Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

smashed baby potatoes with crispy edges stacked in pile

5 from 2 votes

These crispy, crunchy, and delicious Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes will take your dinner game all the way to the top! Squishing the potatoes super thin before cooking them a second time means that the majority of the potato gets a crispy crust, and there is just a little pillow of potato fluff inside with every bite.

It's as if a potato chip and a fingerling potato had a baby, and you get the best of both worlds! Seasoned to perfection, these air fryer smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish for those busy weeknight dinners.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Air Fryer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer smashed potatoes, baby potatoes, crispy smashed potatoes, gold potatoes, red potatoes

Servings: servings

Author: Joshua Boquist

Equipment

Ingredients

1 lb baby potatoes see notes
1 tbsp salt Kosher
3 tbsp butter melted
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
2 tbsp parsley chopped

Instructions

Clean and dry the potatoes. Place the whole baby potatoes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt. Place them in the air fryer and cook at 400°F for 12-15 minutes until they are fork tender.
In a small dish, combine the butter, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Zap the mixture in the microwave until melted. Mix the butter mixture.
Place the potatoes in a single layer on a cutting board. Use the bottom of a glass to press down on the potatoes. Smash them to ½ inch thickness.
Transfer the potatoes to the air fryer in a single layer. If you have a small air fryer, work in batches.
Drizzle or baste the butter mixture over the potatoes and cook at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy and brown.
Transfer to a serving dish and top with finely chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

If you prefer to use fresh garlic, substitute the teaspoon of garlic powder with 2 teaspoons of minced garlic.
Small potatoes work best. I prefer gold baby potatoes for their creamy consistency, but you can also use red potatoes or Russet potatoes.
Use potatoes that are 1½ to 2 inches in diameter, about the size of a golf ball. If you have larger potatoes, cook them for a couple more minutes in the air fryer before smashing them.
If you use large Russet potatoes, cut them into smaller golf ball-sized pieces before boiling them.
If you don't have an air fryer and want to use the oven, you totally can. To make the process much quicker, boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes until fork tender. Then smash them as usual and place them in a preheated oven at 425°F and bake them for 30 minutes!

Nutrition