Chances are one of the first foods you made when you unboxed your new air fryer was fries. Being able to make fries at home in 20 minutes with minimal oil is often touted as a major selling point for the appliance.
So much so, making fries is one of the tests I use when carrying out my best air fryer reviews.
Yet fries are only one way to cook a potato in an air fryer. From wedges to potato skins and cheesy croquettes, there are a number of ways to turn the humble veg into tasty air fryer sides.
Below we reveal 5 different ways to air fry a potato – whether you’re looking for inspiration or have leftover potatoes that need using up.
5 different ways to air fry a potato
1. Air fryer fries
Despite fries being such a popular air fryer recipe, they’re surprisingly easy to get wrong. I’ve tried dozens of recipes in search of the perfect fries – ones that have a crispy coating with soft, fluffy center – and the best I’ve tried is this air fryer fries recipe, found in the instruction manual for the Swan Retro Air Fryer.
The key is to soak the potatoes in water first before patting them dry and coating them in a small amount of oil. This helps remove the starch from the potatoes while giving them a crispy, crunchy finish.
This air fryer fries recipe requires a little more effort than others I’ve tried but the taste is more than worth it.
2. Air fryer baked potato
A baked potato is my go-to side dish and the best way to get a crispy, salty outer and fluffy center is to bake it for hours in the oven.
This air fryer baked potato recipe gives the same perfectly crispy skin, and soft center in less time, all while freeing up your oven for other parts of your dish. Alternatively, add your favourite baked potato filling to elevate this from a side dish to a main with ease.
3. Air fryer skins
Whether it’s as a side to your main meal, a starter or as small canapés for dinner parties, you can’t go wrong with this air fryer potato skins recipe.
Take your favourite type of potato – I like starchy russets because they fluff up well, but any potato will do – and add whatever filling you like to create delicious morsels. My favourite filling combines melted cheese with sour cream and crispy bacon, but the beauty of this recipe is that you can adapt it to your tastes, dietary requirements and needs.
4. Air fryer wedges
One of the first dishes I ever cooked in my air fryer was potato wedges, and after months of searching for the ultimate version, I found this air fryer potato wedges recipe on TikTok that promises flavor, a crunchy outer coating and a soft, fluffy center.
Like with the air fryer fries recipe, the key to getting the perfect balance of crunch and softness is soaking the potatoes in water. The original recipe uses an ice bath but I’ve found that any water will do.
I love this recipe so much that I’ve tried it using a number of spice and seasoning combinations, from Cajun seasoning, to garlic powder, Chinese Five Spice, mustard powder and more and I’ve yet to make a bad batch.
5. Air fryer croquettes
My children are obsessed with Tater Tots but if, like me, you want something a little more grown-up on the side of your own dishes, then these air fryer croquettes may be the answer.
They're an Italian street food version of the humble potato croquette, known as panzerotti napoletano, and their secret is that they’re stuffed with cheese.
This not only gives them an oozy, melt-in-the-mouth texture, but it adds a level of creamy, salty goodness alongside the soft potato and crunchy coating. Delicious!
