Air Fryer Jojo Potato Wedges

Air Fryer Jojo Potato Wedges make a wonderful side dish to any meal! These seasoned wedges are golden brown with lightly crisped edges and soft, creamy insides! Make this hotbar classic easily at home in your air fryer!

Everyone has their own version of cutting a potato and putting it into the air fryer. This is mine! 

Personally, I think wedges are easier to cut than fries. It takes less time, and you’re less likely to have tiny slivers that burn because they’re smaller than the rest of everything else. 

I tried making these at least 5 different ways and I’m here to tell you which one was best. But first…

What in the heck are jojos?

The word ‘jojo’ is what Oregonians and Washingtonians call any kind of potato wedge. But usually, they’re well seasoned. They’re NOT crispy, but they do have structure. They have a defined skin and creamy, steamy insides.

You can get them at grocery store hot bars, which is where I know them from. They go great with chicken strips and ranch. What else do you need in a meal?!

Apparently, you can also get them from truck stops and more rural gas stations, not places I normally frequent, but they have jojos!

I also recently learned through a very scientific poll on Instagram that, indeed, the term ‘jojos’ is highly local to Oregon and Washington.

Many Oregonians messaged me, proclaiming they could only be called jojos, while about 80% of everyone else who voted had never heard the term before. Read more in this interesting article from The Willamette Week!

So, I’ve compromised with Jojo Potato Wedges. That way everyone knows what we’re talking about.

Watch how to make these Air Fryer Jojo Potato Wedges (1 min 17 sec):

What do you need to make Air Fryer Jojo Potato Wedges?

You’ll need an air fryer (my recommendation below), and the following ingredients to make Jojo Potato Wedges in the air fryer:

• russet potatoes – Use two russet potatoes of similar shape and size. This helps everything cook evenly. You can also use Yukon Gold Potatoes if that’s all you have, but Russet is best here.
• avocado oil – We aren’t deep frying but we still need oil. This helps the potatoes form a nice skin and helps the arrowroot and spices stick to the potatoes.
• arrowroot powder – Arrowroot powder/starch/flour (same thing) is essential in my opinion. According to Bob’s Red Mill, this powder, made from the arrowroot plant, is used as a thickening agent in liquids and supports proteins in baking to give baked goods form. Based on my testing, the arrowroot powder helps give the potato skin some structure and keeps it from falling apart. It also helps make crisp edges. 
• garlic & onion powders – Nearly all great flavor combos involve garlic and onion. Just do it.
• smoked paprika – The real flavor star here. YUM.
• sea salt & fresh ground black pepper – Salt is required to keep the potatoes from tasting bland. Fresh ground black pepper is one of my favorite backbone flavors.

How do you make jojo potato wedges in an air fryer?

The first step is cutting your potatoes into wedges. To do this, cut each potato in half lengthwise. Then, cut each half into 4-5 wedges, depending on the potato thickness and shape.

The next step is optional and here’s why. Soaking your potato wedges does remove some of the starch, and it does make the potatoes crisper, but not a ton. Maybe, 30% more crisp?

I hope this isn’t a hot debate, but if you’re pressed for time, you can skip the soaking of the potatoes. Does it make them better? Yes. Is it life-changing? No.

So, optionally, soak your cut potato wedges in cold water for at least 20 minutes. It will help, but it’s not required.

Remove the liquid and use a paper towel to pat your wedges dry.

Add all the remaining ingredients, including oil, spices and arrowroot. Use tongs to mix until all the arrowroot is soaked up and mixed with the oil and spices, completely coating the wedges.

Place the wedges into your air fryer in as much of a single layer as possible. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to do this in multiple batches. Air fry at 375F for 15-20 minutes, flipping wedges after 10 minutes.

Remove from the air fryer when they’re golden brown and just beautiful looking potatoes. Serve with ranch and ketchup, as a side to any meal of the day.

Variations of Air Fryer Jojo Potato Wedges I tried during testing & my thoughts:

These are all the ways I tested the wedges and why I liked or disliked that version. The list will start with what I liked best and end with what I liked least.

• Soaked wedges with arrowroot powder: These were the best to me, and why the recipe is written this way. The arrowroot helps give the potato outsides a nice structure, while the soaking makes them 20-30% crisper around the edges. The insides are just perfect, too.
• Not soaked, with arrowroot powder: If you want to skip the soaking, that’s fine, but don’t skip the arrowroot!
• Not soaked, with cornstarch: Subbing cornstarch for the arrowroot is an okay option, but not my favorite. The cornstarch does not help with structure, it more just helps give it a coated outside, that isn’t really that great anyway.
• Not soaked, with no extra powder coating: These are the most basic version. You’ll have nice, delicious tasting potato wedges with no defined edges. Still tasty though.
• Soaked wedges with flour coating: These kind of sucked, which was surprising. The flour didn’t really do anything, and I would rather just skip it.

Do I need to soak potato wedges before air frying?

Soaking the wedges before air fryer is not a requirement, but it will help your potato wedges become about 30% more crisper. This is my opinion, not a scientific fact.

Soaking helps some of the starch come out and some of the water go into the potatoes, helping them become more moist and creamy after cooking. 

Like I said before, does it help? Yes. Is it crazy amazing? Not really. But hey, if you’ve had a different experience, let me know in the comments!

What kind of air fryer do you use?

I have only tried two different air fryers in my life, and I upgraded purely to have a bigger capacity basket so I can air fry more foods at once. A large air fryer can reduce the need for multiple batches for things like chicken wings, or in our case, potato wedges!

The air fryer I use now, and the one that is pictured in this post is the Cosori XL 5.8 qt Air Fryer (affiliate link!). If you’re going to invest in an air fryer to cook things for 2 or more people, you should opt for a larger size in my opinion.

For this recipe, you can fit all the wedges into a larger air fryer, but you will most likely need to do multiple batches with a smaller air fryer.

What do you serve with these Jojo Potato Wedges?

Honestly, potatoes go with almost everything. Have you ever had potato candy?

Here are some ideas for serving:

• with eggs and bacon for a delicious breakfast
• with burgers, chicken strips, hot dogs, or any other sporting event style meal that needs potatoes
• with steak, chicken, pork or any meat, as a delicious side to offset a more healthy veggie
• as a snack with ketchup or ranch (done it)
• with a salad for lunch, because potatoes

If you’re into these air fryer potato recipes, check out my two others: How to Cook Frozen Tater Tots in an Air Fryer & How to Reheat Fries in an Air Fryer.

How to store cooked Air Fryer Jojo Potato Wedges:

Store leftover jojo potato wedges in an airtight container with lid in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How to freeze cooked jojo potato wedges:

I have not tested and would probably not recommend freezing these cooked potatoes. They do taste great reheated from the fridge though!

How to reheat cooked jojo potato wedges:

Reheat potato wedges in the air fryer for best quality. Air fry at 350F for 5-7 minutes or until steaming hot.