Make the best Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes in under 30 minutes, all in your air fryer! Loaded with garlic flavors and a nice cheesy Parmesan crisp, this recipe will quickly become your go-to dinner party side.
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Ever since I first discovered smashed potatoes, it's been my go-to for any dinner party. It goes so well with all my favorites: duck with orange sauce, steak bites, flank steak, ribeye, grilled lemon chicken...
And the flavor-packed cheesiness means you often don't even need a sauce. These potatoes pack enough flavor on their own!
So, of course, I had to create an air fryer version. Here we make everything in the air fryer, and it's easy, oh so easy.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It's quick and all done in under 30 minutes
- It's easy with just a few simple steps
- No chopping required - we use powdered seasonings instead
- All done in the air fryer - you don't even need to boil the potatoes first!
- Loaded with flavor from garlic and Parmesan
- A nice cheesy crisp that makes them anything but ordinary!
What You Need to Make It
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Salted butter: You can also use unsalted and an extra pinch of salt.
- Shredded Parmesan: You can swap it for the canned, grated kind, but it won't melt as nicely. You can also swap it for Pecorino or another flavorful hard cheese. Traditional Parmesan is not vegetarian, so make sure to use a vegetarian option if that's important to you.
- Potatoes: I recommend a firm kind like red potatoes or Yukon gold.
- Garlic powder: Can be swapped for minced garlic, but keep an eye on the potatoes so it doesn't burn.
How to Make It
- Make the garlic butter
- Coat the potatoes with garlic butter
- Air fry until done or almost done
- Smash with a fork
- Brush with melted butter mixture
- Air fry 3 minutes
- Top with cheese
- Air fry until cheese is melted
Expert Tips
- Don't peel the potatoes! The skin helps them hold together even after smashing.
- You can boil the potatoes first if you prefer, instead of cooking them in the air fryer to start. Then brush on all sides with melted butter after smashing instead.
- To make them in the oven - follow this recipe for Parmesan Smashed Potatoes instead
- Air fry smashed potatoes well spaced out, and in a single layer - you need there to be enough air around them to make them really crispy
- Air fry in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket
- Cook time can vary with your air fryer and the size of the potatoes
Storing, Freezing, Reheating & Prepping Ahead
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months, but keep in mind the texture will not be the same.
Eating leftovers: You can eat leftovers hot or cold.
Reheating: Reheat leftovers in the air fryer at 360℉ (180℃) for 2 minutes, until heated through. You can also reheat them in the microwave in 30 second increments.
Prep Ahead: To prep ahead, cook and smash the potatoes. Brush with melted butter and air fry 3 minutes. Then top with Parmesan cheese, cover, and refrigerate until 40 minutes before serving. Bring them out and allow to come to room temperature, then air fry 3 minutes at 400℉ (200℃), until they are crispy and heated through and the cheese is melted.
What to Serve With It
- Air Fryer Ribeye Steak15 Minutes
- Duck Breasts with Orange Sauce (Best Sauce for Duck!)45 Minutes
- Air Fryer Steak Tips10 Minutes
- Air Fryer Flank Steak45 Minutes
More Quick & Easy Air Fryer Sides
- Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes30 Minutes
- Crispy Loaded Air Fryer Potato Skins1 Hours 15 Minutes
- Air Fryer Steak Fries25 Minutes
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes55 Minutes
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Recipe
Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Print RateIngredients
- 1 lb small potatoes a firm kind like red potatoes or Yukon gold.
- ⅓ cup butter melted, salted or unsalted
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder or minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon fine table salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 drops Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese or Pecorino or other flavorful hard cheese
- chopped parsley optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer by running it at 400℉ (200℃) for 5 minutes.
- Melt the butter and mix in garlic powder, salt, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce.⅓ cup butter, 2 tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp fine table salt, 5 drops Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Wash and dry the potatoes, then place them in a bowl and mix with half of the melted butter.1 lb small potatoes
- Place potatoes in air fryer basket and air fry 15-20 minutes at 360℉ (180℃), until done or almost done. Shake the potatoes around once halfway for an even cook.
- Remove the air fryer basket from the air fryer and make sure the potatoes are well spaced out. If not, air fry in batches for the next steps.
- Smash the potatoes with the back of a spoon, spatula or fork. Brush them with the rest of the garlic-infused butter, then air fry 3 minutes at 400℉ (200℃).
- Top the potatoes with parmesan and air fry 2 more minutes at 400℉ (200℃), until cheese is melted.½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Repeat until you have made all smashed potatoes, then top with chopped parsley and serve!chopped parsley
Video
Notes
- Don't peel the potatoes! The peel helps them hold together even after smashing.
- You can boil the potatoes first if you prefer, instead of cooking them in the air fryer to start. Then brush on all sides with melted butter after smashing instead.
- Air fry smashed potatoes well spaced out, and in a single layer - you need there to be enough air around them to make them really crispy
- Air fry in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket
- Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months, but keep in mind the texture will not be the same.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers in the air fryer at 360℉ (180℃) for 2 minutes, until heated through. You can also reheat them in the microwave in 30 second increments.
- Prep Ahead: To prep ahead, cook and smash the potatoes. Brush with melted butter and air fry 3 minutes. Then top with Parmesan cheese, cover, and refrigerate until 40 minutes before serving. Bring them out and allow to come to room temperature, then air fry 3 minutes at 400℉ (200℃), until they are crispy and heated through and the cheese is melted.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
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