large bowl and drizzle with the seasoning mixture. Toss to completely cover the potatoes with the seasoning mix.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the potatoes in one single layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then flip to the other side and bake for 20 minutes more or until golden brown and can easily be pricked with a fork.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
If the potatoes were soaked first, it's possible that the potatoes are too wet. They should be dried with paper towels before air frying. Another reason could be that they are not cooked long enough.
Additionally, the potatoes could be soggy because you did not use a touch of oil, non-stick cooking spray, or butter prior to air frying them. If the potato wedges taste bland, you need to use more seasoning.
You can open an air fryer while it is in use. This is actually a common practice when using an air fryer because many recipes call for you to flip the food that's being air fried to the other side to make sure it is evenly crisped.
- Although I slice each potato into 4 pieces to make thick potato wedges, you can easily slice each potato into 8 wedges to make thinner ones. If you do make them thinner, you may need to reduce the cooking time.
- If you're out of butter or olive oil, you can use 3 tablespoons of one or the other. Avocado oil is also a great option.
- Garnish the potatoes with chopped parsley for a lovely presentation.
- Optionally, sprinkle air-fried potato wedges with some grated parmesan or Asiago cheese.
Related Recipes
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Crispy Air Fried Potato Wedges
Ingredients
- 4 medium Russet potatoes (or 3 large)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon sumac powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (pressed)
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence (or your favorite herbs)
Instructions
- Scrub Russet potatoes with a vegetable scrub brush. If you prefer, wash and peel them instead. Use a sharp knife to slice the potatoes in half then in quarters. Add to a large bowl and season with salt, lemon pepper, sumac, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add 1 cup of water to the NinjaFoodi (or Instant Pot) bowl. Place seasoned potato wedges in the Ninja Foodi basket or on a trivet and attach the lid. Set the vent knob to SEAL. Select Pressure Cook and set the timer for 4 to 5 minutes. It will take approximately 10 minutes to come up to pressure.
- Meanwhile, whisk melted butter, olive oil, pressed garlic, and Herbs de Provence. When the 4 minutes are up, turn the knob to VENT to quickly release the pressure. It will take approximately 2 minutes for the pin to drop. Transfer the potatoes into a large bowl then pour the buttery herb seasoning over the potatoes. Stir gently with a spatula to combine.
- Pour the water out of the Ninja Foodi pot and place the pot back into position with the basket inside. Using tongs, transfer half or all of the seasoned potatoes into the air fryer basket. Air fry/air crisp the potatoes for 20 minutes at 400° F. Use tongs to flip the potato wedges halfway through. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Although I slice each potato into 4 pieces to make thick potato wedges, you can easily slice each potato into 8 wedges to make thinner ones. If you do make them thinner, you may need to reduce the cooking time.
- If you're out of butter or olive oil, you can use 3 tablespoons of one or the other. Avocado oil is also a great option.
- Garnish the potatoes with chopped parsley for a lovely presentation.
- Optionally, sprinkle air-fried potato wedges with some grated parmesan or Asiago cheese.
Barbara says
Loved this recipe! Turned out perfect!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Barbara. I appreciate you taking the time to leave the review.
Drakhool says
Not great, potatos come out of the pressure cooker looking closer to mashed potatos rather than wedges that are ready to be crisped with the air fryer. Taste is good mostly due to seasoning.
Hilda Sterner says
Sorry, it didn't work out for you. I wonder why they overcooked? As you can see by the pics in the recipe, I don't have the same issue when I prepare them. Either way, thanks for the review.