These air fryer smashed potatoes have delicious crispy edges with soft, buttery, and fluffy potato inside. Perfect healthy snack or side dish ready in just 30 minutes!
Trust me when I say that you need to make two batches of these air fryer smashed potatoes because they are just that good! The air fryer makes them crispy and crunchy but keeps them soft, fluffy, and buttery inside!
If you have more potatoes on hand, why not make my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Potatoes recipe or make my super easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes? Transform your potatoes into delicious meals in less than 30 minutes.
I love serving these smashed potatoes with these other recipes:
- Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
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🥔 Ingredients
This recipe uses just a handful of pantry staples! I almost always have the ingredients for smashed potatoes on hand, meaning I can have crunchy, buttery potatoes whenever I want!
To make air fryer smashed potatoes, you'll need:
- Small potatoes
- Butter (salted or unsalted)
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Italian herbs
- Salt & pepper
See recipe card for precise quantities and complete instructions.
📖 Instructions
The potatoes need to be boiled for a few minutes before being smashed and seasoned. Boiling the potatoes just right makes them easy to smash and not turn to mash!
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the potatoes and boil for 10 - 15 minutes until just tender. While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the flavored butter and olive oil. Heat a small pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and all the seasonings to the pot and mix well. Once melted and mixed together well, remove from the heat.
Once the potatoes are tender, drain them and place them on a baking sheet or cutting board. Use a heavy-bottomed glass (not a potato masher) to gently smash the potatoes down evenly until ½ inch thick (1.2 cm). The potatoes should hold together pretty well and not turn to mash.
Brush the potatoes liberally with the melted butter and olive oil mixture.
Using a spatula, gently transfer the potatoes to the air fryer basket, filling the basket as much as possible but leaving some small spaces between the potatoes.
Air fry the potatoes at 400 °F (200 °C) for 15 - 20 minutes until golden and crispy!
Serve with your favorite dipping sauces or eat them as is, they are deliciously crunchy and buttery soft!
Hint: Don't overcook the potatoes as then they will turn to mash! If using larger potatoes, cook them for 5 - 10 minutes longer until they can be pierced by a fork.
🙋🏻♂️ FAQs
Smashed potatoes are crunchy, buttery, and healthy too! The air fryer makes these smashed potatoes healthier as it uses less oil to give you the same crispy and buttery soft smashed potatoes! Potatoes are also a great source of Potassium.
Yes, you can definitely add cheese on top of your potatoes! They will make a delicious pairing. However, make sure to only add your cheese once the potatoes are done cooking in the air fryer. Adding shredded cheese to the air fryer and turning it on makes the cheese fly around everywhere!
15 - 20 minutes is all the time needed to make crispy air fryer smashed potatoes. If using larger potatoes, then either cut them in half or increase the cooking time by a couple of minutes.
400 °F (200 °C) is the best temperature for air fryer smashed potatoes. The concentrated heat of the air fryer makes these smashed potatoes crunchy without drying them out inside.
🥣 Substitutions
Here are suggestions for substitutions you can make based on what you have available in your pantry!
- Oils you can use - Any vegetable oil should work for this recipe - my favorites to use are canola oil, avocado oil and olive oil. These oils have high smoking points, making them perfect for the air fryer.
- Best potatoes to use - I used baby potatoes for this recipe but you can also use small red and gold potatoes or larger potatoes cut in half.
- Garlic powder - Don't use raw garlic in the air fryer as it will burn, garlic powder is the best way to get that delicious garlic flavor!
- Vegetarian & Vegan - This recipe is already vegetarian-friendly. Substitute the butter with more olive oil to make this recipe vegan-friendly.
- Herbs and Spices - I used Italian seasoning but you can use any combination of dried herbs like thyme, parsley, rosemary, and oregano. You can also add some cayenne pepper for spice!
- Low-Sodium - Reduce or omit the salt entirely to make these smashed potatoes low-sodium-friendly.
🥘 Variations
You'll definitely want to make this recipe again so here are some ideas to keep the dish exciting every time you make it!
- Want Some Spice? - Add cayenne pepper or chili powder to the seasonings to add some spice to your smashed potatoes. Add ½ teaspoon - 1 tsp. at a time so you don't make it too spicy!
- Cheesy Deluxe Potatoes - Once the potatoes are done air frying, serve them topped with crispy onions or crispy bacon pieces and shredded cheese for the most delicious smashed potatoes ever!
- Dipping Sauces - Serve the potatoes with dipping sauces like ketchup, ranch dressing, or BBQ sauce.
Want to make chicken and potatoes in your air fryer at the same time? Check out my recipe for Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Potatoes!
⏲ Equipment
Air Fryer: This recipe has been made and tested using a Cosori Max XL Large Cooker. It has a capacity of 5.8 quarts which is quite large. You can use any air fryer for this recipe, but all air fryers are different so adjust cooking times accordingly.
Oven Directions: To make this recipe in your oven, follow steps 1 - 4 as described. Then preheat your oven to 400 °F (200 °C) and bake the smashed potatoes for 25 - 30 minutes until golden and crunchy.
Oven Thermometer: Another piece of equipment I find useful for air fryer cooking is an oven thermometer. It can be placed inside the air fryer and measure the temperature very accurately. You can also use it in your test batch as mentioned to make sure the temperature is perfect for this recipe.
Air fryer temperatures vary a little between air fryer models so a thermometer is the best way to make sure your air fryer is the correct temperature for each recipe.
🍶 Storage
If you have any leftovers, allow them to cool completely to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer for a quick, tasty snack!
Potatoes do not stand up well to freezing so I don't recommend it.
👨🏻🍳 Top tips
- Don't Use Potato Masher: Smash the potatoes with the bottom of a drinking glass, not a potato masher which will, as the name suggests, make mash instead of smashed potatoes!
- Check Check Check! - Check the potatoes while air frying every 5 - 10 minutes to make sure they don't burn.
- Don't Use Fresh Garlic - Fresh garlic will burn in the air fryer and not taste great. For the best garlic flavor, I always use powdered garlic in air fryer recipes.
- Don't Overcook the Potatoes - Overcooked potatoes will crumble when you smash them. They need to be slightly tender and hold their shape when being smashed.
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🍽 Recipe Card
Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 ½ lbs. Small potatoes
- 3 Tbsp. Salted butter
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Italian herbs
- 1 tsp. Sea salt
- ½ tsp. Black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the potatoes and boil for 10 - 15 minutes until just tender. Don't overcook the potatoes as then they will turn to mash! You can also cook the potatoes in the Instant Pot, for 5 - 7 minutes at high pressure, with a 10 minute natural release of the pressure at the end.1 - 1 ½ lbs. Small potatoes
- While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the flavored butter and olive oil. Heat a small pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil and all the seasonings to the pot and mix well. Once melted and mixed together well, remove from the heat.3 Tbsp. Salted butter, 2 Tbsp. Olive oil, 1 tsp. Garlic powder, 1 tsp. Italian herbs, 1 tsp. Sea salt, ½ tsp. Black pepper
- Once the potatoes are tender, drain them and place them on a baking sheet or cutting board. Using a heavy-bottomed glass (not a potato masher) to gently smash the potatoes down evenly until ½ inch thick (1.2 cm). The potatoes should hold together pretty well and not turn to mash.
- Brush the potatoes liberally with the melted butter and olive oil mixture.
- Using a spatula, gently transfer the potatoes to the air fryer basket, filling the basket as much as possible but leaving some small spaces between the potatoes.
- Air fry the potatoes at 400 °F (200 °C) for 15 - 20 minutes until golden and crispy! (See notes for Oven Directions) Serve with your favorite dipping sauces or eat them as is, they are deliciously crunchy and buttery soft too!
Carol Foster
I used to make these in the oven but the airfryer makes it so much easier. I cook my potatoes first in the microwave (time depends on size of potatoes). We smash them and then brush with EVOO and top with Monterey Steak Seasoning. When done we serve with sour cream and chives. So good.
Johan
Wow your version sounds amazing! I have to try with the steak seasoning, it sounds too good 🤤 how long do you cook the potatoes in the microwave by the way?