Potato Soaking Times for Air Frying | Generated by AI
Ah, got it! You’re asking how long the potato slices need to soak/absorb the sauce before putting them in the air fryer.
Here’s the practical answer (from real cooking experience in Taiwan kitchens too):
| Goal | Recommended soaking time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Just a light flavor | 5–10 minutes | Toss in the sauce, let sit while you preheat the air fryer → enough flavor, still very crispy |
| Medium flavor (most people do this) | 15–20 minutes | Good balance: sauce penetrates a bit but potatoes don’t get too wet |
| Strong, deep flavor (e.g., soy sauce + garlic, teriyaki, mala sauce) | 30–60 minutes | Classic Taiwanese-style marinade time. After 30 min the flavor really goes in |
| Overnight (refrigerator) | 8–12 hours | Maximum flavor, like 滷味 style, but you MUST pat very dry before air-frying or they’ll steam instead of crisp |
Quick Taiwan-friendly tips:
- If using soy sauce, oyster sauce, or anything salty → 20–30 minutes is perfect (don’t go too long or they get too salty on the surface)
- After soaking, always pat dry with kitchen paper → this is the #1 trick for crispy air-fried potatoes
- Add a tiny bit of cornstarch (too fen) to the sauce → helps it stick and makes them extra crispy
So for your case:
If you have time → soak 20–30 minutes → perfect flavor without making them soggy.
In a rush → even 10 minutes is fine.
Then air-fry 20 min at 200°C as planned. They’ll taste great! 🥔✨