Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

Name: Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds yellow potatoes; 2 tablespoons olive oil; kosher salt (to taste); black pepper (to taste); 4 tablespoons olive oil; 1 clove garlic (small, grated on a Microplane or finely minced); 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 small lemon); ½ to 1 Fresno chili (sliced thinly, or 3 teaspoons chopped hot cherry or Calabrian peppers); ½ teaspoon rosemary (finely chopped); 1 teaspoon kosher salt (see note 1 below); black pepper (fresh, to taste)

These crispy smashed potatoes eliminate the need to boil and fry your potatoes by completing both of those steps in the air fryer. Crispy, creamy, and incredibly easy to make, these air fryer smashed potatoes are a versatile side for any meal.

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Smashed air fryer potatoes are shown dressed in lemon, rosemary, chili vinaigrette on a black plate with a green linen and a bunch of dill.

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What You'll Need
How to Make
Variations
FAQ
Expert Tips
How to Store
How to Make a Meal
Recipes You'll Love
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💬 Comments

This recipe features an optional savory, citrusy, and spicy vinaigrette with lemon, rosemary, and chilis. You'll also see instructions for a more traditional crispy smashed potato with just olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Try these potatoes with eggs and bacon, a piece of simply prepared chicken or fish, with grilled meats, salads, burgers, wraps, and more!

Overhead shot showing labeled ingredients: potatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, lemon, and fresno chili.

What You'll Need

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Baby Potatoes I recommend yellow potatoes. They have a creamy texture and hold together well when pressed.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Using a high-quality extra virgin olive oil here is nice if you can. However, this will be great with whatever you have on hand.
Kosher Salt I always recommend using kosher salt in recipes. It is harder to oversalt as it's less concentrated than table salt and coats the food better. If you use table salt or sea salt, be sure to use less than the recipe recommends.
Black Pepper I like using 3 cranks of black pepper from a pepper mill.

Optional Vinaigrette

Fresh Garlic If you don't have fresh garlic, I would try a bit of fresh shallot in its place. A small amount of garlic powder is an option, but the vinaigrette will not be as fresh and lively.
Fresh Rosemary You can also try oregano, thyme, or an Italian seasoning mix. If using dried herbs, use half of the recommended amount in the recipe.
Lemon Juice I prefer the taste of fresh lemon juice, but if you can't find lemons, try bottled lemon juice.
Fresno Chilis You can generally find these in the produce aisle. If you can't find them, try substituting with Calabrian chilis, which you can find online here.
Other Fresh Herbs These are optional, but a great fresh addition. I like to use basil, parsley, or dill.

How to Make

Step One: Add the washed and dried potatoes to the air fryer basket and cook for 15-20 minutes at 400°F, until the potatoes are cooked through and are easily pierced with a paring knife.

Raw baby potatoes are shown in an air fryer basket.

Roasted baby yellow potatoes are shown in the base of an air fryer basket.

Step Two Remove the potatoes and let cool for a minute or two on a cutting board. Use a sturdy, flat-bottomed object such as a mug or a spatula to press the potatoes into somewhat flattened disks.

Cooked smashed potatoes sit on a white cutting board.

Step Three Evenly coat with olive oil. I like to use an olive oil sprayer, but you can also brush with olive oil.

Smashed potatoes coated in olive oil and shown in an air fryer basket.

Step Four Return to the air fryer in an approximately even layer and cook for an additional 8 to 10 minutes until crisp.

Step Five Optional but recommended: Add the thinly sliced chili, olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, salt, and pepper to a small bowl or glass jar and whisk or shake to combine.

Mixed rosemary, chili, and lemon vinaigrette is shown in a glass jar on a white marble counter.

Once the potatoes are finished, brush or toss in a bowl with the vinaigrette and top with fresh herbs. Serve right away.

Closeup of finished air fryer smashed potatoes on a black plate.

Variations

Traditional In place of the vinaigrette, just dress the potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Dried Herbs You can use dried herbs in place of the fresh rosemary called for in the recipe. Try starting with ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano or thyme and add more if needed. I do not recommend dried rosemary, as the texture can be a bit pokey.

Fresh Herbs You can add fresh herbs to the final dish like parsley, basil, or dill. It will add lightness, freshness, and a depth of flavor that I love.

Cheese Try sprinkling the potatoes with a crumbled, salty cheese like goat cheese or feta for some added savoriness and creaminess.

FAQ

What is a smashed potato?

A smashed potato is one that, traditionally, is boiled, flattened into a disk, then fried in a pan or baked with olive oil. This recipe eliminates the need to boil or fry by completing all of those steps in the air fryer.

Can I use a different potato?

You can use the mixed baby potato blends with red, purple, and yellow potatoes. Check early to ensure all of the potatoes are cooking evenly and do not burn.

Can I freeze smashed potatoes?

I do not recommend freezing smashed potatoes. The best part is their lovely crisp exterior, so I recommend serving right away when possible.

How do I reheat these?

To reheat, place in some olive oil over medium heat on the stove. I recommend storing the potatoes and vinaigrette separately, then dressing once the potatoes are warmed and crisped.

Alternately you can just pop these in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. They will lose their texture, but still be delicious.

What can I use if I can't find Fresno chilis?

Try using jarred hot cherry peppers, Calabrian chilis, or thinly sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers.

Expert Tips

For evenly cooked and crisped potatoes, try to ensure your potatoes are as close as possible to an even layer in the air fryer basket.
Air fryers can vary in size and temperature, just like ovens. Be sure to check the potatoes several minutes before the provided cook time to ensure they are cooking evenly and not getting too dark.
Be careful when handling the hot potatoes out of the air fryer. Use tongs or an oven mitt to transfer the potatoes in and out of the fryer to avoid injury.

How to Store

These potatoes are best right out of the air fryer when they are hot and crispy, but they are delicious as leftovers, too. You can store them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days safely.

Be sure to cool the potatoes and move to the fridge within 2 hours.

How to Make a Meal

These air fryer smashed potatoes can be served as a side for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Here are some ideas for using them:

Chicken Dinner Serve these potatoes alongside an Italian Chicken Cutlet with a simple green salad. Don’t eat meat? Try these delicious vegan drumsticks.

Breakfast Try potatoes with scrambled or poached eggs and bacon, sausage, or toast. Or try adding to an English breakfast with these Air Fryer Tomatoes.

Steak and Potatoes Grill up some Carne Asada and serve alongside these potatoes for a hearty steak and potato meal.

Fish and "Chips" Replace the traditional chips in a fish and chips meal with these potatoes and some keto tartar sauce.

Grain Bowl Try them in place of rice on this Grain Bowl with Goat Cheese and Greens.

Sandwich These smashed potatoes are amazing served with a variety of sandwiches, like this Blackstone Chicken Philly Cheesesteak.

They are also great as a snack!

Recipes You'll Love

Here are some other fantastic potato recipes to try:

Air Fryer Fingerling Potatoes

Calabrian Potatoes

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes

Lebanese Potatoes

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