These delicious and crispy garlic smashed potatoes in air fryer make for a wonderful appetizer or side.
If you love potatoes, you will love this side.
This versatile recipe can be made very healthy and very indulgent depending upon your mood.
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I have always loved having both baked potato and smashed potatoes in restaurants till I started making them at home.
You will also love air fryer baby potatoes, air fryer breakfast potatoes, air fryer potato skins and air fryer Hasselback potatoes.
Air fryer is perfect for this. You get a good crunch and reduced calories.
Even its simplest version is really delicious while being so basic. Anyone can make this recipe, it’s so easy.
Needs very few ingredients. You can replicate the same with baby potatoes.
You may also like easy air fryer popcorn, Garlic bread in air fryer and healthy air fryer chickpeas.
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Ingredients
Potatoes: Any kind of potatoes will do. You can choose regular potatoes, baby potatoes, red potatoes, Yukon Gold, Russet and so on.
What matters is that the potatoes be just cooked or fork tender. If not, they will fall apart when you smash them.
Olive oil or vegan butter : The spices are mixed with olive oil or vegan butter and spread on the smashed potatoes while air frying.
Spices: I used garlic powder, pepper, salt and cayenne or paprika for the bright red colour.
Use any spice mix of choice. See some suggestions below.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
1. No Frying Involved: These smashed potatoes are cooked in an air fryer.
Easy to do while avoiding all the mess of frying them.
2. Healthy: These potatoes need minimal oil. You can even do a no-oil version too.
3. Versatile: Smashed potatoes are customizable. Change the seasonings any way you like.
Preparation for Potatoes
Parboiling the potatoes cuts down on the air fryer cooking time.
You can do this in 2 ways:
1. Boil in a pressure cooker or instant pot: I generally do this for 2-3 whistles in the manual pressure cooker so that the potatoes are almost cooked but not mushy.
In Instant Pot, steam 4 potatoes for 9 minutes at full pressure after adding 1 cup water in the IP.
After it beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
Cook the potatoes so that they are just cooked.
They must not be mushy at all.
2. Microwave: Microwave the potatoes for about 6-10 minutes till they seem mostly done.
The time will vary depending on how large your potatoes are.
What we are looking for is parboiled potatoes that are done enough to be smashed but not too mushy that they completely fall apart.
Spice mix suggestions
1. Garlic and pepper butter: Make garlic butter with melted vegan butter or dairy, garlic powder or crushed garlic along with pepper.
I also add cayenne for that punch and color.
Feel free to add any dried herbs of choice like dill, oregano, Italian seasoning etc.
2. Olive oil, pepper, garlic and salt: For a lovely punch, use extra virgin olive oil with crushed pepper, garlic powder or crushed garlic and salt.
Dipping Sauce Suggestions
1. Spicy mayo: After applying any of the above two, serve hot with spicy mayo.
It makes it very delicious but high on Calories. So strictly an indulgence.
I don’t have a dip personally but my son prefers it.
2. Finely chopped onion and green chillies: If you enjoy some crunch, serve with a garnish of finely chopped onion and green chillies (for the heat).
Throw in some chopped cilantro too.
Variations
1. Low calorie: You can crisp up the smashed potatoes in the air fryer.
For spice mix for brushing, just add spices to water or lemon juice and brush the potatoes.
They won’t be as tasty but they will be zero oil.
2. Vegan: Use olive oil or vegan butter in place of butter along with spices for brushing the potatoes.
Use a vegan mayo dip in case you are using.
3. This recipe on its own is gluten-free and dairy free (if using olive oil or vegan butter).
4. Vegetarian: You may use butter or ghee.
Serving Suggestions
Breakfast: Smashed potatoes pair really well with fried egg, air fryer frittata or air fryer egg bites for a hearty breakfast.
Appetizer: Serve as an appetizer with a cabbage and carrot salad or with a dip of choice. It is sinfully delicious.
Side: Serve it as a side to your meal. Pair with a protein and roasted vegetables.
Bowl or Wrap: Crunchy smashed potatoes taste really good in a bowl or a wrap. Use them as your carb element.
Expert Tips
1. Boil Potatoes in advance: Boil your potatoes before you smash them.
This ensures even cooking and crisping up in the air fryer.
However, if you don't have boiled potatoes at hand, you can air fry them till tender using this baked potato in air fryer recipe.
2. Cook Potatoes Just Right: Don't overcook your potatoes.
They must not be mushy but just fork tender or they will fall apart when smashed.
3. Avoid Overcrowding: Leave enough space between smashed potatoes so that they crisp up evenly.
4. Smashing Technique: Be gentle when smashing your potatoes.
They should be flattened but still retain their shape.
If you smash too hard, they may crumble.
They won't hold together well in the air fryer then.
5. Even Seasoning: I apply the seasoning with oil/vegan butter twice so that the potatoes are flavorful.
6. Storage: Smashed potatoes are best served hot.
But leftovers can be stored in air tight container for 2-3 days.
Reheat them in air fryer till heated through and crispy before serving.
Instructions
1. Boil potatoes in pressure cooker/ Instant pot or microwave them till done (mentioned above in Preparations for potato).
2. Use a thick glass to smash them lightly.
3. Preheat air fryer to 400 F or 200 C for 4 minutes.
4. Lay the smashed potatoes in a single layer and air fry for about 7 minutes at 400F or 200C.
At this stage, no seasonings are applied.
Take out the air fryer basket now.
Brush smashed potatoes with spiced olive oil or vegan butter.
Air fry for a further 3 minutes at 400F or 200C till they are crispy and delicious.
5. Take them out and brush once more with the vegan butter or oil spice mix to enhance the flavour.
This is how to make smashed potatoes in air fryer.
6. Serve hot with a dip of choice or have them as is.
FAQs
Yes, you can use any potatoes like Russet, Yukon gold, red potatoes or even baby potatoes.
Yes, you can use garlic powder, pepper, thyme, rosemary or fresh herbs like chopped parsley or cilantro as per your choice to the potato.
Pick out one smashed potato and check. They should be crispy outside and fluffy inside.
Yes, you can easily double or triple the recipe. You will need to cook smashed potatoes in multiple batches in the air fryer.
Yes, you can make them ahead of time and then reheat them in air fryer before serving.
Please ensure that your potatoes are just cooked when you are boiling them. They must not be mushy or overcooked or else they will fall apart when overcooking.
Here's the recipe card:
📖 Recipe Card
Smashed Potatoes in Air fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. potatoes or 500 gm.
Spice mix for brushing
- 1.5 tbsp. olive oil or vegan butter
- 1 tsp. garlic powder or minced garlic
- ½ tsp. pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Microwave Potatoes
- Miicrowave potatoes on high for 8-10 minutes till cooked.
Boiling potatoes in Instant Pot
- In Instant Pot, steam 4 potatoes for 9 minutes at full pressure after adding 1 cup water in the IP. After it beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
- Use a thick glass to smash them lightly.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 F or 200 C for 4 minutes.
- Lay the smashed potatoes in a single layer.
- Air fry for about 7 minutes at 400F or 200C.
- Take out the air fryer basket.
- Brush both sides with spiced olive oil or vegan butter
- Air fry for a further 3 minutes at 400F or till they are crispy and delicious.
- Take them out and brush once more with the vegan butter or oil spice mix to enhance the flavour.
- Serve hot with a dip or have them as is.
Video
Notes
2. Any potatoes (red, golden) work well for this recipe.
3. Microwave the potatoes for about 8-10 minutes till they seem mostly done for microwave version.
4. Or you can cook them in Instant pot or pressure cook till done but not mushymor they will fall apart when smashed. 5. If you eat dairy, you can use butter or ghee.
6. For oil free recipe, make a paste of spices in a little water (or lemon juice) and brush on the potatoes when a couple of minutes of air frying time is left.
7. You can also cook the potatoes in air fryer by doing them for about 12-14 minutes at 400 F. This is prior to the smashing and air frying. This is in case you don't have boiled potatoes at hand. 8. Do not smash the potatoes too hard, or they will crumble when placed in the air fryer basket.
Nutrition
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RossC says
Excellent recipe. I have been doing smashed potatoes for a long time, in my a/f. Crunchy with soft center.
Rachna says
Thank you so much, Ross. I love doing them in my air fryer as well.
Marilyn Venkatesh says
I will definitely be trying this recipe. Love spicy smashed potatoes.
Rachna says
Thanks Marilyn. Hope you like it.
Kim Campbell says
How do you make these if you don’t have an air fryer?
Rachna says
You can bake them in the oven for about 30 minutes at 425F after preheating. You can also do them in a skillet after smashing taking care that you turn them over after the skin crisps up nicely. You will use more oil/butter in both the methods.