Air Fryer Recipe
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
A simple, tasty recipe for crispy smashed potatoes, just right for cooking in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 500g new potatoes or baby potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (optional)
- Grated parmesan cheese, to taste (optional)
Method
- Preheat the air fryer to 190°C (375°F).
- Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer until fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and leave them to steam dry for a few minutes.
- Set the boiled potatoes on a clean surface and gently press each one down to about 1 cm thick.
- Drizzle over the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and rosemary. Add parmesan if desired.
- Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through, until crisp and golden brown.
- Remove from the air fryer, sprinkle with more salt or parmesan if desired, and serve straight away.
Why this works in an air fryer
Boiling gelatinises the potato starch so the centres stay fluffy, while steam-drying removes surface moisture. Smashing increases rough, exposed surface area; oil conducts heat into those ridges as the air fryer’s convection drives off water quickly, giving crisp edges without deep-frying.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket can take 500g potatoes in one loose single layer; smaller baskets need two batches. In a single-drawer model, use the centre of the basket and turn carefully. In a dual-zone air fryer, split evenly between drawers and use match/sync; check 2 minutes early as the thinner load may brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Potatoes brown but taste firm in the middle: they were not fully fork-tender before smashing; simmer until a knife slides through with little resistance before air frying.
- Edges look dry and leathery rather than blistered: not enough oil reached the broken surfaces; brush or drizzle oil onto the smashed tops, not just the tray or basket.
- Pale, soft undersides after 15 minutes: the potatoes are touching or overlapping, trapping steam; cook in batches or leave finger-width gaps and extend by 3–5 minutes.
- Garlic powder or parmesan turns dark before the potatoes crisp: the seasoning is scorching on exposed ridges; add parmesan for the final 3–5 minutes, or reduce to 180°C once good colour appears.
Variations & substitutions
- Use duck fat or beef dripping instead of olive oil for deeper browning; melt it first so it coats the rough potato surfaces evenly.
- Swap rosemary for thyme or sage; woody herbs tolerate the full cook better than soft herbs, which should be added after air frying.
- Add smoked paprika or cayenne with the garlic powder for heat and colour, but watch the final minutes as paprika darkens quickly on dry edges.
- Use larger salad potatoes cut in half after boiling; they need a few extra minutes to become tender before smashing and may require batch cooking.
Storage & reheating
Keep leftovers chilled for up to 3 days, then reheat in a single layer in the air fryer at 180°C for 5–8 minutes until hot and re-crisped.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
