Air fryer vegetables

Time

8 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Broccoli florets crisp up at 380 °F (193 °C) in 8 minutes with a single shake at the 4-minute mark. The trick is one tablespoon of oil tossed evenly through the florets before they go in — broccoli has too little natural fat to crisp without it.

Time

14 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Hand-cut sweet potato fries crisp at 380 °F (193 °C) in 14 minutes with one shake. The lower temperature compared to regular fries is deliberate — sweet potatoes have enough sugar to burn before crisping at 400 °F.

Time

7 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Medium asparagus spears cook in 7 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake at the 4-minute mark. Snap off the woody ends, toss with a teaspoon of oil, and the spears come out with crisp tips and tender stems.

Time

12 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Halved Brussels sprouts roast at 380 °F (193 °C) for 12 minutes with one shake at the midpoint. The cut sides caramelise hard while the loose outer leaves crisp into chips — both are the prize.

Time

40 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

A 10-oz russet potato bakes in 40 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one flip. The skin gets crisper than any oven version because the convection air wicks moisture off the surface continuously. Slash open the moment it comes out so the steam escapes.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Zucchini coins crisp in 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one shake. The pre-salt rest is critical — zucchini fails to brown only because of its high water content, and ten minutes with salt fixes that.

Time

18 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Halved baby potatoes roast in 18 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one shake. The cut sides caramelise into a deep crust while the skin crisps separately — restaurant-quality roast potatoes in a third of the oven time.

Time

14 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Cauliflower florets roast in 14 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with a shake — longer than broccoli because the denser stems take time to soften. The reward is deeply browned, sweet-nutty florets that bear no resemblance to boiled cauliflower.

Time

22 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Halved acorn squash roasts in 22 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) without flipping. The cut-side-up presentation lets the butter pool in the cavity and baste the flesh while the cut face caramelises into a sweet, nutty crust.

Time

10 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Artichoke hearts air-fry at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 10 minutes, shaking once halfway, until crisp at the edges and golden. Use canned or thawed frozen hearts, pat them very dry, toss with oil and seasoning, and spread them out so they crisp instead of steaming.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Baby corn cooks in the air fryer in about 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, until the little cobs are lightly charred and tender-crisp. Baby corn is harvested young, so the whole cob is edible — there's no need to cut kernels off — which makes it a fast, snackable side or stir-fry component. Canned is the most common form; just drain and pat it bone-dry so it blisters instead of steaming, then toss with a little oil and seasoning. Fresh baby corn (less common) works the same way. Unlike Corn on the Cob (full mature ears where you eat the kernels off the cob) or Corn Ribs (mature cobs quartered lengthwise into curling 'ribs'), baby corn is a whole young cob eaten in one bite, cooked fast and hot. 4 ways to make it: garlic-Parmesan, chili-lime, soy-sesame, or Cajun.

Time

35 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Whole medium beets roast in 35 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one flip. The long cook is non-negotiable — beets are dense and the centres need time to soften. The reward is sweet, earthy roasted beets that slip out of their skins.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Bell pepper strips cook in 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one shake. The high temperature is deliberate — peppers need fast heat to char without going limp.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Cherry tomatoes blister in 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one shake at 4. The high temperature splits the skin while concentrating the juice inside into a jammy, sweet-tart burst — closer to a sun-dried tomato in flavour but the texture of a fresh one. The result lifts pasta, bruschetta, scrambled eggs and grain salads without the 40-minute oven-roast the same technique normally needs. Toss with oil before loading, salt after.

Time

6 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Sugar snap peas blister in 6 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one shake at 3. The short high-heat cook chars the pod skin while leaving the peas inside crisp and the snap intact — closer to a wok-blistered Chinese restaurant texture than anything a stovetop reaches at home. Strip the strings, toss with oil and salt, and add the minced garlic + sesame oil + chili in the bowl AFTER the cook so they don't burn in the basket.

Time

8 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Bok choy — the mild, crisp-stemmed Chinese cabbage — air-fries into a charred-and-tender side in about 8 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C) with a flip at 4 minutes. Halve baby bok choy lengthwise (or quarter a large head), rinse the grit out of the packed stem base, pat it dry, and toss the halves with about a tablespoon of oil before laying them cut-side down. Two things make or break it: dry, oiled, intact halves stay put, while wet or loose leaves get lifted by the fan and burn to ash before the stems soften; and because the thick white stems cook slower than the leaves, keeping them cut-side down gives the base the direct heat it needs. Unlike the cruciferous florets elsewhere on the veggie list (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts), bok choy is a leafy Asian green prized for its juicy stems — treat it gently and finish it fast. 4 ways to season: garlic-soy-sesame, chili-garlic, ginger-scallion, and an oyster-sauce glaze.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Breaded avocado fries — wedges of ripe-but-firm avocado, three-stage breaded (flour / egg / panko), oil-misted and air-fried at 400 °F (204 °C) for 8 minutes with one shake at 4 — are the headline air-fryer avocado dish, beating both the deep-fried original (less oil, cleaner crust) and the oven version (faster, crispier shell). The result has a creamy warm-green centre inside a crisp golden panko shell, served with chipotle mayo or cilantro-lime crema as a vegetarian appetizer or taco-bar component. For other techniques on the same fruit: halves with cracked egg in the pit cavity (380 °F / 8 min, salt + cheese over) are the brunch headline; bacon-wrapped halves (350 °F / 10 min) hit the keto crowd.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Broccolini — the slender long-stemmed cross of broccoli and Chinese gai-lan — air-fries in about 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake at the 4-minute mark, coming out with charred crisp floret tips and tender-crisp stalks. Toss the whole stalks with a light tablespoon of oil (the delicate florets scorch without it, but too much burns the tips), spread them in a single layer, and don't trim the stems away — the long slender stalk is the best part and is entirely edible, unlike the woody core of regular broccoli. Distinct from Broccoli Florets (thick-stalked common broccoli cut into bite-size florets, the stalk usually discarded): broccolini is milder and sweeter, cooked whole stem-and-all, and runs a touch faster because the stalks are thin. 4 ways to finish: lemon-chili, garlic-Parmesan, soy-sesame, and balsamic glaze.

Time

18 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Butternut squash cubes roast in 18 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one shake. The convection air dries the surface enough to crisp while the interior turns silky-soft — a faster, more flavourful result than the same dish in an oven.

Time

14 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Cabbage wedges roast in 14 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C) with one flip at 7. The high-airflow cook transforms a dense, raw cabbage head into something keto and low-carb cooks point to as a steak alternative — deeply caramelised outer leaves, tender melting core, and the loose outer ruffles that crisp into cabbage chips. Cut through the core into 6 wedges, brush both cut faces with oil, and finish with lemon and crumbled feta.

Time

14 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Carrots roast in 14 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with a shake. The natural sugars caramelise deeply at this temperature; lower and they stay pale, higher and the exterior burns before the centre cooks.

Time

8 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Riced cauliflower air-fries at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 8 minutes, shaking the basket once halfway, until tender with lightly toasted edges. Use a perforated parchment liner or a foil packet so the small pieces don't fall through the basket, and toss with a little oil and salt first.

Time

22 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Battered cauliflower "wings" air-fry at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 22 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the coating is crisp and golden. Cut a head into bite-size florets, dip them in a flour-and-plant-milk batter, then toss in buffalo or BBQ sauce after cooking — not before, or the coating goes soggy.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Corn on the cob roasts in 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one flip. The convection air chars the kernels lightly — closer to grilled corn than boiled corn. Brush butter twice for the deepest flavour.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Corn ribs air-fry at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 12 minutes — a cob quartered lengthwise into "ribs" that curl into their signature curve as the kernels char and turn tender. Microwave the cob a couple of minutes first so it's safe to cut, toss the ribs in oil and seasoning, then air-fry until they bow and brown. 4 variants: chili-lime elote, garlic-parmesan, Cajun, and buffalo. Distinct from Corn on the Cob (a whole round cob, buttered and rolled) — corn ribs are lengthwise quartered strips that curl up and are eaten like a rib.

Time

14 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Frozen crinkle fries cook in the air fryer in about 14 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, until the ridged cuts are deep golden and crisp. The wavy, ridge-cut shape — the Ore-Ida Golden Crinkles and Checkers/Rally's style — comes par-fried, so it crisps without any added oil; the ridges give crinkle fries more surface area than a straight cut, which is why they hold dips so well and stay crisp a little longer once they cool. Cook them straight from the freezer in a single layer with one shake. They run slightly thicker than thin shoestring cuts, so they take a couple of minutes longer. Unlike Curly Fries (battered, pre-seasoned spirals that tangle) or Waffle Fries (flat lattice cut), crinkle fries are a plain ridged potato cut you usually season yourself; and unlike French Fries (thin straight cut) or Potato Wedges (thick skin-on wedges that take longer), the crinkle ridge is the whole point — it traps salt, sauce, and crunch. 4 ways to serve them: plain salted, seasoned, garlic-Parmesan, or loaded.

Time

12 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Halved leeks crisp in 12 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one flip at 6 — the high-airflow cook caramelises the cut face into a sweet, silky golden surface while the outer layers crisp at the edges. The result is the leek's natural sweetness amplified without any of the raw-pungent onion bite. A niche but real air-fryer cook for the Feb-Mar winter-leek window when long-shafted leeks are at their peak — pairs beautifully with grilled fish, roast chicken, or as a vinaigrette-dressed side. Halve through the root to keep the layers together, rinse the grit thoroughly between layers, oil the cut face, and watch the last 2 minutes for charring.

Time

5 min

Temp

325 °F / 163 °C

Spinach chips crisp in 5 minutes at 325 °F (163 °C) with one shake at 3 — the air fryer's high-velocity cook drives off the leaf's moisture and shatters the cell walls into a papery crackle that eats like a healthier kale chip. A popular swap when the kale-chip craving lands but only spinach is in the fridge. Toss with oil and salt FIRST so every leaf has a glossy weighted coat (bare leaves lift in the airstream and weld to the heating element — real fire risk), then watch the basket — spinach goes from perfect-crisp to scorched-bitter in 20 seconds, so the timer is non-negotiable.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Frozen curly fries cook in the air fryer in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, until the spirals are deep golden and crisp. The seasoned, battered spiral cut — the Arby's and Ore-Ida style — comes pre-fried and pre-seasoned, so it crisps without any added oil; the one thing that matters is shaking the basket to untangle the curls, since the spots where spirals touch stay soft otherwise. Cook them straight from the freezer in a loose single layer for the crunchiest result. Unlike French Fries and Waffle Fries (plain potato cuts you season yourself — waffle fries also want a single layer for their lattice), or Potato Wedges (thick skin-on wedges that take longer and aren't battered), curly fries arrive fully seasoned and spiral-cut, so they tangle and need that mid-cook shake more than any other fry. 4 ways to serve them: as-is with salt, extra-spiced, with cheese sauce, or with a cool ranch or chipotle-mayo dip.

Time

15 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Delicata squash air-fries in about 15 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the half-moons are fork-tender with caramelized golden edges. It's the easiest winter squash to cook because you don't peel it — the thin, striped skin is completely edible and softens as it roasts, so prep is just halve, scoop the seeds, and slice. The air fryer's circulating heat caramelizes the cut edges into something close to candy, especially with a little maple or brown sugar. Keep the slices in a single layer so they brown instead of steaming, and add any sweet glaze near the end so it doesn't scorch. Unlike Butternut Squash or Acorn Squash (both need peeling or scooping from a hard rind), Spaghetti Squash (cooked whole and shredded into strands), or Yellow Squash (a soft summer squash), delicata is a sweet winter squash you can slice, cook, and eat skin and all. 4 ways to season it: brown-sugar/maple, garlic-Parmesan, chili-maple, and sage-brown-butter.

Time

14 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Eggplant slices roast in 14 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with a flip. The pre-salt and the generous oil are both mandatory — without them eggplant produces chalky, bitter slices.

Time

18 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Breaded eggplant for eggplant parmesan air-fries at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 18 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the coating is crisp and golden. Salt the eggplant slices and let them drain first to remove bitterness and moisture, then bread them, top with sauce and mozzarella in the last few minutes, and cook until the cheese melts.

Time

14 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Fennel air-fries into sweet, caramelized wedges in about 14 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C), shaken once halfway, until the edges are deep-golden and the core is fork-tender. Raw fennel has a sharp, licorice-like anise bite, but roasting transforms it completely — the high, dry air-fryer heat mellows that punch into a gentle, nutty sweetness while the cut edges caramelize and crisp. Trim the stalks and base, halve the bulb, and slice it into wedges through the root end so each piece stays held together by the core rather than falling into loose layers. Toss with oil and salt so it browns instead of drying, and shake the basket at the halfway point for even colour. Unlike crisp-tender Asparagus or the leafy char of Brussels Sprouts, fennel turns silky and sweet in the middle while keeping a little bite at the edge; and like Cabbage Wedges it's cut through the core so the wedges hold their shape and the flat faces caramelize against the basket. It pairs the same way roasted Beets do — sweet, earthy, good warm or cold in a salad. Save the feathery fronds to scatter over the top as a fresh, herby garnish. 4 ways to season it: simple oil-salt-pepper, with parmesan and lemon, with balsamic to deepen the sweetness, or with chilli flakes and garlic.

Time

18 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Homemade french fries cook in the air fryer in about 18 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C), shaking the basket a few times so they crisp evenly — deep golden and crunchy outside, fluffy inside, with a fraction of the oil of deep-frying. The make-or-break step is soak-and-dry: cut even ¼-inch sticks from high-starch russet potatoes, soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes to draw out the surface starch, dry them bone-dry, then toss with about a tablespoon of oil before cooking. For extra-crisp fries, drop to 350 °F for the first 10 minutes to cook the centres through, then finish at 400 °F for 5-6 minutes to brown the outsides. Four variants: classic salted fries (salted the second they come out); seasoned diner fries (garlic powder, paprika and onion powder tossed on before cooking); garlic-parmesan fries (tossed with parmesan and parsley off the heat); and Cajun fries (a spicy paprika-and-cayenne blend). Distinct from frozen french fries (cooked straight from a pre-fried frozen bag, no cutting or soaking), Potato Wedges (a thicker wedge cut) and Sweet Potato Fries (sweet potato, a softer and sweeter fry).

Time

9 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Green beans cook in 9 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one shake. The result is tender-crisp beans with charred tips — completely different from boiled or steamed green beans.

Time

35 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Hasselback potatoes air-fry in about 35 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C) with no flipping — a whole potato sliced thin most of the way through, fanned open, and brushed with oil or butter until the edges crisp and the inside turns soft and fluffy. The trick is to rest the potato between two chopsticks while you slice so the knife stops short of the bottom and the slices stay attached, then brush oil down into every cut so the fans splay and crackle. Use medium, evenly sized Yukon Gold or russet potatoes and check the centre with a knife before serving. Unlike Baked Potato (left whole and unsliced) or Potato Wedges (cut into separate wedges), the hasselback cut maximises crisp surface while keeping the potato in one piece; it's also distinct from Smashed Potatoes (boiled then flattened), Potato Skins (scooped halves), and Baby Potatoes (whole small potatoes). 4 ways to make them: garlic-herb butter, parmesan, loaded bacon-cheddar-chive, and ranch.

Time

20 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Jicama fries cook in the air fryer in about 20 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, after a quick parboil to soften them. Jicama — the crisp, faintly sweet Mexican root sometimes called yam bean — has flesh so firm it won't tenderize under dry air alone, so the trick is to peel deep, cut even batons, and boil or steam them 8–10 minutes before tossing with oil and air-frying; that pre-cook is what lets them turn golden and tender-crisp instead of raw and woody. The payoff is a very low-carb, high-fibre fry that stays satisfyingly crunchy — a favourite on keto and low-carb plates. Unlike Yuca Fries (dense, starchy cassava that fluffs soft inside), Polenta (crisp-shelled but creamy cornmeal), or Rutabaga (a sweeter root that roasts fully tender), jicama keeps its signature crunch and never goes fully soft. 4 ways to make it: chili-lime, garlic-Parmesan, Cajun, and ranch.

Time

6 min

Temp

300 °F / 149 °C

Kale chips cook in 6 minutes at 300 °F (149 °C) with a shake at 3. The low temperature is critical — at the typical 380 °F air-fryer default, kale incinerates in under 90 seconds. Toss with 1 tsp olive oil and salt before loading so the leaves weigh down enough to stay in the basket, and strip the centre stems first.

Time

18 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Kohlrabi cooks in the air fryer in about 18 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, until the fries or cubes are tender inside with golden, crisp edges. This pale green bulb — a member of the cabbage family with a mild, slightly sweet turnip-meets-broccoli-stem flavour — makes a light, lower-carb stand-in for potato fries. Peel deep to remove both the tough skin and the woody layer beneath it, cut even fries or cubes, and toss with a little oil so the edges crisp; shake halfway for all-around browning and pull it while it still holds its shape rather than cooking it to mush. Unlike Rutabaga (a denser, sweeter, larger root that needs the full longer roast — kohlrabi is milder, lighter, and cooks a touch faster), Turnips (its peppery cousin), or Cabbage Wedges (the same family cooked as soft charred wedges), kohlrabi crisps into a clean, mild low-carb fry. 4 ways to make it: garlic-Parmesan, Cajun, ranch, and lemon-herb.

Time

14 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Lotus root crisps into chips in the air fryer in about 14 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C), shaken once, until the thin coins are golden and crunchy with their lacy holes on show. Sliced crosswise, lotus root reveals a natural ring of holes that makes it one of the prettiest vegetables to turn into a chip — peel it, slice thin, soak off the surface starch, pat dry, then toss with a little oil and air-fry. Pat-dry is the make-or-break step: this is a starchy, watery root, and any moisture left on the slices steams them limp. Unlike a soft, fluffy potato, lotus root stays firm and slightly fibrous, so it crisps like a sturdier version of homemade Potato Chips. It belongs to the same air-fried root-vegetable-chip family as earthy Beets and sweet Parsnips, and shares the crunchy, snackable spirit of Yuca Fries and Jicama Fries while keeping its signature holey shape. Salt them plain, dust with Chinese five-spice and chilli, or finish with nori salt for a Japanese renkon-chip lean. 4 ways to season: plain salt, five-spice-and-chilli, garlic-pepper, or nori-sesame.

Time

10 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Mushrooms cook in 10 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one shake. The convection air evaporates the moisture they release — the same mushrooms in a pan would steam and stay grey, but the air fryer browns them deeply.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Okra air-fries at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 12 minutes, shaking the basket once halfway, until crisp-tender and lightly browned. Toss whole pods or slices with oil and seasoning; the dry, high heat keeps okra from turning slimy the way boiling does.

Time

16 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Parsnip batons roast in 16 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one shake. The lower temperature (vs carrots' 400 °F is also fine) protects the high natural sugars from burning while still building a deep caramelised crust.

Time

14 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Ripe plantains cook in 14 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C) with one flip at 7. The cook turns the soft, sugar-heavy interior of a yellow-black plantain into caramelised maduros — sweet, dense, fork-tender — without the cup of frying oil the traditional pan version uses. Cut on the bias, mist with oil, finish with sea salt and lime.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Poblano peppers air-fry in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), turned once at the halfway mark, until the skin is blistered and charred and the flesh has softened. Charring is the whole point: it blackens and loosens the tough skin so you can peel it, and it brings out the poblano's deep, smoky flavour for rajas, creamy poblano sauce, smoky salsa, or chiles rellenos. After they come out, steam them in a covered bowl for about 10 minutes and the skins slip right off. Poblanos sit in the mild-to-medium range — noticeably hotter than a sweet bell but much gentler than a jalapeño — and the heat varies from pepper to pepper. Unlike Bell Peppers (sweet, no heat, usually eaten skin-on) or Shishito Peppers (small, blistered whole as a poppable snack), poblanos are large chiles you char, peel, and turn into a filling or sauce; and unlike Jalapeño Poppers (already stuffed and breaded), here you're roasting the raw pepper itself. 4 ways to use them: rajas, simple roasted, blended into salsa, and stuffed as chiles rellenos.

Time

18 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Polenta crisps in the air fryer in about 18 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the outside is deep golden and crisp while the centre stays soft and creamy. The easiest route is a tube of pre-cooked polenta: slice it into ½-inch rounds (or cut it into batons for polenta fries), toss with a little oil, and air-fry — the dry fan heat gives you a crisp shell without deep-frying or a skillet full of oil. You can also cook and chill your own polenta until firm, then cut and crisp it the same way. Keep the pieces in a single layer, pat them dry before oiling, and flip gently since the soft centres stay fragile until the shell sets. Unlike French Fries (cut from potato), Yuca Fries (from cassava root), or Sweet Potato Fries, polenta is cooked cornmeal — so the appeal is the contrast of a crunchy golden crust against a creamy corn interior. 4 ways to make it: Parmesan-herb, plain sea salt, garlic, and Cajun.

Time

12 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Whole portobello mushroom caps air-fry at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 12 minutes, flipping once halfway, until tender and juicy. Wipe them clean, remove the stems, and brush both sides with a balsamic-and-garlic marinade; cook them gill-side up at the end so they hold their juices instead of releasing them into the basket.

Time

18 min

Temp

360 °F / 182 °C

Homemade potato chips crisp up in the air fryer in about 18 minutes at 360 °F (182 °C), shaking and separating them every few minutes until golden and curled. The two steps that make or break them happen before cooking: slice the potato paper-thin and even with a mandoline, then soak the slices in cold water to wash off the starch and dry them completely — wet or thick slices steam and stay soft instead of turning crisp. Toss with just a teaspoon of oil, lay them in a strict single layer, work in batches, and pull individual chips as they brown because the edges crisp before the centres. The result is a fresh, crunchy chip with a fraction of the oil of deep-fried. Unlike French Fries (cut into sticks) or Potato Wedges (cut thick), these are sliced thin and cooked to a crisp; they're a different potato cut from the soft-centred Sweet Potato. 4 ways to season them: sea salt, salt-and-vinegar, BBQ, and sour-cream-and-onion.

Time

18 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Potato wedges cook fresh in the air fryer in about 18 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a flip at 9 minutes — crisp, golden cut faces and a fluffy centre, the steak-house side made with a fraction of the oil of deep-frying. The technique-flag is soak-and-dry: cut even wedges (8 per medium russet, skin on), soak them in cold water for 20-30 minutes to draw out the surface starch, dry them bone-dry, toss with about a tablespoon of oil and seasoning, and air-fry cut-side-down so the faces build a crust. 4 variants: the classic seasoned benchmark (salt, pepper, garlic, paprika — the all-purpose savoury wedge); garlic-parmesan (tossed with parmesan and parsley off the heat); Cajun (a spicy, smoky paprika-and-cayenne blend); and a loaded cheese-and-bacon version (cheddar and bacon melted on in the last few minutes, topped with sour cream and green onion). 5 warnings (soak and dry the cut wedges — surface starch and water steam them soggy; cut even-sized wedges — uneven ones scorch thin while thick stay raw; single-layer cut-side-down and don't crowd — stacking steams them pale; toss with enough oil but not too much — under-oiled wedges go leathery, over-oiled bottoms go greasy; add the loaded toppings near the end — cheese scattered on early burns). Distinct from Baby Potatoes (small whole or halved potatoes, no wedge cut), Baked Potato (a whole potato cooked in its skin), Smashed Potatoes (boiled-then-flattened) and Sweet Potato Fries (sweet potato, thinner fry cut). High-SERP capture for the air-fryer-potato-wedges query — a steady year-round side-dish and snack search.

Time

22 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Roasted garlic comes out of the air fryer soft, sweet, and spreadable in about 22 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C), with no flipping. Slice the top off a whole head to expose the cloves, drizzle with olive oil, wrap it loosely in foil, and let the hot air do the slow caramelising that takes the better part of an hour in a conventional oven. The foil is the step that makes it work — it keeps the exposed cloves from scorching and traps a little steam so they collapse into golden-caramel paste you can squeeze straight out of the skins. Use it as a spread on bread, stirred into mashed potatoes, whisked into a dressing, or mashed into butter. Unlike Garlic Bread and Garlic Knots — which are both bread flavoured with garlic — this is the garlic itself, roasted whole as a condiment. 4 ways to make it: plain olive-oil, with rosemary or thyme, with a pinch of chili flakes, or finished with a few drops of balsamic.

Time

15 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Red radishes roast in 15 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one shake at 8. The high-airflow cook transforms the raw radish's sharp peppery bite into something mellow, faintly sweet and savoury — keto and low-carb cooks treat this as the closest plant-based substitute for roasted potatoes. Trim the greens, halve through the root, toss with oil and salt, and finish with fresh dill or a butter-and-flaky-salt swipe.

Time

20 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Rutabaga air-fries in about 20 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, until the cubes are fork-tender inside with golden caramelized edges. Peeled and cut into cubes or batons, it makes a popular lower-carb stand-in for roasted potatoes and fries — denser and a touch sweeter than potato, with a mellow earthy flavour that takes well to garlic, Parmesan, or Cajun spice. Peel off the thick (often waxed) skin completely, cut even ¾-inch pieces so they cook at the same rate, and toss with a little oil so the edges crisp. Because rutabaga is dense, give it the full time and add a few minutes if the centres are still firm. Unlike Turnips (its peppery, smaller cousin — rutabaga is sweeter, denser, and usually larger), Parsnips (sweeter and softer, cooking faster), or Baby Potatoes, rutabaga holds its shape and caramelizes into a hearty roasted side. 4 ways to make it: garlic-herb, Parmesan, Cajun, and ranch.

Time

6 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Shishito peppers air-fry at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 6 minutes, shaking once halfway, until blistered and tender. Toss them with a little oil and spread them in a single layer; finish with flaky salt and a squeeze of lemon. About one in ten brings a surprise kick of heat.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Crispy smashed potatoes air-fry at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 12 minutes, flipping once halfway, until golden and crunchy at the edges. Boil baby potatoes until fork-tender first, smash each one flat with a glass, then brush with oil and season before air-frying so the craggy edges crisp up.

Time

35 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Spaghetti squash air-fries at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 35 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the flesh shreds into tender strands with a fork. Halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, brush the cut faces with oil, and cook it cut-side up so the strands steam-roast inside the shell.

Time

40 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

A pair of 8-oz sweet potatoes bake whole in 40 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one flip at 20 — the convection air crisps the skin into a salt-crusted crackling shell while the flesh inside steams to a soft, sweet, caramelised mash that needs nothing more than butter and salt. The cook is the closest the home kitchen gets to a roadside-roasted sweet potato: bare skin, no foil, rubbed with oil and salt before loading, pierced for steam escape. Pull when a knife slides through with no resistance and syrup is caramelising at any cracks. Split open the moment they come out so the steam escapes — flesh left in a closed tuber goes gummy as the residual moisture condenses back in.

Time

20 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Turnips roast in the air fryer in about 20 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake at the halfway mark, turning into a fork-tender, golden, crisp-edged side that makes a popular low-carb stand-in for roast potatoes. Peel off the tough, slightly bitter skin, cut into uniform ¾-inch cubes, toss with oil and seasoning, and spread in a single layer so they brown rather than steam. Size matters: small-to-medium turnips roast up sweet and mild, while large or old ones taste sharper and woodier. They're milder and more potato-like than the sweeter Parsnips, and unlike Roasted Radishes (which lose their pepper and shrink into a soft roasted bite) turnips keep a satisfying roast-vegetable body closer to Baby Potatoes or Beets. 4 ways to season: garlic-herb, Parmesan, Cajun, and ranch.

Time

15 min

Temp

375 °F / 190 °C

Twice-baked potatoes finish in the air fryer in about 15 minutes at 375 °F (190 °C) with no flipping — the second bake that melts the cheese, browns the mashed peaks, and crisps the shells. The method is in the name: bake whole russets until fluffy (about 35–40 minutes, in the air fryer or oven, or use leftover baked potatoes), halve and scoop the flesh into a bowl leaving a sturdy quarter-inch shell, mash it with butter, sour cream, cheese, and your add-ins, pile it back into the skins, top with more cheese, and air-fry again to heat through and gratinée the top. Unlike a plain Baked Potato (cooked once, split and topped at the table), Potato Skins (the shells scooped nearly bare and crisped without re-stuffing the mash), or Hasselback Potatoes (fanned thin-sliced whole potatoes), twice-baked potatoes are a make-ahead stuffed side — you can fill them in advance and crisp them just before serving. 4 ways to fill them: classic loaded, broccoli-cheddar, sour-cream-and-onion, and Tex-Mex.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Frozen waffle fries cook in the air fryer in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, until the lattice edges turn deep golden and crisp while the centres stay hot and tender. The criss-cross waffle cut — the Chick-fil-A and Ore-Ida style — has more surface area than a straight fry, so it crisps fast, and the thick lattice is sturdy enough to scoop dips or carry loaded toppings. Cook them straight from the freezer in a single layer; the air fryer beats the oven on both speed and crunch, and because they come par-fried you need little or no oil. Unlike French Fries and Frozen French Fries (thin straight cuts that cook a touch faster), Sweet Potato Fries (softer and sweeter), Potato Wedges (thick skin-on wedges that need longer), or Curly Fries (seasoned spirals that tangle and need a shake to separate), waffle fries hold their shape and crisp edges best when given room to breathe. 4 ways to finish them: plain salted, Cajun, garlic-Parmesan, and loaded.

Time

35 min

Temp

350 °F / 177 °C

A whole head of cauliflower roasts in the air fryer in about 35 minutes at 350 °F (177 °C) with no flipping — trimmed, rubbed all over with oil and spices, and cooked until a knife slides into the core and the outside is deep golden with charred florets. It makes a striking centrepiece you slice into wedges or thick "steaks" at the table. The keys are choosing a head that fits with airflow around it, scoring the dense stem so the centre cooks at the same pace as the surface, and working oil and seasoning down into the crevices so the inner florets brown instead of steaming pale. Check the core with a knife before serving and tent with foil if the top runs ahead of the centre. Unlike Cauliflower Florets (cut into florets, which cook faster and crisp all over) or Cauliflower Wings (battered, sauced buffalo bites), this is the whole head roasted as one piece; it's also distinct from Cauliflower Rice (grated and cooked loose). 4 ways to make it: olive oil with salt and pepper, spiced yogurt-tahini, garlic-parmesan, and buffalo.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Yellow summer squash crisps in the air fryer in about 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one shake at the halfway mark. Cut it into ¼-inch coins or half-moons, toss in a little oil, and spread it in a single layer so the slices brown instead of steaming — squash is around 95% water, so crowding the basket is the main thing that goes wrong. The goal is tender centres with caramelised, slightly charred edges that still hold their shape, not a collapsed watery pile, so a hot basket and an uncrowded layer matter more than the exact minute. It is the near-identical sibling of Zucchini (the green summer squash — same prep and timing, yellow squash just runs a touch sweeter and more tender), and completely different from Zucchini Fries (breaded sticks). 4 ways to season: garlic-Parmesan, Italian-herb, Cajun, and lemon-pepper.

Time

18 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Yuca fries air-fry in about 18 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, until the batons are deep golden and crisp outside and fluffy within. Yuca (cassava) is the starchy root behind Latin and Caribbean yuca frita, and the one non-negotiable step is parboiling: the root is too dense and fibrous to cook through raw, so you peel off its thick waxy bark, cut out the fibrous center cord, and boil the batons until fork-tender before they ever hit the air fryer. From there the air fryer just crisps the surface into a craggy, golden crust over a soft interior — closer to a great steak fry than a thin shoestring. Serve them hot with garlic-mojo or a cilantro dipping sauce. Unlike French Fries (potato), Sweet Potato Fries (sweet potato), or Plantain Chips (thin slices of green plantain), yuca fries come from cassava root and must be boiled first — but reward you with a uniquely crisp-outside, fluffy-inside bite. 4 ways to finish them: salt, garlic-mojo, Cajun, and chili-lime.