Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish! They are easy to make, take less than 30 minutes, and the crispy smashed potatoes have all the flavors and textures of a crispy baked potato, but even better!
If you love a good baked potato with soft and buttery flavors that also have crunchy skin, you are going to love this recipe!
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You can make these in any air fryer and the secret is adding a bit of water to the pan of your air fryer. This produces steam which speeds up the cooking process and allows the small potatoes to fully cook before the outside gets too brown or burns. There is no need to boil the potatoes before air frying which makes this recipe super easy with clean up!
Suggested Kitchen Tools for Smashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer
- Meat Tenderizer or something to smash the potatoes with
- Parchment Paper
- Cutting Board
Ingredients & Substitutions
Potatoes
I like to use really small multi-colored potatoes that are sold by the Little Potato Company in the grocery store. They average about 1-1½" in diameter and are smaller than most other types of new yellow or red potatoes. The advantage to these potatoes is you don't have to cut them and they cook up quickly. However, they are usually more expensive. These mini potatoes are called creamer potatoes so when making substitutions you want to choose the correct type of potato for the best results.
I recommend using small new potatoes, yellow or red, or you can also use fingerling potatoes, but they also tend to be more expensive than bulk new potatoes. If you want to use the bulk new potatoes, try to pick out the smallest ones and they should all be roughly the same size.
Another option is using Yukon gold or the larger yellow or golden potatoes and cutting them into smaller chunks. The only issue with this is you will have more flesh exposed for a longer time and that can dry the potato up a bit. To avoid this you can boil or pressure cook the larger potatoes to par-cook them and then smash them and air fry.
You can also use Russet potatoes that you cut into chunks or par-cook before air frying, but the taste and texture are going to be different. They will still be amazing, but not quite as buttery soft as when using a new potato which are also referred to as creamer potatoes because the flesh is creamy as opposed to the more grainy flesh of the Russet.
Water
The small amount of water in this recipe is actually pretty important because it speeds up the cooking process of the potatoes through steam and prevents the skins of the potatoes from getting too dark during the air fryer process.
The water completely evaporates during the cooking process and it isn't used for flavor, but you could switch the water for chicken broth or some other thin liquid if you want.
Seasonings
Butter, Butter, Butter! While you can use olive oil or another type of oil in this recipe, I suggest using butter unless you can't have it for dietary or personal reasons.
You can certainly use ghee or clarified butter as well. If you want to use garlic butter (which would be delicious, by the way) I recommend using a recipe to make the garlic butter that uses cooked garlic. If you simply mixed raw minced garlic with butter, the melted butter will separate from the garlic and you run the chance of burning the garlic. Burnt garlic is horrible tasting and you want to avoid that at all costs. Lauren, from The Tasty Travelers has an amazing recipe for garlic butter and here is her recipe: Roasted Garlic Compound Butter
As far as the other seasonings go, I use sea or kosher salt, black pepper, and dried or fresh parsley for garnish. That's it!
You can absolutely use garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes for some spice, or any other seasonings you love on your potatoes.
If you want to use fresh garlic in this recipe, you will want to add it the last few minutes of air frying so it doesn't burn.
You can also use fresh herbs like fresh rosemary or fresh thyme, but you do not want to add them until the very end because they will burn in the air fryer for the time it takes to cook the potatoes. You can also add fresh herbs after the potatoes are finished cooking.
If you want cheesy crispy smashed potatoes, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese just after they are done.
How to Make Smashed Potatoes in an Air Fryer
Making Smashed Potatoes is broken down into 3 steps. The initial cooking of the potatoes, the smashing of the potatoes, and the seasoning and second cooking of the potatoes.
Before you get started with ingredients, you will want to figure out how to set up your particular air fryer and this varies by the different styles. I use the Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker and Air Crisper in this recipe and I place the water and potatoes directly in the inner pot which works much better than putting the potatoes in the air fryer basket because they are actually sitting in the water steaming which allows them to cook faster.
If you have a drawer-style air fryer that has a rack, remove the air fryer tray or rack and put the water and potatoes directly on the bottom of the drawer.
For oven-style air fryers, use a baking sheet that has edges and put the potatoes and water on the sheet pan.
If your air fryer does not allow for the addition of water, then I would microwave the potatoes in a little water until they are fork tender and you can skip to the smashing step.
Cooking the Potatoes Before Smashing
There are several ways you can do this, but in this recipe I use the air fryer to keep things simple. Other options are to microwave, boil, or bake them until they are fork tender. Any way is just fine, I just find it easier to use the air fryer for the whole process.
You want your potatoes to be fairly uniform in size so if you have different sized poatoes you can cut the larger ones to be the size of the smaller ones. This will allow the potatoes to cook evenly.
The tiny potatoes I used did vary in size a bit, but not enough to worry about.
Place the potatoes or potato chunks in a single layer in the bottom of your air fryer and add the ¼ cup of water.
Set the airfryer to 400℉/200℃ and the time for 15 minutes. The total cooking time will depend on your air fryer and the size of your potatoes. You want to cook them until they are fork tender so make adjustments as necessary.
Once they are fork tender you are ready to smash them.
Smashing the Potatoes
There are several ways to smash the potatoes in or out of the air fryer. If you can easily reach the potaotes, you can use something heavy to press down on the potatoes right in the air fryer to flatten them out.
In the Ninja Foodi, the pot is fairly deep and I kept burning myself trying to smash them in the pot, so I found removing them from the pot and using a tray or a cutting board was easier.
I used the flat side of a meat tenderizer, but the bottom of a glass would also work if you don't have something else to use. I don't recommend using a potato masher because the goal is not to mash the potatoes it is to flatten them out and smash them. Every potato masher I've seen will not achieve this goal.
Before smashing the potatoes, you may want to cover them with parchment paper, I found this keeps them where they need to be and they don't spray all over the place. This can be done in the air fryer or if you remove them like I did.
Another idea to smash the potatoes is to have a large flat tray where the potatoes are in a single layer and have room to expand as they smash and spread and then cover with another tray and press down to smash them all at once.
Once the potatoes are smashed, it's time to get them back into the air fryer for crisping.
Crisping Smashed Potatoes
Return the smashed potatoes to the air fryer pot or drawer and season them however you want. I use ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and ½ teaspoon of fine grind sea salt or kosher salt.
Place some butter on top of the potatoes, 3-4 Tablespoons is plenty. I wouldn't use more than 4 Tablespoons for 1.5 pounds of potatoes or the butter won't absorb as well and will pool in the bottom of your air fryer and create steam which is not good when making crispy potatoes.
For the best results, the potatoes should be in a single layer, but if your air fryer doesn't have enough room, you can toss them around and cook longer until they are as crispy as you want.
Air Fry on 400℉/200℃ and the time depends on how you like your smashed potatoes. You also want to toss the potatoes or flip them over once or twice during the air frying process if you like them super crispy.
- 5-7 minutes if you like your potatoes mostly soft with just a touch of crispy edges
- 10-12 minutes for golden brown and mostly crispy potatoes
- 15-20 minutes for the crispiest smashed potatoes!
When the potatoes are crisped how you like them, add a little bit of fresh or dried parsley to boost the color or you can add a little fresh thyme or finely chopped rosemary.
Chopped Chives or green onions are also a great addition!
Serving Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Place the finished potatoes into a serving dish.
I like to serve them as-is, but you can also top them with sour cream, shredded cheese, and bacon bits if you want loaded air fryer smashed potatoes.
Personally, I think these air fryer smashed potatoes are better than French Fries!
How to make Smashed Potatoes without an Air Fryer
Although I love using my air fryer to make these smashed potatoes, you can also make them in the oven. This is especially helpful if you want to make a large amount at once.
You can either boil the potatoes until they are just fork tender or bake them in the oven until they are fork tender. If you boil the potatoes, make sure they drain and dry in a colander before smashing because you want the potatoes to be dry so they crisp up nicely in the oven.
You will want to preheat your oven to 450℉/230℃.
Once the potatoes are fork tender and smashed, place them on a baking sheet pan. Season them and either pour melted butter over them and toss or put pats of butter on top.
You want the potatoes in a single layer on the pan and bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown and as crispy as you like them. Make sure to flip the potatoes on the pan once or twice during the baking process.
If you find the edges are getting too dark, reduce the oven temperature.
Remove from the oven and add some parsley for color or load on the toppings!
Storage & Reheating Instructions
How to Store Leftover Smashed Potatoes
Most likely you won't have any leftover because they are so good, but in the even that you do, here are the storage and reheating instructions.
Refrigeration
Place the smashed potatoes into an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I do recommend letting them cool before covering them and placing the potatoes in the refrigerator so steam doesn't form inside the container which will then revert to water and make the potatoes soggy.
Freezer
Before freezing it is very important that the potatoes are completely cold so I recommend refrigerating the leftovers overnight before freezing them.
If the food is warm when packaged for freezing, steam can be produced inside the container or freezer bag, resulting in ice crystals forming.
Air is another issue when freezing food, so make sure you choose a container that is the proper size for the amount of leftovers. You don't want a 3-cup container for 1 cup of potatoes or there will be too much air trapped in the container which can lead to decreased quality of the food.
Once the potatoes are completely cold, place them in a freezer bag or other freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.
How to Reheat Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Air Fryer Method
Place the leftover potatoes in to the bottom of the air fryer and set the temperature to 350℉/175℃ and air fry for 5-10 minutes or until the potatoes are warmed through.
Oven Method
Place the potatoes on a baking sheet pan and bake in the oven at 400℉/200℃ for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you absolutely can! It's a great function that will even make this recipe faster. I would put ½ cup of water into the inner pot and the potatoes directly in the water.
Set the steam crisp function to 400℉/200℃ and the time for 3 minutes.
Once the time is up, open the lid and make sure the potatoes are fork-tender. If they aren't, use air fry until they are. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
You can make as few or as many potatoes as you want, but they should be in a single layer in your air fryer for the best results.
If you have more potatoes, you can air fry them in batches, and after all the potatoes are as crispy as you like them, add the previous batches to the air fryer and warm them up to serve multiple batches at once.
Easy Air Fryer Recipes
I love using my air fryer for so many things and side dishes or appetizers are at the top of the list!
Here are some air fryer recipes that I think you will enjoy.
Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds small potatoes
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon fine grind sea salt or kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
- 2-3 teaspoons parsley optional for garnish, can be fresh or dried
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Instructions
- Place the potatoes directly in the bottom of your air fryer insert. This can be the inner pot in the Ninja Foodi or the drawer of other air fryers. Add the water and air fry at 400℉/200℃ until the potatoes are fork-tender. The time this takes will depend on your air fryer and the size of the potatoes, but 15 minutes is about average.1.5 pounds small potatoes, ¼ cup water
- Once the potatoes are fork tender, you can either smash them directly in the air fryer or move them to a flat tray or cutting board to smash them with something heavy like the flat side of a meat tenderizer or mallet. The bottom of a glass will also work. I like to cover the potatoes with parchment to keep the potatoes in place and not have them splatter when they are smashed.
- Return the smashed potatoes to the air fryer if you removed them and season with salt and pepper or whatever other seasonings you like. Top with pieces of butter and air fry at 400℉/200℃ until they become golden brown and as crispy as you like. See the recipe notes for various suggested timings.½ teaspoon fine grind sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 3 Tablespoons butter
- Add the parsley and toss to coat the potatoes. This is entirely optional but does add a pop of color. Serve and enjoy!2-3 teaspoons parsley
Notes
- 5-7 minutes if you like your potatoes mostly soft with just a touch of crispy edges
- 10-12 minutes for golden brown and mostly crispy potatoes
- 15-20 minutes for the crispiest smashed potatoes!
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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Anita
Let me sing the praises of this recipe! I could have made an entire MEAL out of them. So crispy!
I will say that I could see the potatoes drying out while still needing to cook (before being smashed) so I just added more water, stirred up the potatoes and continue cooking.
This will be made often in my house - and I'llm going to play around with different seasonings, too.
YUMMMM
Louise
I'm so glad you loved them!
Rachel
This was my first time making smashed potatoes. This is a great recipe and I loved them. Yum Yum Yum. I added Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning and their leftover seasoning.
Cindy Thomas
I have always been disappointed in smashed potatoes. They have so munch promise, but no matter how I did them they turned out good, but disappointing. I tried this recipe today and FINALLY, I got smashed potatoes that lived up to their promise. Absolutely marvelous. I did a double batch and did the first part of the process all ant once. Then, as Louise recommends, I did the crisping process in two batches. The second batch actually came out better than the first, probably because they dried out a bit while the first batch was in the air fryer. Next time I’ll let both batches cool and dry before the crisping process.
Louise
YAY! I think it's a great idea to let the potatoes dry a bit if you aren't in a hurry, they can never be too crispy!
Sandy
Thank you, Louise! I can’t wait to try this!
Louise
I hope you enjoy them!