Deliciously crisp Air Fryer Potatoes and Onions make a great side dish for all of your favorite air fryer dinners, or even served with breakfast. Ready in 30 minutes or less (including prep time), this quick and simple air fryer recipe is a must-try!

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Who doesn't love air fryer potato recipes? The taste and texture of air fried potatoes is unbeatable! They're crisp on the outside, and so tender and fluffy on the inside. Pair them with soft caramelized onions, and you have a tasty side dish you might find yourself finishing before the main course!
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Why air fry potatoes and onions?
- It's quick: Unlike roasting potatoes and onions in the oven, which can take over an hour, the cooking time in the air fryer is just 20 minutes after preheating. This brings the total time to 30 minutes or less!
- It uses less oil: Air frying calls for less oil in the ingredients than other methods, which cuts down on the total fat content of the dish (source).
- The taste and texture are fantastic: We know we're repeating ourselves here, but you really have to try air frying potatoes and onions if you haven't yet! They are amazingly flavorful, and become so crispy-yet-tender in the air fryer.
What You Need to Air Fry Potatoes and Onions
- Potatoes: We love using red potatoes in this recipe, but you could use russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes if you prefer. Just make sure they are cut to the proper size.
- Oil: Light olive oil or avocado oil helps crisp up the potatoes and onions. This method uses less oil than other recipes, but you still want to use some for crispness and flavor. Learn more: Our Favorite Oils to use for Air Frying.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the potato's natural flavor. We always recommend using kosher salt or sea salt flakes rather than table salt, which can add a metallic taste to food.
- Black Pepper: If you have it, use freshly cracked black pepper! It adds depth to the dish.
- Garlic Powder: Infuses a delightful garlic aroma and taste without the risk of burning. If you want to learn how to roast garlic in the air fryer, try our roasted garlic recipe.
- Dried Italian Seasoning: Offers a balanced blend of herbs and spices. You can use any seasoning you like, such as a simple mix of salt, pepper, and paprika, but we love the complexity Italian seasoning adds.
- Yellow Onions: These have a higher sugar content than some other onion varieties, which means they caramelize beautifully in the air fryer. This caramelization adds depth of flavor and a rich color to the dish. If you don't have yellow onions, you could use white onions, but we recommend avoiding red onions, as they are too astringent.
- Chives and Garlic Butter (optional): Elevate the dish with fresh chives for a burst of color, and garlic butter for extra indulgence. You can make garlic butter easily by mixing butter with minced garlic and fresh herbs of your choice, such as parsley. You might also like our Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce.

How to Air Fry Potatoes and Onions

Step 1 - Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat function, simply heat it for 5 minutes without anything in the air fryer basket. Meanwhile, wash and cut red potatoes into 1-inch pieces, then toss them with the oil and seasonings in a bowl.

Step 2 - Once preheated, add the seasoned potatoes to the air fryer basket. Unlike other recipes, it is okay if the potatoes crowd each other a little bit. Air fry them for 10 minutes.

Step 3 - After 10 minutes, open the air fryer basket and add the diced onions. Shake the basket to distribute the onions with the potatoes, then continue air frying for another 10 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and the onions are soft and translucent.

Step 4 - Remove the potatoes and onions from the air fryer to a serving dish. Garnish with chopped chives and a drizzle of garlic butter if desired, then serve and enjoy! This dish is fantastic for pairing with lunch, dinner, and even breakfast.
Toaster Oven Style Air Fryer Instructions
The following instructions are for toaster-oven style air fryers with a tray, such as the Breville Smart Oven Air. Note that these models take longer to cook than air fryers with a basket.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Place cut red potatoes in a medium mixing bowl and add oil, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
- Once preheated, open the air fryer and spread the potatoes onto the air fryer tray set on the middle oven rack.
- Air fry at 400°F for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the diced onions and stir to distribute. Continue air frying for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender and golden brown and the onions are soft and translucent.
- Remove the air fried potatoes and onions from the tray to a serving dish and garnish with chopped chives and garlic butter if desired. Serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- We leave the skin on the potatoes, so be sure to scrub them well. Otherwise, you could peel the potatoes if you prefer.
- If your potatoes are larger than pictured, then you will likely need to add more time to cook them to a crispy outside with a soft center.
- Cut the onions to about ½-inch thickness. If the onions are too small they may fall through the holes in your air fryer, but they will still cook nicely, so just be sure to remove the tray when done so you don’t miss out on any onion-y goodness!
- We use garlic powder in this recipe instead of fresh garlic. Fresh garlic tends to burn in the amount of time needed to air fry the potatoes.
- You can use your preferred vegetable oil. We recommend light olive oil or avocado oil. Learn more: Air Frying Oils.
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer model, as all brands vary.
- If cooking in multiple batches, be sure to check on the remaining batches early, as they may cook more quickly.

Storage Instructions
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (if you have any - ours always disappear so quickly!). Reheat in the air fryer for a 3-5 minutes to regain that crispy texture.
Serving Suggestions
- As a side for chicken: These air fryer potatoes and onions make a delicious side dish for our crispy frozen chicken thighs recipe.
- With burgers: You can serve these potatoes as a replacement for fries with burgers. They are delicious with BBQ beef burgers especially!
- With pork chops: We love serving potatoes and onions with our boneless pork chops.
- With steak tips: This is one of our favorite pairings. Try these potatoes with our air fryer steak tips!
FAQ
No, you can leave the skin on the potatoes as long as they are thoroughly washed. However, peeling is an option if you prefer it.
While red potatoes and yellow onions work best for this recipe, you can experiment with other waxy potato types like Yukon Gold or fingerling potatoes, and white onions.
No, there's no need to soak the potatoes to remove any of the starch. Washing and cutting them is sufficient. They'll get plenty crispy without soaking!
You can reduce the amount of oil if you prefer, but it may affect the crispy texture.
Air Fryer Potato Recipes
- Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
- Air Fryer Red Potatoes
- Sliced Potatoes in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
- Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
- Try all of our Air Fryer Potatoes!
Leave a comment and review for us below if you enjoyed this recipe, or if you have questions about any of our air fryer recipes!

Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes and Onions
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 lbs red potatoes washed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 medium red potatoes)
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup yellow onion about ½-inch dice
- chives chopped, for garnish (optional)
- garlic butter melted (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. If your air fryer does not have a preheat function, allow it to run for 5 minutes without anything in the basket.
- Cut and wash 2 lbs red potatoes, then add them to a medium mixing bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons oil to the bowl, along with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Mix to completely coat the potatoes.
- Open the air fryer and pour potatoes into the preheated air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes. While the potatoes cook, dice 1 cup yellow onion. After 10 minutes is up, open the air fryer basket and add the diced onions. Shake the basket to distribute, then continue air frying another 10 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and the onions are soft and translucent.
- Remove the potatoes and onions from the air fryer to a serving dish and garnish with chopped chives and a drizzle of garlic butter if you like. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- We leave the skin on the potatoes, so be sure to scrub the potatoes well. You can also peel them if preferred.
- If your potatoes are larger than pictured, then you may need to add more to the cooking time.
- Cut the onions to about ½-inch thickness. If the onions are too small they may fall through the holes in your air fryer, but they will still cook nicely, so just be sure to remove the tray when done so you don’t miss out on any onion-y goodness!
- We use garlic powder in this recipe instead of fresh garlic. Fresh garlic tends to burn in the amount of time needed to air fry the potatoes.
- You can use your preferred vegetable oil. We recommend olive oil or avocado oil.
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer model, as all brands vary.
- If cooking in multiple batches, be sure to check on the remaining batches early.
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