How Long Does It Take To Cook Potato Wedges In The Air Fryer?

If it exists, there's an air fryer recipe for it. And that goes especially for potato products. French fries, tater tots, hash browns, and more all benefit from a turn in the air fryer, where the convection heat helps the spuds get that crispy, crunchy exterior without dredging them in oil. Potato wedges fall within this category; for anyone craving these hefty french fry cousins, it's easy to whip up some from scratch with just a handful of ingredients (or simply heat a bag from the freezer aisle).

To get extra-crispy potato wedges, you'll need about 30 minutes of time in the fryer if you're cooking from scratch: 20 minutes to cook the potatoes through, then an extra 10 minutes at the end with seasoning on for that final crisp. For frozen potato wedges, you'll only need about 18 to 20 minutes to get them golden and ready to eat.

Homemade potato wedges are as easy as washing and slicing a potato. Cutting the potato wedges into the proper shape is the hardest part of this dish, but there's an easy way to make sure each wedge is a relatively even size. Just cut each potato in half lengthwise, then cut the half in half the same way. Then cut each quarter into as many slices as you need until you have half-inch wedges. From each potato, you can get about 12 fries.

One optional step is to soak the potatoes for a short amount of time after cutting them. The water will absorb some of the potato's natural starchiness, leading to crispier, crunchier fries. A 20- to 30-minute soak will do the trick; just be sure to thoroughly drain and dry the fries after.

Then, coat the wedges in oil and season them with salt and pepper. Save the extra seasonings for after the first 20 minutes of cooking; for now, just the basics will do.

When you're ready to air-fry the potato wedges, preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for the first 20 minutes. Try to get the wedges in a single layer, but if they bunch up or overlap each other a little, that's okay.

After that first round of cook time, remove them to a tray or bowl and toss them in your preferred seasoning mix. You can use any number of dried herbs and spices; a little garlic powder and smoked paprika always does the trick, or if you have dried ranch seasoning or Old Bay, those blends also make a great pairing for potatoes. You could also add fresh herbs, such as thyme or rosemary — adding them later in the cooking process ensures they won't scorch.

Return to the air fryer and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the wedges are crisped up.