America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Air-Fryer BBQ Potato Wedges

By Camila Chaparro

Published on January 7, 2020

Time

1 hour (28 minutes cook time)

Yield

Serves 2 to 4

Air-Fryer BBQ Potato Wedges

Ingredients

1½ pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch wedges2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar Salt and pepper ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Before You Begin

Do not clean out the tossing bowl while you are cooking; the residual oil helps the crisping process. Use potatoes that are 5 inches long or less; longer potatoes tend to break during tossing.

Instructions

  1. Submerge potatoes in large bowl of water and rinse to remove excess starch. Drain potatoes and repeat process as needed until water remains clear. Cover potatoes with hot tap water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain potatoes, transfer to paper towel–lined rimmed baking sheet, and thoroughly pat dry.
  2. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil in clean, dry bowl, then transfer to air-fryer basket. Place basket in air fryer, set temperature to 350 degrees, and cook for 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to now-empty bowl and gently toss to redistribute. Return potatoes to air fryer and cook until potatoes are just beginning to soften, 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Transfer potatoes to now-empty bowl and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, chili powder, brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cayenne. Return potatoes to air fryer, increase temperature to 400 degrees, and cook until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes, tossing gently in bowl to redistribute every 5 minutes. Transfer wedges to large plate and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Air-Fryer BBQ Potato Wedges
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Elle Simone.

Air-Fryer BBQ Potato Wedges

Save

Time

1 hour (28 minutes cook time)

Yield

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

1½ pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch wedges
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
Salt and pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Ingredients

1½ pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch wedges
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
Salt and pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Ingredients

1½ pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch wedges
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
Salt and pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Cutting ½-inch wedges gave us attractively slender spears that fit in the basket and provided plenty of pillowy middle. We avoided using overly long potatoes, which broke during tossing. The cooking method followed in step with our French fries—a quick soak and two-part frying, intermittently tossing the wedges in oil for crispness and flavor. To give our wedges character, we developed several spice blends to toss with the potatoes during their final cook. We found tossing the wedges in a bowl, rather than in the air-fryer basket, yielded the best results and the fewest broken wedges.

Before You Begin

Do not clean out the tossing bowl while you are cooking; the residual oil helps the crisping process. Use potatoes that are 5 inches long or less; longer potatoes tend to break during tossing.

Instructions

  1. Submerge potatoes in large bowl of water and rinse to remove excess starch. Drain potatoes and repeat process as needed until water remains clear. Cover potatoes with hot tap water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain potatoes, transfer to paper towel–lined rimmed baking sheet, and thoroughly pat dry.
  2. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil in clean, dry bowl, then transfer to air-fryer basket. Place basket in air fryer, set temperature to 350 degrees, and cook for 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to now-empty bowl and gently toss to redistribute. Return potatoes to air fryer and cook until potatoes are just beginning to soften, 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Transfer potatoes to now-empty bowl and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, chili powder, brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cayenne. Return potatoes to air fryer, increase temperature to 400 degrees, and cook until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes, tossing gently in bowl to redistribute every 5 minutes. Transfer wedges to large plate and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

Keep Exploring

This is a members' feature.