Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes

It's so easy to make roasted potatoes in the air fryer in just 20 minutes! These potatoes are buttery, crispy, and downright delicious.

If you've ever wanted to roast potatoes but didn't want to wait on them in the oven, then air fryer roasted potatoes are for you! Roasting potatoes in the air fryer takes half the time as oven-roasted potatoes and results in ultra-silky potatoes with a crispy outside.

I have to admit that I never thought air fryers were anything special until I started making tofu and roasted potatoes in them. Now I make air fryer potatoes at least once, sometimes twice a week!

Type of potato

This recipe works for peeled or unpeeled Russet or Yukon gold potatoes. That being said, I 100% prefer Yukon gold.

Here is the difference between the two types of potatoes:

• Russet potatoes: Starchier, firmer insides that take a touch longer to roast. Neutral flavor, needs a fair amount of seasoning.
• Yukon gold: Buttery inside, almost sweet and buttery flavor. Not as neutral but can stand alone without much seasoning.

This recipe also works with new potatoes, fingerling potatoes, etc. I also have a recipe for air fryer roasted sweet potatoes.

Other ingredients

• Oil: Choose a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or avocado oil. Extra virgin olive oil also works if you don't mind a touch of flavor from the olive oil. Oil is important for flavor and browning.
• Salt: I use kosher salt (Diamond crystal is my absolute favorite).
• Other seasonings: Cajun seasoning is my go-to with air fried potatoes. I usually add about 1 tablespoon of seasonings. You can also add garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay seasoning, or taco seasoning.

How to air fry potatoes

Cooking tip: For the most consistent results, let the air fryer preheat before adding the potatoes.

Prep the potatoes: Peel the potatoes if you prefer. I usually leave the peel on for extra texture. Dice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. The potato pieces don't need to be completely uniform but smaller pieces end up crispier than bigger pieces, which take the longest to roast.

Oil the potatoes: In a large mixing bowl, toss potatoes with just 1 teaspoon of oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Air fryer potatoes only need a touch of oil to roast.

Add to air fryer basket: One pound of diced potatoes can usually fit into an air fryer basket without overlapping or overcrowding potato pieces. If not, work in batches because overcrowded potatoes are more soft than crisp.

Air fry at 400F for 12-14 minutes. Twelve minutes yields just done, golden potatoes. Fourteen minutes yields crispier exteriors.

In my house we often cook to 16 minutes because we prefer "obliterated potatoes" (ie. almost burned), but I know most people want roasted potatoes and not potato crisps, so adjust the cook time to preference.

Stir potatoes halfway through for even roasting.

Serving ideas

There are about a thousand ways to use roasted potatoes, but here are my favorite places to serve these:

• Breakfast: Serve with a fried egg and breakfast sausage, or use in my breakfast bowls.
• Tacos: Add to cauliflower tacos for extra carbs. These are also perfect in bean burritos and breakfast burritos.
• As a side with your favorite protein like chicken fried tofu and a veggie.
• You can even use these in this vegetarian breakfast casserole in place of hashbrowns.

Equipment

I tested this recipe in 3 different kinds of air fryers because I wanted to make sure that it was perfect. These are the air fryers that I used:

• Instant Vortex 6 quart - This is the most traditional kind of basket air fryer and it was my favorite air fryer to use (I borrowed it from a friend).
• Cuisinart Air Fryer Oven - I test most of my recipes in this air fryer. It has a tendency to brown the tops of the potatoes more quickly than the other two air fryers.
• Instant Pot Air Fryer lid - This air fryer works well but has limited space.

The bottom line: Roasted potatoes should work well in most air fryers. Make sure to stir the potatoes halfway through for the best results.