These air fryer smashed potatoes are crispy and crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft in the middle. Basically, they're addictively garlicky french fries kicked up a notch.
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You may have seen smashed potato recipes on Tik Tok, where they exploded into fame. Several Tik Tokkers have created recipes using varying techniques to get the crispiest outer shell and the softest center. And, they're all oven baked yumminess.
So, I thought -why not air fryer smashed potatoes? I love air fryer breakfast potatoes and air fryer home fries, so why not? And, after a few trials, I think I've come up with the perfect smashed potatoes. You only need simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
Related Post: Perfect Air Fryer Potato Skins
💚Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
💚It's vegan and gluten-free, plus there's much less oil than in traditional smashed potato recipes.
💚This recipe is flexible. Switch up the spices for a different flavor. I've given you a few suggestions below.
💚Air fryer smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish. Serve them with a dip like chipotle mayo. They're equally at home as a side dish to a vegan burger or meatballs.
🛒Ingredients
- Baby Potatoes: Use baby potatoes if possible - they're pretty easy to find at the grocery store. The best potatoes to use are small, waxy potatoes like baby potatoes, fingerlings, or small Yukon golds. You could also use red potatoes. If you can't find baby potatoes you can use a larger potato and cut it into quarters.
- Garlic Powder: Whenever I make air fryer recipes, I never use fresh garlic because it burns and tastes bitter at high temperatures. Garlic powder still gives that addictive garlicky flavor without the potential of burning and making your smashed potatoes taste bitter.
- Onion Powder: Ah, onion powder! It has that funky flavor that's hard to put your finger on. Don't skip it in this recipe. It really adds a bit of magic.
- Cayenne: There's enough cayenne pepper in this recipe to give your smashed potatoes a little bit of a bite, but not enough to make them over the top spicy. If you're not a fan of spicy food, you can substitute smoked paprika.
- Vegan Butter: Any kind of vegan butter will work in this recipe.
- Salt & Pepper: Salt enhances all the other flavors in this recipe. There's a good deal of pepper here, and it makes a valuable flavor combination.
👨🍳How To Make Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
- Wash your potatoes thoroughly. There's no need to peel them, but you want to make sure the skins are clean because you'll be eating the potatoes with the skins on.
- Put your potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Add a little salt and boil for 15-20 minutes. The potatoes are done when they're fork tender.
- While the potatoes are boiling, mix together the butter and spices in a small microwave safe bowl . Microwave for 30 seconds and set aside. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- When your potatoes are done cooking, drain them and blot them dry with a paper towel. Transfer them to the baking sheet. Grease the insert of the air fryer. If your air fryer requires preheating, preheat it to 375° F (190° C).
- Using the bottom of a cup, gently smash the potatoes until they're about a ¼ of an inch thick.
- Brush the potatoes with the melted butter and spices.
- Using a spatula, transfer the smashed potatoes to the air fryer, being careful not to overlap them. You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Air fry the potatoes for 12-15 minutes, flipping them once at the half way point.
- Enjoy your air fryer smashed potatoes solo with your favorite dip, or as a side dish to a main course.
💡Variations
- Southwest Style - Add 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, and top with shredded vegan cheese, salsa, and sliced avocado after cooking.
- Italian Style - Use olive oil instead of butter. Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ cup shredded vegan Parmesan cheese, and top with marinara sauce after cooking.
- Greek Style - Add 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and top with crumbled vegan feta cheese, Kalamata olives, red onion, and lemon wedges after cooking.
- Ranch Style - Use ranch seasoning instead of the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Top with ranch dressing, vegan bacon bits, and chopped green onions after cooking.
- Buffalo Style - Add 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, and top with buffalo sauce after cooking.
🍽️What To Serve With Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
- Serve crispy air fryer smashed potatoes with veggie pot pie. A medley of vegetables like carrots, peas, and celery in a veggie gravy, topped with a flaky crust served alongside a serving of smashed potatoes. Ultimate comfort food!
- You can even serve smashed potatoes for a holiday dinner with a lentil meatloaf.
- Don't just save these delicious potatoes for dinner - make them part of a vegan full English breakfast.
- Serve with a dip like Sriracha mayo.
- How about adding a drizzle of truffle oil to your smashed potatoes right after they come out of the air fryer? Yum!
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I'd love to see it. Tag me on Instagram @thisdailydish. Or, leave me a comment below. It makes my day, and your feedback helps other readers!
❄️Storage Instructions
Refrigerator
Let the smashed potatoes cool completely after cooking. This usually takes about 30 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to an airtight container. Glass or plastic containers with tight fitting lids work best. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 375°F for 4-5 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also reheat in the microwave or oven.
Freezer
First, cool the cooked potatoes completely. Transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then reheat in the air fryer or oven until hot and crispy, about 15 minutes.
🙋Frequently Asked Questions
The best potatoes to use are small, waxy potatoes like baby potatoes, fingerlings, or small Yukon golds. Large russet potatoes can also be used if cut into quarters. The starchy russet potatoes get crispy on the outside while remaining fluffy inside when smashed and air fried.
Use the bottom of a sturdy cup to gently press down on the boiled potatoes to smash them into ¼ inch thick pieces. Be careful not to completely flatten or break them apart while smashing.
It's best to par-boil the potatoes first before smashing and cooking in the air fryer. The boiling tenderizes them all the way through. Then the air fryer gives them a quick crispy, golden outside without overcooking the insides.
Mashed potatoes are smooth and creamy, made by boiling and peeling russet potatoes before mashing them thoroughly with butter and milk to create a soft, even puree. Smashed potatoes have more potato chunks and skins intact, made by gently squashing boiled small waxy potatoes to flatten them out while keeping the potatoes fractured but held together, then roasting or frying to get crispy edges and a combination of creamy and chunky potato in each bite. While mashing requires a ricer or masher, smashing is done by hand with a glass or pan to flatten potatoes.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes * or a larger potato cut in quarters
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly. There's no need to peel them.
- Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Add a little salt and boil for 15-20 minutes. The potatoes are done when they're fork tender.
- While the potatoes are boiling, mix together the butter and spices in a small microwave safe bowl . Microwave for 30 seconds and set aside. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- When your potatoes are done cooking, drain them and blot them dry with a paper towel. Transfer them to the baking sheet. Grease the insert of the air fryer. If your air fryer requires preheating, preheat it to 375° F (190° C).
- Using the bottom of a cup, gently smash the potatoes until they're about a ¼ of an inch thick.
- Brush the potatoes with the melted butter and spices.
- Using a spatula, transfer the smashed potatoes to the air fryer, being careful not to overlap them. You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer. Air fry the potatoes for 12-15 minutes, flipping them once at the half way point.
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