Air fryer smashed potatoes are a healthy, delicious, and easy-to-make side dish. Simply wash your potatoes, boil until soft, then toss them in the air fryer with a little olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then cook for 8-12 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or toppings. Enjoy!
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Air fryer smashed potatoes are a delicious and easy way to make a healthier version of the classic dish. Traditional smashed potatoes are deep-fried, but air fryer smashed potatoes are cooked in a fraction of the oil. This not only saves calories, but it also helps to preserve the nutrients in the potatoes.
To make air fryer smashed potatoes, start by parboiling the potatoes until they are just tender. Then, smash them with a fork or potato masher and season them with salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs. Next, place them in the air fryer and cook them at a high temperature until they are crispy and golden brown. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Move over, french fries! There's a new way to enjoy potatoes, and it's in the form of air fryer smashed potatoes. This delicious and healthy recipe is sure to be a hit with everyone in the family. Here are just a few reasons why:
- The air fryer gives the potatoes a crisp exterior while keeping the inside nice and fluffy.
- You can customize the flavor of your smashed potatoes by adding different herbs and spices.
- This recipe is much healthier than deep-fried potatoes because it uses considerably less oil.
So what are you waiting for? Give this air fryer smashed potatoes recipe a try today!
What You’ll Need To Make Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
- Baby potatoes: Look for small, uniform potatoes for this recipe. If you can't find baby potatoes, you can use regular Yukon gold or Russet potatoes. I like to use baby Dutch yellow potatoes for this recipe.
- Garlic: I like to add fresh garlic to my air fryer smashed potatoes for an extra boost of flavor. However, you can use garlic powder or omit it completely if you prefer.
- Onion powder: This is another optional ingredient, but I find that it really enhances the flavor of the potatoes.
- Dried parsley: This is my favorite dried herb to use in this recipe, but you can also use dried thyme or rosemary.
- Dried basil: This is a great herb to use if you want to give your potatoes an Italian flavor. It pairs well with the dried parsley.
- Avocado oil: You'll need just a little bit of oil to coat the potatoes before cooking. This helps to create a crispy exterior. I prefer to use avocado oil because it has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, but you can also use olive oil, canola oil, or any other kind of cooking oil that you prefer.
- Salt and pepper: Season to taste.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to make air fryer smashed potatoes:
Step 1: Start by parboiling the potatoes. This softens the potatoes so that you will be able to smash them before adding them to the air fryer to crisp up. You'll want to boil your potatoes until you can pierce them easily with a fork - about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
Step 2: While the potatoes are boiling, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3: When the potatoes are tender, drain them and use a potato masher or a fork to squash them to roughly ¼ inch thickness.
Step 4: Next, mix together the oil, crushed garlic, onion powder parsley, basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Step 5: Place the smashed potatoes in the air fryer basket and brush them with the oil mixture. Make sure that each potato is coated with oil and that you don't overfill the basket. It's best to cook these potatoes in batches so that they're not crowded in the air fryer. This will ensure you get lovely crispy potatoes.
Step 6: Cook the potatoes for 8-12 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, remove the potatoes from the air fryer basket and transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining potatoes in batches.
Step 7: Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce. I love to serve mine with a simple garlic aioli or sour cream and chives. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips And Tricks
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make the best air fryer smashed potatoes ever:
- Parboiling the potatoes before smashing and frying them helps to ensure that they'll be nice and fluffy on the inside.
- Be sure to brush the potatoes with oil before cooking so that they'll be crispy on the outside.
- If you want to add even more flavor to your potatoes, try sprinkling them with some grated Parmesan cheese before air frying.
- If you want to make ahead of time, you can parboil the potatoes and then refrigerate them until you're ready to cook. Just be sure to brush them with oil before cooking so that they'll be crispy.
- Make sure that you don't overcrowd your potatoes in the air fryer basket. Overcrowding will prevent them from getting crispy. If you want to make a larger batch, you can cook the potatoes in batches and then keep them warm in a 200-degree oven until they're all cooked.
Serving Suggestions And Substitutions
Here are a few ideas for serving air fryer smashed potatoes:
- As an appetizer with a dipping sauce like garlic aioli, sour cream and chives, or ranch dressing.
- As a side dish with grilled chicken, steak, fish, or pork.
- As a main dish topped with grilled vegetables, shredded cheese, and a fried egg.
- As a snack on their own!
When it comes to substitutions, there are plenty of ways that you can change up this recipe to suit your needs. Here are a few ideas:
- Feel free to use any kind of potato that you like. I prefer small Dutch yellow potatoes because they're nice and creamy, but you could also use red potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or even sweet potatoes.
- If you don't have any dried herbs on hand, you can use fresh herbs instead. Just double the amount that the recipe calls for.
- If you don't have any avocado oil on hand, you can use olive, canola oil, or any other kind of cooking oil instead of the avocado oil.
- If you don't have an air fryer, you can also make these potatoes in the oven. Just preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the potatoes for 20-25 minutes until they're crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
How To Store Leftovers
Leftover air fryer smashed potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the air fryer or the oven until they're nice and hot. Enjoy!
I don't recommend freezing smashed potatoes as they tend to get a bit mushy when they're thawed. If you do want to freeze them, I recommend cooking them first and then freezing them. When you're ready to eat them, just reheat them in the air fryer or oven until they're hot and crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's the difference between mashed potatoes and smashed potatoes?
A: The main difference is in the preparation and end product. Mashed potatoes are usually smooth and creamy while smashed potatoes are usually lumpier and have a more rustic and crispy texture.
Q: Can I make these potatoes ahead of time?
A: You can parboil the potatoes and then refrigerate them until you're ready to cook in the air fryer. Just be sure to brush them with oil before cooking so that they'll be crispy.
Q: Can I make these potatoes without an air fryer?
A: You can also make these potatoes in the oven. Just parboil the potatoes as directed above, then preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the potatoes for 20-25 minutes until they're crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
Q: How long will these potatoes last in the fridge?
A: Leftover air fryer smashed potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the air fryer or the oven until they're nice and hot. Enjoy!
Tools And Equipment For This Recipe
GoWISE USA 7-Quart Electric Air Fryer With Dehydrator: This is a great budget-friendly air fryer. It’s large enough to cook a decent-sized batch of smashed potatoes.
Glass Mixing Bowls: These glass mixing bowls are super versatile. You can use them for mixing, storing, and serving. In this recipe, they can be used for mixing the oil, garlic, and herb mixture before brushing it onto the potatoes.
Le Creuset Saucepan: This is my go-to pan for cooking small-batch recipes over the stove. It heats evenly and the enameled surface is easy to clean. It's great for boiling the potatoes before air frying them.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
Instructions
- Start by parboiling the potatoes. You'll want to boil your potatoes until you can pierce them easily with a fork - about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
- While the potatoes are boiling, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When the potatoes are tender, drain them and use a potato masher or a fork to squash them to roughly ¼ inch thickness.
- Next, mix together the oil, crushed garlic, onion powder parsley, basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Place the smashed potatoes in the air fryer basket and brush them with the oil mixture. Make sure that each potato is coated with oil and that you don't overfill the basket.
- Cook the potatoes for 8-12 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, remove the potatoes from the air fryer basket and transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining potatoes in batches.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content may vary based on brands of ingredients used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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