Crispy, golden-brown air fryer smashed potatoes! These make a delicious side dish or a fun and tasty appetizer. A quick and healthy alternative to French fries that require only a few simple steps!
Delicious, garlicky, salty air fryer smashed potatoes. These are going to be your new favorite side dish. They are pretty much a fancy (and healthier) version of a French fry and are definitely my favorite potato recipe!
This finger food is great for dipping in ketchup, homemade ranch, or your favorite sauce. And it's a perfect side dish for pulled pork, cilantro chicken, cashew chicken salad, and so much more!
What Are Smashed Potatoes?
Essentially, it is a mashed potato with the skin on. The skin helps to keep them nice and crispy (plus they are more nutritious with the skin on).
While not the quickest side dish to make, they are extremely easy and can be ready in under 40 minutes (trust me, they are totally worth the wait)! And if you boil the potatoes ahead of time, they only take 15 minutes to make (it's the boiling of the potatoes that takes the longest).
Ingredients & Substitutions
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below. Here are some specific notes and substitutions.
POTATOES – The smaller the potatoes, the better. I like baby gold potatoes for the creamy/buttery texture, but you can use baby reds too.
OLIVE OIL – I use extra-virgin olive oil, but avocado oil can also be used. You can also use melted butter in place of the olive oil if you want you potatoes to have a buttery flavor.
SEASONING – I love the combo of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt, but feel free to try any of your favorite spices or herbs (parsley or rosemary would be delish).
Step-by-Step for Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Just think boil, season, smash, air fry for this easy smashed potatoes recipe.
STEP 1: Boil the potatoes. Place potatoes in a medium sized pot and add water until it comes to about an inch over the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender enough to pierce with a fork (15-20 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes).
STEP 2: Season. Drain potatoes and allow them to dry and slightly cool. Then place in a large bowl and add olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix or toss to ensure all potatoes are coated in the oil/seasoning mix.
STEP 3: Smash. Place potatoes on a baking sheet to smash. Using the bottom of a cup, smash the potatoes down to about ¼” thickness. If you have remaining olive oil in your bowl, brush this on the potatoes after they’ve been smashed.
STEP 4: Air fry. Using a spatula, transfer smashed potatoes to the air fryer basket. It is okay if they are slightly touching in the air fryer, but don’t overlap potatoes. Fry at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. You can flip potatoes halfway through. I have also just let them cook without flipping and they still turned out great.
TIP: Make sure to check on your potatoes early to make sure they don’t overcook. Cooking times can vary depending on the air fryer you have. You can continue cooking until they reach your desired crispiness.
Now enjoy your golden brown, garlicky, crispy air fryer smashed potatoes!
Serving
These air fryer smashed potatoes are best served straight out of the air fryer. If you are cooking in batches, you can keep them warm in the oven, or quickly reheat in the air fryer before serving.
Prior to serving, try adding some:
- Sliced green onions
- Fresh parsley
- Red pepper flakes for some spice
- Sea salt
- Shredded parmesan
- And on the side, try my dairy-free ranch, cilantro lime dressing, your favorite sauce, or just ketchup is delish too!
These go great alongside pulled pork, cilantro lime chicken, and vegetable frittata. They are also a fantastic side dish for game day or the holidays!
Storing
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just know they will lose their crispiness once stored in the fridge.
FAQs
Absolutely! Reheating them in the air fryer will make them crispy again (as opposed to reheating in the microwave). Reheat at 400 degrees F for 3-4 minutes.
Yes, you do need to boil the potatoes first. You won’t be able to smash them down prior to air frying if they aren’t soft/tender.
Once a fork (or even a skewer) can be pierced through to the middle of the potato, you know they are ready for smashing.
Yes, if you do not have an air fryer, these can absolutely be made in the oven. Either line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or brush olive oil on baking sheet. Smash potatoes on prepared baking sheet and bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes, or until nice and crispy.
Expert Tips
Use small potatoes that are evenly sized. Small potatoes are easier to get crispy and using potatoes that are roughly the same size ensures even cooking.
Leave this skin on. The skin creates the nice crispy outside, plus they are more nutritious with the skin on.
Let potatoes slightly cool before smashing. If they are too hot, they may fall apart.
Cook potatoes until just tender. Getting the potatoes cooked to the right doneness is key here. If they are undercooked or greatly overcooked, they won’t mash up nicely and may fall apart easily.
I really hope you enjoy these crispy air fryer smashed potatoes!
Eat Clean.Be Healthy!
-Sara
More Favorite Side Dishes
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb. baby gold potatoes
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp. paprika (I use smoked paprika)
- ⅛ tsp. ground pepper
Instructions
- Start by boiling the potatoes. Place potatoes in a medium sized pot and add water until it comes to about an inch over the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender enough to pierce with a fork (15-20 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes).
- When the potatoes are done, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Drain potatoes and allow them to dry and slightly cool. Then place in a large bowl and add olive oil, garlic powder, salt, paprika, and pepper. Mix or toss to ensure all potatoes are coated in the oil/seasoning mix.
- Place potatoes on a baking sheet to smash. Using the bottom of a cup, smash the potatoes down to about ¼” thickness. If you have remaining olive oil in your bowl, you can brush this on the potatoes after they’ve been smashed.
- Using a spatula, transfer smashed potatoes to the air fryer basket. It is okay if they are touching, but don’t overlap potatoes. Return basket to air fryer and cook for 10-12 minutes. I let potatoes cook without flipping, but you can flip halfway through if you'd like. Check your potatoes after about 10 minutes to make sure they don't overcook. You can continue cooking until desired crispiness is reached.
- Best served straight from the air fryer. Enjoy!
These smashed potatoes turned out perfectly crispy and were a great side dish for our dinner tonight!! They were so addicting, they disappeared quickly and we had no leftovers!
They may take extra time but for an amazing side dish it is totally worth it. I really like that you use paprika on them as it as a great flavor to potatoes. Can't wait to try these.
The extra time is totally worth it! Enjoy!
Yet something else the air fryer can perfect! I've made a version of these in my oven before, but they look way better after being cooked in the air fryer. Excited to try these! Thanks for the recipe.
I wish I can reach and grab some, they look so gorgeous! Thanks for tip to allow the potatoes to slightly cool before smashing. I didn’t know that!
Glad you found the tips helpful! Enjoy!
Super crisp and addicting and I love them with the skins on! There were no leftovers here!!