Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
For a side dish that is incredibly soft on the inside and deliciously crunchy on the outside, you have to try these Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes. Using petite potatoes, they are boiled until just tender, flattened out, and air fried to a beautiful golden brown finish. Watch the quick video walkthrough below to see exactly how to prep, smash, and season them for the best texture.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super crispy edges: Smashing the potatoes flat creates extra surface area, allowing the air fryer to crisp up the outside perfectly while keeping the inside fluffy.
- Simple ingredients: All you need are small potatoes, your choice of cooking spray or butter, and some basic pantry seasonings.
- Versatile: Serve them as a side dish, eat them as a snack with ketchup or fry sauce, or pair them with bacon and eggs for breakfast.
Ingredients
- Petite potatoes (Yukon gold, red, or purple, about the size of a golf ball)
- Water (for boiling)
- Salt (for the boiling water and for seasoning)
- Cooking spray (avocado, coconut, or olive oil) or butter
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Paprika
Instructions
- Rinse the petite potatoes if they did not come pre-rinsed.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat and add a little bit of salt.
- Boil the potatoes for 16 to 18 minutes until they are fork-tender. The fork should go in fairly easily, but the potatoes should still be pretty firm.
- Remove the potatoes from the water. Using a potato smasher or the bottom of a glass, gently press down on each potato to smash it until it is flattened.
- Spray the tops of the smashed potatoes with cooking oil (or baste them with butter).
- Season the tops with salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and a little bit of paprika.
- Using a spatula, carefully pick up the potatoes and place them into the air fryer basket. Do not overcrowd them.
- Set the air fryer temperature to 400°F (205°C) and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Check the potatoes (you can cook them for an extra minute on this first side if they need more time). Carefully flip them over to the other side.
- Spray the second side with a quick spray of oil and season again with salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and a touch of paprika.
- Return the basket to the air fryer and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until crisp.
Tips for the Best Results
Don’t overcook during boiling: There is a sweet spot for boiling. If the potatoes get too mushy, they will completely fall apart when you try to smash them. If they are too hard, they will break apart. Check them often around the 16-minute mark.
Save the broken pieces: If some of the potato pieces fall off or break apart while smashing and flipping, leave them in the air fryer basket! Those little pieces will crisp up beautifully and are great to munch on.
Stovetop alternative: If you don’t have an air fryer, you can still make these. After boiling and smashing, place them in a skillet with a little bit of oil and brown them on the stovetop.
