Air Fryer Potato Bites with ‘Cheat’ Lemon Aioli

These air fryer potato bites with ‘cheat’ lemon aioli are a brilliant combo for any party or spread. Earthy and herby, the air fryer gives the potato bites a lovely crispness, which is complimented with a rich dollop of aioli.

When it comes to appetizers, you need easy, tasty plates of food that people can pick and go from as they please, just like this dish.

Ingredients You’ll Need

So let’s get started. First, get the following ingredients together:

Air Fryer Potato Bites

• Potatoes – 2 lb potatoes (cut into 1.5 inches bites or just under 4 cm). The best potatoes for this recipe are Russet potatoes in the US (if grown in Idaho, they’re also known as Idaho potatoes) and Maris Piper or King Edward in the UK
• Olive Oil – 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt – 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Black Pepper – 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Thyme – 1 tsp dried thyme
• Garlic Powder – 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• Fresh Parsley – optional (a handful)

Thyme substitutes – this recipe works great with Italian dried seasoning (which generally contains thyme), oregano, or marjoram.

For the ‘Cheat’ Lemon Aioli (don’t skip on this!)

• Mayo – 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• Garlic – 1-2 garlic cloves
• Lemon – 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt – a pinch of kosher salt
• Black or White Pepper – a pinch of ground black or white pepper

Note: I’m calling this a ‘cheat’ aioli as traditional aioli is just olive oil, garlic, and salt (sometimes with egg yolk and lemon juice). As mayo is an emulsion generally made with oil, egg yolk, and lemon (or vinegar), we can cheat and add the garlic to the mayo (along with lemon juice, salt, and pepper) to make a super easy version of aioli (that’s very flavorful). Traditional aioli is also generally made with a pestle and mortar and can be a bit difficult to emulsify.

Step 1. Peel the potatoes and then cut them into bite-sized pieces (about 1 1/2 inches or just under 3.8 cm).

Note: No need to pull the ruler out on this one (although I did 😂). Keep the peeled potatoes in a bowl with cold water while peeling all of them.

Step 2. Dry off the potatoes with a kitchen towel.

Step 4. Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes. Cook the potato bites at 380°F (190°C) for about 20 minutes until they are cooked through and crispy on the outside. Shake the air fryer basket every 5 minutes to make sure the potatoes cook evenly.

Step 5. Make the cheat aioli. Mix the mayo with minced or grated garlic, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. If you want to make the garlic less pungent, remove the garlic germ (as illustrated in the photo).

Step 6. Once the potato bites are cooked, toss them in a large bowl with extra salt (to taste) and minced fresh parsley (if using it). You can use kosher salt for this, or if you want extra flavor, go for sea salt flakes!

I love using my mezzaluna for chopping fresh herbs finely but you can also use a chef’s knife.

Step 7. Serve the air-fried potato bites with the aioli.

Printable Recipe Card

Air Fryer Potato Bites with ‘Cheat’ Aioli

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Air Fryer Potato Bites

• 2 lb potatoes cut into bite-sized pieced (about 1.5 inches or just under 4 cm)
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley optional

‘Cheat’ Lemon Aioli

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• a pinch of kosher salt
• a pinch of ground black pepper or white pepper

Instructions

• Peel the potatoes and then cut them into bite-sized pieces (about 1 1/2 inches or just under 3.8 cm). Keep the peeled potatoes in a bowl with cold water while peeling all of them.
• Dry off the potatoes with a kitchen towel.
• Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, salt, pepper, dried thyme, and garlic powder.
• Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes. Cook the potato bites at 380°F (190°C) for about 20 minutes until they are cooked through and crispy on the outside. Shake the air fryer basket every 5 minutes to make sure the potatoes cook evenly.
• Make the cheat aioli. Mix the mayo with minced or grated garlic, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. If you want to make the garlic less pungent, remove the garlic germ.
• Once the potato bites are cooked, toss them in a large bowl with extra salt (to taste) and minced fresh parsley (if using it). You can use kosher salt for this, or if you want extra flavor, go for sea salt flakes!
• Serve the air-fried potato bites with the aioli. If you’re serving this for a party (which I highly recommend), you can put toothpicks in some of them so the guests can help themselves to the potato bites easier.

Notes

Note 1. The best potatoes for this recipe are Russet potatoes in the US (if grown in Idaho, they’re also known as Idaho potatoes) and Maris Piper or King Edward in the UK.