Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

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These delicious garlicky air fryer smashed potatoes are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and are packed with flavor! They take less than an hour to make, and turn out perfectly every time. Naturally gluten free and with a vegan option, these crispy potatoes are an easy side dish that will quickly become a family favorite recipe!

Potatoes are a great kitchen staple because they're inexpensive and satisfying. And I love air fryer recipes because they're always pretty easy, and they're great for creating healthier versions of classic comfort food recipes - since you can use way less oil compared to what you would use for deep frying.

This air fryer smashed potatoes recipe is not only satisfying, but it's flavorful and so easy to make! It will quickly become your favorite new potato recipe!

If you're a fan of crispy potatoes, then you're going to love this garlic smashed potatoes air fryer recipe.

This dish combines the best of both worlds - you get the fluffy texture of a baked potato along with the crispy crunch of a french fry! And thanks to the air fryer, you can guarantee that these potatoes get perfectly cooked every time.

This air fryer smashed baby potatoes recipe is a great side dish that pairs well with so many recipes. Try this with vegan schnitzel or vegan turkey.

These vegan smashed potatoes are filling, full of flavor, and so easy to make! Plus, smashed potatoes in the air fryer make the crispiest potato you can get!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

Simple recipe
Great for the whole family
Inexpensive and simple ingredients
Vegan option
A healthy alternative to french fries or regular fried potatoes
Naturally gluten-free
Perfect side dish for any occasion
Ready in less than an hour

Latest Recipe Video!

🥘 Ingredients

For the full recipe and instructions on how to make smashed potatoes in air fryer, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Baby Potatoes: I used baby yellow potatoes - but any small potato will work in this recipe. Small potatoes will give you the best results when making this airfryer smashed potatoes recipe, since they take less time to cook and crisp up better than bigger potatoes.
Olive Oil: Olive oil gives this dish a little extra flavor, but most importantly, they help make golden brown, crispy garlic smashed baby potatoes.
Garlic Cloves: Fresh garlic cloves add a nice light spicy and nutty flavor to this smashed potatoes recipe in the air fryer.
Spices: We used paprika, kosher salt, and pepper. Paprika gives a mildly sweet and deep savory flavor to this crispy smashed potatoes air fryer recipe. Salt and black pepper are essential to adding great flavor in this dish!
Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese is rich and tangy and adds a nice cheesy flavor to these air fryer crispy smashed potatoes. You can also use vegan parmesan to make this recipe vegan friendly.
Fresh Parsley: This is optional, but I like the brightness it brings to this easy smashed potatoes air fryer recipe. You can add any fresh herbs you like!

🔪 Instructions

Making the most perfect crispy smashed potatoes in the air fryer is so easy! Here's how to make air fryer smashed potatoes, and below we've included instructions for making this recipe in the oven as well!

How To Make Smashed Potatoes In The Air Fryer

Boil Potatoes: Wash the potatoes before adding to a pot of cold water. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes or until they are tender. Remove the cooked potatoes from the heat and drain.

Preheat Air Fryer, Smash Potatoes: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F / 200 C. Use the bottom of a glass, or a large fork, or a potato masher to gently smash the potatoes.

Set Aside: Place the smashed potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix Seasonings: In a small bowl mix together the oil, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper.

Coat: Coat both sides of the smashed potatoes in the oil mixture.

Place Potatoes In Air Fryer: Place the smashed potatoes into the air fryer basket in an even layer without overlapping.

Air Fry Potatoes: Cook for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F / 200 C.

Turn: Turn the potatoes and continue to cook for another 4 minutes.

Add Cheese, Repeat, Serve: Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and continue to cook for another 6 minutes until crispy. Remove and repeat with remaining potatoes. Serve these fried potatoes in air fryer hot with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and sour cream or your favorite dipping sauce.

How To Make Smashed Potatoes In The Oven

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Similar to the air fryer version, you'll want to start by parboiling your potatoes. Add the potatoes to a large stock pot with cold water, bring to a boil, cook for 10-15 minutes, then drain.
Smash your potatoes using the bottom of a round glass or a fork, and make your spice/olive oil mixture.
Add your smashed potatoes to a baking sheet that's been sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. Drizzle your spice mixture over the top of the potatoes, and toss gently to coat. Rearrange the potatoes to make sure they're in a single layer on your baking sheet.
Bake these crispy garlic smashed potatoes in the oven for 25-30 minutes, checking at the 20 minute mark for doneness. Once the potatoes are about 5 minutes away from being done, add the parmesan cheese on top and bake for the remaining 5 minutes. Remove from the oven once the cheese has melted and the potatoes are golden brown and crispy!

💭 Expert Tips

Let the potatoes dry for a little bit after boiling them. This will help them firm up slightly and get perfectly crispy in the air fryer. Potatoes holding a lot of moisture will have a hard time getting crispy.
Don't overcook the potatoes. Parboiling is an important step, but don't let them boil for too long. You want them to be just fork tender. Overcooking will turn them into mashed potatoes!
Make sure to use small potatoes. While you can use any type of potato in this air fryer roasted garlic potatoes recipe, baby potatoes work best because of their size. If you only have larger potatoes, you can make them into crispy smashed potatoes by cutting them into chunks and smashing them. Still, smaller potatoes will work better overall because it's easier for them to get crispy.
Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Make sure to leave some space between the potatoes in the air fryer basket so that the air can circulate properly and cook them evenly.
Don't peel your potatoes, the skin is the crispiest part.
If you don't have an air fryer, use your oven to make roasted smashed potatoes.

📖 Variations

Loaded Smashed Potatoes: Loaded up these crispy garlic air fryer smashed potatoes with cheese, bacon, green onions, and a dollop of sour cream.
Spicy Smashed Potatoes: Make these smashed air fryer potatoes spicy by adding red pepper flakes or chili powder for a little bit of a kick. You an also make a spicy dipping sauce using spicy mayo or hot sauce.
Vegan Smashed Potatoes: Make these garlic air fryer potatoes vegan by using vegan parmesan instead of regular parmesan.
Change The Potatoes: You can use this recipe with just about any type of potato! Try making air fryer red potatoes, baby gold potatoes, air fryer smashed fingerling potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, or purple baby potatoes!
Different Spices: Feel free to add or substitute your favorite spices! Onion powder, melted butter or vegan butter, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, fresh chives, Italian seasoning mix, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and more will taste great in this smash potatoes recipe.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

You can serve air fried smashed potatoes all on their own as finger food, or pair them with a variety of other dishes for a complete meal. Here are some of our favorite ways to serve this recipe:

With Meaty Dishes: Easy air fryer smashed potatoes pair well with grilled or roasted meats, but they also pair well with plant based meaty dishes like this vegan lentil loaf, vegan pastrami, or vegan philly cheesesteak.
As A Side For Burgers: These taste great with our high protein veggie burgers, these chipotle black bean burgers, or even this vegan chicken sandwich.
Along With Brunch Dishes: Potatoes and eggs or pancakes go so well together! Try these as a side for this low calorie omelet, courgette frittata, or this vegan frittata, or with these mochi pancakes or oat milk pancakes!
With Dipping Sauces: Enjoy these as a side dish with ketchup, or for more flavor dip these potatoes in our vegan bbq sauce, mustard bbq sauce, this vegan tartar sauce, or even this smoky red pepper crema!

❓Recipe FAQs

SHOULD YOU BOIL POTATOES BEFORE AIR FRYING?

Yes, boiling potatoes before adding them to the air fryer rack makes it easier to get them crispy in the air fryer. Since they're already cooked, they naturally crisp up quickly. Precooking them also releases starch in the potatoes which contributes to helping them stay soft and fluffy on the inside while becoming crispy on the outside.

WHY ARE MY AIR FRYER POTATOES NOT CRISPY?

There are a few reasons why your potatoes may not get crispy in the air fryer. First, make sure to pre-cook your air fryer baby potatoes by boiling them. If you did this and they still aren't getting crispy, then you may not have added enough olive oil, you may have overcrowded your air fryer basket, the air fryer may not have been completely preheated before you started cooking, or you may need to air fryer them a little longer.

DO I NEED TO PIERCE POTATOES BEFORE AIR FRYING?

No, these air fryer garlic potatoes will be smashed before you add them to the air fryer. If you are cooking them a different way, such a baking them in an air fryer that has a bake option, you might want to piece them to allow them to release steam as they cook.

CAN YOU PUT ALUMINUM FOIL IN AN AIR FRYER?

Yes, you can put aluminum foil in an air fryer. Depending on the type of air fryer you have or the size of your air fryer, you may want to avoid using aluminum foil because it can block the air circulation, and air circulation is what creates crispy air fryer smashed potatoes. It could take longer to cook them or get them to your desire crispiness.

WHAT CAN YOU NOT PUT IN AN AIR FRYER?

There are different kinds of air fryers, so this will vary depending on the kind you have. A Ninja Foodi air fryer has bake broil, toast, warm, and other settings along with an air frying setting. You can put almost anything in this type of air fryer. Air fryers with no other settings shouldn't be used to cook foods coated in a wet batter (like tempura), fresh greens, foods coated in cheese, whole roasts, liquid sauces, and things like toast.

How to store air fryer smashed potatoes?

Store leftover smashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. To reheat, you can add these back to the air fryer or put them on a baking sheet in the oven for 15-20 minutes so they are as delicious and crispy as they were when they were freshly made.