Incredibly delicious, quick, and easy, it’s no wonder that everyone is making air fryer smashed potatoes! Crispy on the outside and wonderfully fluffy on the inside. This easy-to-follow potato recipe uses simple ingredients and requires minimal effort, but it produces maximum flavor!

Air fryer smashed potatoes with garlic aioli and dill on top. — Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes. Photo Credit: Splash of Taste

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When you first get your air fryer, you probably start with easy wins and easy air fryer recipes.

You learn how to reheat pizza in an air fryer, cook air fryer baked potatoes, and maybe throw a few frozen onion rings in the air fryer to see how they turn out.

Once you get your confidence, it’s good to start making different recipes, and smashed potatoes in the air fryer are perfect to practice!

Why you’ll love to air fry smashed potatoes

There’s no need to turn your kitchen oven on, making this a cost-efficient recipe.
Easy to make and great crowd pleasers on game days, movie nights, and family dinners.
You can serve them as a perfect side dish or a tasty snack with your favorite dipping sauce.
All the ingredients for crispy smashed potatoes are 100% vegetarian and vegan.

Ingredients you’ll need

You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.

Ingredients needed, garlic powder, onion powder, potatoes, salt and black pepper, olive oil, and optional garlic aioli. — Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes Ingredients. Photo Credit: Splash of Taste

As soon as you bite into a crispy smashed potato, you’ll know what all the fuss is about; bursting with flavor, you’ll never want to cook them any other way.

How to make smashed potatoes in an air fryer with step-by-step instructions

Making smashed potatoes is easy if you follow our simple instructions.

A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.

Wash and scrub your yellow or red potatoes, then remove any sprouting.

Place the clean potatoes in a pan and submerge them in salted water.

Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender, approximately 15 – 20 minutes.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/205°C.

Drain the potatoes and let them cool for a couple of minutes. Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet or chopping board and, using a potato masher, the back of a fork, or the end of a measuring cup, gently smash the potatoes until they are approximately ¼ – ½ inch thick.

Drizzle olive oil evenly over the smashed potatoes, sprinkle onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, and toss gently to ensure all the potatoes are evenly coated.

Add the potatoes to your air fryer basket in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd them, or they won’t crisp up.

Uncooked smashed potatoes in an air fryer basket. — Place the smashed potatoes in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook until golden brown and crispy around the edges.

Air fry for approximately 8 – 12 minutes until golden brown on the edges.

Using tongs, remove the smashed potatoes from the air fryer basket, and sprinkle them with chives, fresh parsley, and optional vegetarian Parmesan cheese.

You may have to cook in batches, so repeat until all the potatoes are cooked.

Serve hot, and enjoy!

Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

Author: Mandy Applegate

I make these Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes whenever I want a side dish that looks impressive but comes together with almost no effort. They start with tender boiled potatoes that get smashed flat, coated in olive oil, garlic powder, and onion powder, then air fried until the edges are deeply golden and shatteringly crisp. Finished with fresh parsley, chives, or dill and an optional shower of finely grated Parmesan, they hit every texture and flavor note you want from a potato dish. Whether I'm pulling them together for a weeknight dinner or setting them out for a casual gathering, they're always the first thing gone.

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 37

Total Time: 42

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 224kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

2 pounds red or yellow potatoes small to medium size
1¼ teaspoons salt divided
2 tablespoons olive oil divided
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chives, and or dill or green onions
Vegetarian Parmesan cheese finely grated (optional)

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Wash and scrub your potatoes, then remove any sprouting. Place the clean potatoes in a pan, submerge them in water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook until fork tender, approximately 15 – 20 minutes.
2 pounds red or yellow potatoes, 1¼ teaspoons salt
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F/205°C.
When cooked, drain the potatoes and let them cool for a couple of minutes. Now, place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, and, using a potato masher, the back of a fork, or the end of a measuring cup, gently mash the potatoes until they are approximately ¼ – ½ inch thick.
Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the smashed potatoes, sprinkle onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and toss gently to ensure the potatoes are evenly coated. Place them in a single layer in your air fryer basket, and be careful not to overcrowd them. Bake for approximately 8 – 12 minutes, until they are golden brown on the edges.
1¼ teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, Black pepper
Using tongs, remove them from the air fryer, and sprinkle chives and parsley over the potatoes and optional vegetarian Parmesan cheese. You may have to cook in batches, so repeat the process until you have used all the potatoes. Serve immediately and enjoy!
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chives, and or dill or green onions, Vegetarian Parmesan cheese

Notes

Here are a few tips I’ve picked up to help you get the best results every time.

Choose the right potato: Small to medium red or yellow potatoes work best here. They have thin skins that crisp up beautifully and a creamy interior that holds together well after smashing and air-frying.

Salt your boiling water generously: Adding 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water seasons the potatoes all the way through from the inside out, so every bite has flavor before any toppings even hit them.

Let them cool slightly before smashing: Giving the potatoes a couple of minutes to cool a bit after draining makes them easier to handle and helps them hold their shape when you press them flat.

Coat every surface with oil and seasoning: Tossing gently after drizzling the olive oil and sprinkling the seasonings helps every potato get evenly coated, which is what gives you consistent browning across the whole batch.

Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket: Work in batches if needed and place the potatoes in a single layer so hot air can circulate around each one. Overcrowding leads to steaming rather than crisping, and you’ll lose those golden edges.

Store properly: Freeze cooked smashed potatoes in a single layer on a tray for 1 hour so they don’t stick together once they’re in airtight containers or zip-top bags. Once frozen solid, refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Air-fry straight from frozen.

Nutrition

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Recipe notes and expert tips

Potatoes
Use baby potatoes; baby gold potatoes are excellent or red potatoes; note larger potatoes may take longer to cook.
Storage
Store your air fried smashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Watch closely
Air fryers cook differently; different brands and capacities can mean that your food will need a longer or shorter cooking time, so keep a close eye on them.

How to store leftover smashed potatoes

Air fryer smashed potatoes keep for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe variations

Mix melted butter with fresh garlic and pour over the smashed potatoes for a buttery flavor. If cooking for a vegan, use vegan butter.

Spice them up! Mix olive oil with red pepper flakes and minced garlic, and drizzle the olive oil mixture over the smashed potatoes.

Sprinkle Italian seasoning mix over the smashed potatoes before air frying.

Do I need to boil potatoes before smashing them?

Yes, you do need to boil the potatoes. The potatoes need to be soft for you to be able to flatten and smash them.

What to serve with air fried smashed potatoes

Serve them as a side to a great veggie chili, lentil loaf, or veggie stew.

If you’re eating them as a snack, then dip them in garlic aioli, sriracha mayo, or in sour cream dip.

More easy air fryer recipes for you to try at home

If you love air-frying potatoes, you should check out these recipes!

Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes – Easy Recipe