Cooking Guide: What's the Temperature to Fry Potatoes in an Air Fryer
For people who love cooking, an air fryer is a very useful assistant. And the setting of temperature when using it to fry potatoes is undoubtedly a key consideration factor for making delicious potato dishes.
When frying potatoes in an air fryer, what is the appropriate temperature for different varieties of potatoes?
Yellow-hearted potatoes are suitable for 180 degrees, red-skinned potatoes are suitable for 160 degrees, and purple potatoes are suitable for 170 degrees. Frying at such temperatures can ensure that the fried potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Generally speaking, the sliced potatoes need to be fried for 15 to 20 minutes, and the sliced potatoes need to be fried for 10 to 15 minutes. It is necessary to turn them over 1 to 2 times in the middle to ensure uniform heating of the potatoes.
When operating, you can preheat the air fryer at about 150 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes first, and then adjust it to the temperature suitable for different varieties of potatoes mentioned above for continuous baking. If the potato pieces are relatively large, it is recommended to reduce the temperature by 10 degrees and appropriately extend the baking time, so that the potatoes are easier to cook through and will not be charred.
Do I need to peel the potatoes when frying them in the air fryer?
You don't have to peel them. Just put them in the air fryer directly. The potato slices with skin not only have better nutrition, but also have a more layered taste after frying. The skin is crispy and the inside is soft and waxy.
But you must clean them carefully. You can use a brush to brush off the dirt on the surface to ensure cleanliness and hygiene.
Why do my potatoes not get crispy in the air fryer?
Problems with Potato Cutting
If the potatoes are cut too thick or the shapes and sizes are uneven, the thick parts are difficult to fry through and get crispy. And the uneven size makes the heat absorption uneven, finally resulting in the whole not easily becoming crispy.
Control of Temperature and Time
If the temperature is too low or the cooking time is too short, the water in the potatoes cannot evaporate sufficiently, so it is impossible to achieve a crispy effect. It is necessary to set an appropriate temperature and ensure sufficient cooking time.
Not Turning the Potatoes
If the potatoes are not turned during the frying process, the heat absorption of each side is inconsistent. Some sides are cooked while some sides are still soft. It is difficult to make the potatoes reach a state of overall crispness. So it needs to be turned a few times in the middle to ensure uniform heat absorption.
Potato's Own Factors
If the potatoes themselves have too high water content or are not fresh enough, it will affect the degree of crispness after frying.
Inadequate Pre-treatment
If the water on the surface of the potatoes is not completely dried before putting them into the air fryer, the water vapor cannot escape inside, and it is also difficult to make the potatoes crispy.
What happens if you don't soak potatoes before air frying?
Frying the potatoes directly without soaking will cause the surface to turn yellow and black, the taste to become dry, and it's easy to taste a starch flavor.
I tried putting the sliced potatoes directly into the air fryer before. As a result, it tasted extremely terrible. The surface color was uneven, and it had a strong starch flavor when bitten. Only later did I know that soaking could remove the starch on the surface and make the potatoes look better and crispier after frying.
Now every time I make potatoes in the air fryer, I will soak them in cold water for 10 minutes in advance. In this way, the fried potato slices are golden and crispy. When bitten, it's crispy outside and soft inside.
Are potatoes better in the oven or air fryer?
Air fryer has a better effect for baking potatoes. The air fryer heats more evenly and quickly, which can make the potato skin crispy and the inside soft and waxy. Moreover, it is simple and time-saving to operate. It only takes 15 minutes to finish.
Although the oven can also bake good potatoes, it is relatively difficult to control the temperature. It is easy to have the situation that the outside is burnt while the inside is not cooked. In addition, the oven needs a long preheating time, and the overall time consumption will exceed 30 minutes. It also needs to be turned over and adjusted in position frequently.
From the actual usage experience, although the capacity of the air fryer is smaller than that of the oven, it is completely sufficient for the amount for 1-2 people's daily consumption. It is also more convenient to clean and maintain. When making potatoes with an air fryer, it is recommended to set the temperature at 180 degrees, so that the potatoes can be cooked more evenly.
How to choose high-quality potatoes suitable for frying?
When choosing potatoes suitable for frying, you have to look at four key indicators.
The first one is low water content. Only when there is less water can it be easy to fry crispy. Otherwise, it is easy to become soft and limp.
The second one is high starch content. In this way, it can have a good taste of crispy outside and soft inside when frying.
The third one is that the skin should be complete. It can lock the inside when frying and is not easy to break.
The fourth one is that the size should be moderate. It can heat evenly and is easy to control the situation of frying.
