Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

Intro: Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

In this Instructable, I show you how to make air fryer smashed potatoes. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and are super yummy. A great way to use those small petite potatoes. One of my all-time favorite potato recipes. And air fryer smashed potatoes are super easy to make, if I can do it, you can do it. Let's get started!

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Follow the easy steps below or watch the video tutorial or do both!

STEP 1: Ingredients and Tools

Ingredients:

• 5 to 6 petite potatoes (Yukon gold, red, purple) The size of a golf ball is a perfect size.
• Cooking oil or butter, only need a little bit
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Water for boiling

Tools:

• Medium to a large pot
• Air Fryer
• Spatula
• Cooking oil spray or use a basting brush

*The above link is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn on qualifying purchases.

STEP 2: The Potatoes

For this recipe, you need petite potatoes. You can use the Yukon Golds, Red, and Purple potatoes, or any small potato. The best size to use is right around the size of a golf ball, although slightly larger will work fine too.

The kind I buy come pre-rinsed. But if you don't buy them pre-rinsed you will want to rinse them well first.

STEP 3: Boil

Next, time to boil those potatoes. Take a medium to a large pot and fill it a little over halfway with water. Then add some salt to the water.

Add the potatoes then take them over to the stovetop burner. Set the heat to medium-high and once it starts to boil allow the potatoes to boil for 16 to 18 minutes, until fork-tender. They should be soft but not super soft.

Boiling them allows the center to be soft when we fry them and helps to remove the starch making them taste better.

NOTE: There are a couple of ways you can cook the potatoes. The first way is boiling them like I am showing. Another way which is the fastest is to just microwave them for a few minutes, which isn't the best in my option. The other option is to bake them in the oven at 375F/192 C for 30 to 45 minutes until fork tender.

STEP 4: Smash and Season

Once the potatoes are mostly cooked, remove them from the boiling water and smash them! You can use a potato masher, or the bottom of a glass, or even a plate and just firmly press them down. They may split but the skin should keep them together for the most part.

Don't worry if some of them or a piece of it falls apart, just air fry that small piece as well, and it will still turn out amazing.

Then spray or baste a little bit of oil on the tops. This will give it some flavor as well as help it crisp up nicer.

Sprinkle on some seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.

STEP 5: Air Fry Them

Now use a spatula and place them in the air fryer basket.

Cook at 400F/205 C for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the basket and then flip the smashed potatoes over. Add a bit more oil and seasonings to that side and then cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until browned and crispy.

Easy as that!

TIP: If you would like to add some cheese, let it cook for a few minutes on the second side, then pull out the basket and put some shredded cheese on top, then slide the basket back in and cook for another 4 minutes or so to melt the cheese.

Serve with ketchup, fry sauce, sour cream, etc. It works well as a snack or a side dish with bacon and eggs, or with a sandwich or burger.

Enjoy!

NOTE: If you don't want to air fry them you can brown them in a skillet with a bit of oil using medium heat.

**You can print the air fryer smashed potato recipe here if you want.

STEP 6: Video Tutorial

Now watch those steps in action with this video tutorial. :)

Comments

[MuzicMaker]

This looks delicious! Just curious - What is fry sauce? Do we have it in the US? It sounds kinda tasty lol.

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Hi there! Fry sauce is basically a mix between mayo and ketchup. It is really popular in Utah and Arizona, not sure where else, haha. Honestly I am a pure ketchup person myself, but fry sauce isn't too bad and some people absolutely love it!

[NobleWordsmith]

I've never called it that, but mixing mayo and ketchup is the ultimate condiment!

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

:)

[MuzicMaker]

Oh ok, I’ve used that many a time, I just never knew it had a name. Also tartar sauce mixed with ketchup is really good! (It’s the Mickey D’s special sauce). If you’ve never tried it, the absolute best ketchup is Whole Foods store brand (365 Ketchup) - blows Heinz outta the water, no contest. Cheers!

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Awesome! I will have to get some from Whole foods, I do like ketchup! haha

[Trollfar]

Why is the first picture showing two containers of black pepper, one of which obviously doesn’t contain any black pepper, and both standing next to a pepper mill? What do you want to tell us with this picture?? It’s confusing.

Some bit further down you tell us that we can bake the potatoes in an oven set to 192 degrees Celsius. Do you really think that ovens can be set to a single degree of precision? Why not just say 190 degrees? By doing an exact translation between F and C you make C seem to be more complicated than it actually is.

[MuzicMaker]

The only one making it more complicated here is…. YOU! Cmon, the policy is literally right above the comment box - BE NICE, POSITIVE, and CONSTRUCTIVE. Idk what kind of oven your using, but they’ve been digital for a minute now so 192 ain’t no thing. I’m gonna bake something at 399 degrees right now just to celebrate my temperature freedoms. Smile, get out and enjoy the world, love someone. It’s fulfilling.

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Because one of them is filled with garlic powder. I just reused the container. If you look closely at it you can easily tell it is garlic powder, even if it was two black peppers, why would that confuse you? haha. It's not confusing at all if you actually read the ingredients. Because the precise calculation of 375F is 192C. Use 190 if you want it doesn't matter. I use F because I am in the US. Most people who use metric know the difference. It sounds like you do, so why are you complaining about it? Seriously. And if people are in the US they won't care at all about the Celsius measurement, because our ovens and air fryers are not in Celsius. You are lucky I even add any metric measurements. Most US recipes and food bloggers don't add any metric measurements. If you don't trust them, then do your own calculations. :)

[NirL]

Matt you answered them way too seriously!! Just keep doing what you're doing, people will always find ways in which you're trying to trick them or something...
Thanks for sharing your recipe:) we're considering buying an air fryer now!

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Yeah haha. And you are welcome!

[lorenkinzel]

Most modern ovens can, in fact, be set to 1° accuracy.
Incidentally, the potatoes brown much better at 377.8° F.

[bejawo]

These are great! They took considerably longer in my air fryer, maybe because I like them extra crispy, but they were so tasty. Thanks for the recipe.

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Glad you made them and liked them!!! :) You are very welcome!

[TeklaS]

Looks delicious and so simple! I was going to make roasted potato wedges for our Mother's Day gathering but am making these instead. Thanks for sharing, and thanks for including the oven version (I don't have an air fryer.) Cheers!

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Thanks!! You are very welcome. :)

[LarryG7]

Good instructable. I'm sure the process is correct and expect that the potatoes are very good, however, when I was growing up my mother would never throw any food out if she could recycle it. She made a version of this...a lot. I'll never eat them again! I think she made extra mashed potatoes for lunch so she could easily make fried mashed potatoes for dinner.

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Thank you! Yeah, I guarantee these are different. :) They are made totally fresh, and not with leftovers. Remember, these don't get cooked until completely soft for mashed potatoes. Think of these more like a double-fried french fry. Only a different shape.

[BrigitteG7]

These look super yummy, and I will definitely be trying them. I know it is optional, but I am horrified that you added extra salt to the browning surfaces of the "patties", especially as you put plenty in the cooking water?

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Thanks! The salt in the water doesn't do much to add flavor it only helps to remove the starch. If you don't add salt they will taste bland. So don't be horrified, haha.