These easy homemade Air Fryer Potatoes O’Brien – roasted seasoned potatoes with bell peppers and onions – are a perfect side dish for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!
They go just as well with some fried, scrambled or poached eggs as they do with chicken, steak or pork chops. And cooking Potatoes O’Brien in the air fryer makes it quick and simple!
Sure, you could buy a bag of O’Brien potatoes in the freezer section with its teeny-tiny pieces of potato and less-than-generous amount of peppers and onions.
But honestly, making them yourself is sooo much better, and it’s totally worth the little bit of extra effort to chop up the veggies.
After you do that, it’s just a matter of tossing them with some olive oil and seasonings, putting them in the air fryer and giving the basket an occasional shake. In 20 minutes, they’ll be ready to enjoy.
The chunks of potato will be golden brown, tender on the inside and slightly crispy around the edges (the air fryer really helps with this), while the peppers and onions will be beautifully crisp-tender…and there’s plenty of them.
It really gives plain roasted potatoes, which are already awesome, a big flavor boost, and – bonus – you eat some extra vegetables!
Why Are They Called Potatoes O’Brien?
I did a lot of looking around, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear and definitive answer to that question.
Some say the dish was invented in a Boston restaurant called Jerome’s, and some say it originated in a Manhattan restaurant called Jack’s, both in the early 1900s.
But I couldn’t determine who “O’Brien” actually was (which totally makes me think of “The Limo” episode of Seinfeld. How about you?).
Well, regardless of how they got their name, these potatoes are just darn delicious and are sure to become a regular in your side dish rotation!
Ingredients You Need:
Note: Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Golden potatoes
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Bell pepper (any color; I used green)
- Onion
- Salt
- Black pepper
Special Equipment Needed:
- Air fryer (I use a 6-quart basket-style air fryer)
Note: The above video is just a brief overview of the steps. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full recipe with detailed instructions.
Tips & Tidbits:
- Golden potatoes are my favorite for this recipe, and I recommend them because they hold their shape well and the skins are so thin you don’t need to peel them (but you can if you’d like), but other potatoes, such as red or russet, will work too.
- Chop the peppers and onions large enough so that they don’t fall through the holes in your air fryer basket (I chop them about ¾ to 1 inch in size).
- I add the peppers and onions halfway through the cooking time so that they stay nice and crisp-tender and don’t get too dark or burn. If you’d rather them softer or with more color, you can add them in sooner (even at the very beginning with the potatoes if you’d like).
- If you’re not into peppers and onions and just want some delicious roasted potatoes, leave them out and just cook the potatoes. They’re also yummy!
- I used a 6-quart Instant Vortex basket-style air fryer to make this recipe (#notsponsored).
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 325°F until heated through or with a little oil or butter in a pan on the stove (or you could also reheat them in the microwave, but I think the air fryer gets you the best results).
And although these go with just about anything, my favorite way to enjoy them is for breakfast with eggs, either alongside some scrambled eggs or with a fried egg or two on top. They’re the best breakfast potatoes ever!
I hope you try this Air Fryer Potatoes O’Brien recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Potato Recipes You Might Like:
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Leftover Baked Potato Home Fries
- Oven-Roasted Potato Wedges
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
If you make this recipe, I’d love to know how it went! Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
Air Fryer Potatoes O’Brien
Ingredients
- 1 pound golden potatoes, scrubbed, dried and cut into ¾ to 1-inch cubes (I leave the skins on, but you can peel them)
- 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder, or to taste
- 1 cup chopped bell peppers, about ¾ to 1-inch pieces (any color; I used green)
- 1 cup chopped onions, about ¾ to 1-inch pieces
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Special Equipment
- air fryer (I use a 6-quart basket-style air fryer)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F (total cook time is approximately 20 minutes).
- While the air fryer is preheating, in a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
- When the air fryer is done preheating, add the potatoes in a single layer.
- Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, giving them a toss/shake after 5 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, toss the peppers and onions with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper (I do this in the same bowl as I did the potatoes, so I don't have another bowl to wash).
- Once the potatoes have cooked for 10 minutes, add the peppers and onions to the air fryer, placing them on top of the potatoes in a single layer.
- Cook for an additional 10 minutes, giving everything a toss/shake after 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the veggies are crisp-tender. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Golden potatoes are my favorite for this recipe because they hold their shape well and the skin is so thin you don’t need to peel them, but you can really use any type of potato you like.
- Chop the peppers and onions large enough so that they don’t fall through the holes in your air fryer basket.
- I add the peppers and onions halfway through the cooking time so they stay crisp-tender and don’t get too dark or burn. If you’d rather them softer or with more color, you can add them in sooner (even at the very beginning with the potatoes if you’d like).
- If you’re not into peppers and onions and just want some delicious roasted potatoes, leave them out and just cook the potatoes.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 325°F until heated through or in a pan on the stove with a little oil or butter. You could also reheat them in the microwave, but I think the air fryer gets you the best results.
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