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Dig into the satisfying crispy-yet-tender texture of air fryer baby potatoes! These bite-sized beauties are seasoned with aromatic herbs, like thyme and rosemary, and air-fried until golden brown. They’re the ideal side for any meal, from fancy occasions to weekday suppers.
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick & easy: Air fryer mini potatoes couldn’t be more straightforward to prepare. Plus, they’re ready in less than 20 minutes in this kitchen appliance!
- Healthier option: Air frying helps you reduce your oil intake, making this recipe a healthy and nutritious choice.
- Ultra-crispy: Cooking small potatoes in the air fryer results in an incredibly crispy texture on the outside with a perfectly soft and tender inside.
- Vegan & gluten-free: This dish is naturally vegan and gluten-free, making it ideal for just about anyone.
If you love these air fryer baby potatoes, you should really check out our air fryer eggplant, air fryer zucchini, air fryer sweet potato, corn ribs, or air fryer green beans.
🥔 Crispy air fryer baby potatoes
Air fryer baby potatoes are a modern twist on a classic side dish. These mini spuds are tossed in a mix of olive oil and fragrant spices, then air-fried until they’re crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
The air fryer is one of our favorite kitchen appliances for recipes like this. It not only frees up oven space for other dishes, but it also saves time! Plus, the results speak for themselves. To be honest, we think the air fryer is even better than the oven and pretty much opt for it whenever possible.
With their golden exterior, these air fryer mini potatoes look almost too good to eat, but it’s so worth it! We love serving ours alongside hearty mains like vegan chicken or even as a snack with dips like adobo or vegan ranch.
🤔 Best potatoes for air frying
Throw any potato in the air fryer and you’re bound to achieve delicious results, but some varieties stand out more than others.
Young potatoes, often referred to as baby or new potatoes, are an earlier harvest of standard potato varieties. What makes them so great for roasting and air frying is their higher sugar content. These are our top picks:
- Golden nuggets: Baby gold potatoes are an incredible choice for air frying. Their high sugar content and low starch levels give them a golden brown hue, a crisp exterior, and a creamy interior.
- Ruby gems: Baby red potatoes, containing even more sugar and less starch than their gold counterparts, provide an even crisper bite!
- Mini russets: Baby russet potatoes are another great candidate for air frying. They have a fluffy and soft interior with an exterior crispiness that definitely rivals the baby red and gold potatoes.
You can try other small potatoes in the air fryer too, like baby sweet potatoes, fingerling, kipfler, or any other type you come across!
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- Baby potatoes: We generally opt for either baby red or Yukon gold potatoes as our go-to varieties. Alternatively, try another type of new potato with varied cooking times.
- Olive oil: Helps create a perfectly crispy exterior and enhances the rich, buttery flavor of the potatoes. We suggest extra-virgin olive oil for the best taste, but avocado, sunflower, safflower, or canola oil will all work.
- Garlic & onion powder: Add a hearty, savory depth of flavor. Fresh garlic and onion can be used, but the powdered form coats the potatoes more evenly.
- Dried herbs: Rosemary and thyme both impart earthy, aromatic, slightly minty notes. Feel free to experiment with other dried herbs like oregano or marjoram.
- Salt & pepper: Don’t be afraid to use a generous amount of salt as potatoes need it! Cracked black pepper adds a perfect savory kick, but you can also try red pepper flakes for more spice.
- Parsley: Adds a pop of color and freshness to the finished air fryer mini potatoes. Other fresh herbs, like chives, cilantro, or dill, are also delicious!
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 How to make air fryer baby potatoes
Preheat the air fryer
To preheat or not to preheat? We’re in the preheat camp! By letting your air fryer heat up for just 3-5 minutes, it results in much more consistent and even cooking results.
Depending on the brand and model you have, there may be a preheat button. If not, set the air fryer to 380F and turn it on. When you’re ready to cook the potatoes, restart the timer.
Season the potatoes
In the meantime, wash and thoroughly dry the potatoes with a clean kitchen towel. You want them to be quite dry to promote a crispy, golden-brown result!
Once they’re dry, cut them in half so all pieces are roughly the same size. Add them to a mixing bowl with olive oil and all the seasonings, tossing until they are evenly coated.
Air fry the baby potatoes
Transfer the potatoes to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Make sure the basket isn’t overcrowded or the potatoes will steam instead of crisp. You can cook them in batches if need be.
Air fry them until they are crispy and golden brown, remembering to shake them at the halfway point. Some air fryers even have a reminder button for this. When they are done, serve your air fryer baby potatoes with fresh herbs like parsley. Happy eating!
If you have questions about this air fryer mini potatoes recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🍋 What to serve with air fryer baby potatoes
The best part about air fryer baby potatoes is how versatile they are! Serve them as part of a full spread with other condiments and side dishes like these:
- Lemon wedges
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Vegan sour cream
- Sourdough bread or dairy-free bread
- Vegan garlic bread
- Chili garlic aioli for dipping
- Tomato cucumber salad
🌡️ Storage & reheating
Similar to roasted potatoes, air fryer baby potatoes are best enjoyed fresh. However, they can also be stored and reheated with these quick tips:
- Fridge: Let the potatoes cool, then store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: We don’t recommend freezing cooked potatoes since the texture often turns mushy once thawed. But, they can be kept in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 12 months if you need longer storage.
- Reheating: Reheat the baby potatoes back in the air fryer for about 3-5 minutes until they’re warm and crispy again.
♻️ Variations
- Spicy: Add a sprinkle of cayenne or red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
- Cheesy: Toss the potatoes with some vegan Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Indian-inspired: Replace the herbs with garam masala, turmeric, or curry powder.
- Smoky: Add smoked paprika or ancho chile powder to the seasoning mix.
- Italian: Utilize an Italian seasoning blend instead of the individual herbs for a vibrant and bright flavor in your air fryer mini potatoes.
- Cajun: Use Creole, blackening, or Cajun seasoning for a Southern twist.
- Mexican: Make a blend of cumin, ancho chile powder, cayenne, and a squeeze of lime for a Mexican-inspired option.
🧑🍳 Top tips
- Cut to an even size: Ensure the potatoes are roughly the same size for even cooking. You can cut larger ones in quarters if necessary.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket: We can’t stress this enough! Overcrowding leads to steamed potatoes rather than crispy, golden-brown potatoes.
- Shake the basket: Remember to shake the basket halfway through to ensure the potatoes brown evenly on each side. Set an alarm (on your air fryer or a timer).
- Preheat the air fryer: For the best results, we always recommend preheating your air fryer for a few minutes before adding the potatoes.
- Check for doneness: The potatoes should be crispy and golden brown on the outside yet tender on the inside. Test one with a fork to ensure it’s soft.
- Serve the potatoes hot: These air fryer baby potatoes are best served immediately while they’re still warm and crispy.
- Use high-quality olive oil: It may not seem like a big deal, but the quality of your olive oil can really impact the overall taste of your potatoes, so pick a good one!
💬 FAQ
Yes, you can use other types of potatoes for this recipe, but the cooking time may vary depending on the size and variety of the potato.
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can cook the potatoes in the oven. Roast them at 400F for about 25-30 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy.
To make this recipe oil-free, replace the oil with lemon juice or vegetable broth to help the seasonings adhere. Just know that the potatoes won’t turn out as crispy.
🍴 More side dishes
If you enjoyed this air fryer baby potatoes recipe, take a peek at some more delicious potato dishes like these:
- Baked Potato Wedges: Crispy potato wedges made in the oven.
- Vegan Potato Salad: Spicy potato salad made plant-based.
- Stewed Potatoes: Rich, creamy Southern-style potatoes with no dairy needed.
- 4-Ingredient Potato Soup: A simple soup made with everyday staples.
Crispy Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
Equipment
- Spatula
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380°F for 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, wash and thoroughly dry the potatoes with a clean kitchen towel, then cut them in half so all pieces are roughly the same size.
- Add the potatoes to a large mixing bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Toss until they are evenly coated.
- Transfer the potatoes to the air fryer basket in a single layer, ensuring they are not overcrowded. If necessary, cook them in batches.
- Air fry the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway, until they are crispy and golden brown.
- Remove the potatoes from the air fryer and transfer them to a serving dish. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or other herbs before serving. Happy eating!
Notes
- Cut to an even size: Ensure the potatoes are roughly the same size for even cooking. You can cut larger ones in quarters if necessary.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket: We can’t stress this enough! Overcrowding leads to steamed potatoes rather than crispy, golden-brown potatoes.
- Shake the basket: Remember to shake the basket halfway through to ensure the potatoes brown evenly on each side. Set an alarm (on your air fryer or a timer).
- Preheat the air fryer: For the best results, we always recommend preheating your air fryer for a few minutes before adding the potatoes.
- Check for doneness: The potatoes should be crispy and golden brown on the outside yet tender on the inside. Test one with a fork to ensure it’s soft.
- Serve the potatoes hot: These air fryer baby potatoes are best served immediately while they’re still warm and crispy.
- Use high-quality olive oil: It may not seem like a big deal, but the quality of your olive oil can really impact the overall taste of your potatoes, so pick a good one!
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
