Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

These air fryer smashed potatoes are perfectly crispy, so easy to make and perfect for a simple side dish or appetizer. They’re naturally gluten free, vegan friendly and made with pantry staple ingredients.

Smashed potatoes are one of those recipes I’m obsessed with but somehow always forget about. I love a square meal (protein, carb, veggie) but I often reach for jasmine rice or some kind of pasta as a carb. But whenever I remember how much I love potatoes, these air fryer smashed potatoes are the first thing I reach for.

They’re so crispy, perfectly seasoned (but also simply seasoned) with just the right touch of parmesan for a little cheesy flavor and really easy to make. You just boil up some baby gold potatoes, smash them with a cup (feel free to be aggressive with your smashing- the thinner the better!), then season and air fry! I love serving them with some ketchup, but honey mustard, my vegan pesto sauce or even my beet hummus for a pop of color!

Quick tips

You do not need to peel the potatoes before boiling or smashing. So just boil, smash, season and air fryer. The skin is what will get really crispy and even holds things together, so definitely keep it on!

I opted for gold baby potatoes but baby red ones also work! I don’t recommend any larger potatoes, you definitely want to stick with something small.

You don’t need to flip or shake the air fryer at the halfway point of cooking. The beauty of the air fryer is that it cooks things really evenly and on both sides without any need for slipping. The potatoes are somewhat delicate before they’re fully cooked, so you want to just leave them to crisp up on their own!

How to make air fryer smashed potatoes

Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil until the potatoes are fork tender- about 15-20 minutes.

Drain and rinse with cold water. Add the potatoes to a baking sheet and place a piece of parchment paper on top. Use a flat bottomed cup and smash the potatoes (the parchment prevents any sticking). The thinner you smash them, the crispier they get.

Drizzle first with the melted butter, then the oil. Combine the garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small dish and then sprinkle evenly on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the parmesan on top.

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and grease with oil spray. Use a spatula to add the potatoes to the air fryer in a single layer. They’re delicate at this stage, but don’t worry too much if some of them break! You will need to do this in two batches.

Air fry for 15 minutes, then remove and add in the second batch and repeat. Once done, garnish with more parmesan, the fresh parsley, red pepper flakes. Serve with ketchup as a dip, honey mustard or even my lemon tahini dressing. Enjoy!

Serving suggestions

I love having these air fryer smashed potatoes for a little snack maybe with some mashed up avocado as a dip for some healthy fats, but they’re also the perfect side dish for a main meal. Here’s some of my favorite recipes to serve with:

• Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
• Grilled chicken and asparagus and my roasted red pepper sauce
• Lemon pepper salmon and a side salad

Ingredient swaps

Butter and olive oil. I like the flavor profile of using a bit of both butter and olive oil, but you can opt for all of one or the other if you prefer.

Parmesan. These potatoes are completely vegan if you leave out the parmesan. I promise the flavor is still amazing without it, but if you want, you can swap for a vegan parmesan or my homemade cashew parmesan.

Spices. I kept things simple with salt, pepper and garlic powder, but feel free to get creative here! You can add some paprika, red pepper flakes for spice or herbs like basil or oregano.

More recipes you’ll love!

• Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
• Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes
• Air Fryer Carrots
• Gluten Free Naan Bread

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