Air Fryer Recipe
Crispy Marmite Potatoes
An inventive and easy-to-make crispy Marmite potatoes recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 500g Maris Piper potatoes
- 2 tablespoons of Marmite
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Method
- Peel the Maris Piper potatoes and cut them into evenly sized chunks.
- Rinse the potato chunks under cold water to remove excess starch.
- Fill a pot with cold water, add a generous pinch of salt, and bring it to a boil.
- Add the potato chunks and parboil them for about 8 minutes until tender but not falling apart.
- Drain the potatoes and let them cool for a few minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the Marmite, olive oil, and garlic powder.
- Add the potatoes to the bowl and toss them until they're evenly coated in the mixture.
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.
- Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 20-25 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the potatoes from the air fryer and transfer them to a serving platter.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired.
Why this works in an air fryer
Parboiling gelatinises the potato starch; draining and cooling lets steam escape so the roughened edges dry. In the air fryer, fast convection dehydrates those edges while olive oil conducts heat and the Marmite’s sugars and amino acids brown quickly, giving a savoury crust without a deep-fat fry.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4-5 litre basket holding 500g potatoes in one loose layer; in a smaller basket cook in two batches. In a single-drawer air fryer, shake hard and rotate larger chunks from the edges to the centre; in a dual-zone model, split evenly between drawers and check 3-5 minutes early as the thinner loads brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Edges look pale and leathery after 20 minutes? The potatoes went in too wet or too crowded; spread them out, cook 5-8 minutes longer, and next time let them steam-dry until the surface looks matt.
- Dark sticky patches but soft centres? Marmite is scorching before the potatoes crisp, usually from oversized chunks or too much coating; cut to 3-4cm pieces and toss with just enough mixture to glaze, not pool.
- Potatoes breaking up when tossed? They were parboiled past tender; drain as soon as a knife meets slight resistance, then toss by folding with a spatula rather than stirring.
- Too salty on eating? Marmite already brings a lot of salt; use only a light pinch before cooking, then adjust after air frying when the savoury coating has concentrated.
Variations & substitutions
- Use King Edward potatoes instead of Maris Piper for an even fluffier interior, but handle gently after parboiling as they break more easily.
- Swap olive oil for vegetable or rapeseed oil for a cleaner flavour and slightly higher smoke tolerance at 200°C.
- Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika to the Marmite mix for a deeper roasted note; it darkens the crust sooner, so start checking at 18 minutes.
- Use 1 tablespoon Marmite plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup for a sweeter glaze; reduce any added salt and watch closely because the sugars brown faster.
Storage & reheating
Keep leftovers chilled for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 6-8 minutes, shaking once, until hot and re-crisped.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
