Air Fryer Roast Potatoes (small batch)

I have been wanting to roast potatoes in my air fryer for a while now. I have baked them, and I have made chips, but I had never made classic roasted potatoes in the air fryer.  

I love my air fryer, and I use it a lot.  It is the perfect kitchen tool, especially for the smaller family. You don't have to heat up your whole oven to cook a small quantity of food.  

There is not much that you cannot cook in an air fryer, depending on the model you get. I had a T-Fal one over in the U.K. and it was one of the first air fryers which had been manufactured.  It was huge, round and took up a large space in my small kitchen. The newer models are much small and efficient in my opinion.

 

I love roast potatoes. With their crisp golden-brown exterior and fluffy insides, they make the perfect addition to any dinner.  In the U.K. they are a vital part of any roast dinner.  I cannot think of anything that a roast potato wouldn't go with to be honest.

They are also very easy to cook in the Air Fryer, especially when you are a small family such as I am.  It means that I don't have to turn on my oven to roast a small number of potatoes.  If you have double racks in your air fryer (as I do) you can also roast potatoes for a larger group of people, leaving your oven free to get on with cooking something else.

These were the perfect roast potatoes in my opinion. I could eat a plate of these and nothing else.  Crisp and golden-brown exterior with perfectly fluffy insides. You really can't go wrong! No fuss, no muss.

 

 WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AIR FRYER ROAST POTATOES 

A few simple ingredients and an air fryer of course!

• 3/4 pound (350g) floury type of potatoes (Red potatoes, Russet potatoes, Maris Piper, etc.)
• 1 1/2 TBS neutral flavored oil (such as rapeseed, avocado or sunflower)
• 1/2 tsp flaked sea salt
• 1/2 TBS fresh thyme leaves (optional)

 

I have a Kuraidori  Multi-function Air Fryer, which I purchased several years ago at Home Hardware here in Canada. My sister also has one and we have never had any problems with them. It even has a rotisserie function for chickens, etc.

Using the right kind of potato is essential in making roast potatoes with the right texture when done. You want a nice floury potato.

Floury potatoes have a fluffy, dry texture that makes them great for boiling, mashed potatoes and for chips (French fries). Boiled in their skins, floury potatoes often burst open, and their mealy flesh spills out as they cook. They contain more starch than waxy potatoes making them perfect for baking, roasting, frying and mashing.

 

HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER ROAST POTATOES

These are really very simple to make. I know I say that frequently, but truth be told, I like simple and will choose simple recipes over complicated ones most of the time! Does that make me lazy? I don't know. Maybe!

Peel your potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks, and give them a good rinse under cold water. Place them into a saucepan and cover them with lightly salted cold water.

Bring to the boil and cook for 8 minutes. Drain well and return to the saucepan. Give them a good shake over the residual heat of the burner to really dry them out and chuff them up a bit.

Add 1 TBS of the oil, stirring the potatoes gently to coat them with the oil, covering them completely.

 

Preheat the air fryer (if required) to 400*F/200*C.

Place the oil coated potatoes into the basket of the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes at 400*F/200*C. Take them out and flip them over. Return to the air fryer and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the remaining oil. Give them a good shake.

Cook again for a further 10 minutes at 400*F/200*C until the potatoes are crisp, golden brown and the tip of a sharp knife inserts easily.

Serve hot, sprinkled with flaked sea salt and thyme leaves if using.

 

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR BETTER ROASTED POTATOES

1. Make sure you use the right kind of potato for roasting. It should be a floury potato, not a waxy or a salad potato. By floury potato I mean a potato that is well suited to mashing.

2. Do par-boil them for about 8 minutes to give them a head start and so that you can chuff up the outsides a bit before you begin.

3. You can use either the basket of your air fryer or the tray. They will get crisper in the tray if you have one.  I did use the basket for mine. If you are using a tray, you may not need to shake them quite as often.

4. Make sure you shake the par-boiled potatoes over the residual heat of the burner to dry them out. This will help the oil to coat them more fully.

 

These were really delicious and not as much trouble to make as conventional classic roasted potatoes.  You could skip par-boiling them if you wanted to, just cooking them for longer in the air fryer, but if you want a classic result, do par-boil them first.

These were lovely and crisp, not greasy in the least.  The sea salt was nice on them at the end and I did add some thyme leaves, but really the thyme did not add any flavor. It was more like a decoration. A bit of green to make them visually pop!

 

Here are a few more potato sides that are cooked in the air fryer that I really enjoy!

AIR FRYER TWICE BAKED POTATOES -  Well scrubbed potatoes are pricked and baked in the air fryer.  Once tender (and crispy skinned) they are split in two. The flesh is mixed with some butter, two kinds of cheese, garlic, onion and seasonings before being piled back into the skins and baked for a further amount of time in the air fryer, until crispy and golden brown.  These are fabulously delicious!

CRISPY AIR FRYER CHIPS (FRENCH FRIES) - Now you can have your chips and eat them too! Crisp and golden brown, they are crisp on the outsides and soft and fluffy inside. Quick and easy to make they are cooked to perfection in about 20 minutes. Simple ingredients done well. These are fabulously tasty! I LOVE them!

Yield: 2 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Air Fryer Roast Potatoes (small batch)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Quick and easy to make as well as delicious!

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound (350g) floury type of potatoes (Red potatoes, Russet potatoes, Maris Piper, etc.)
• 1 1/2 TBS neutral flavored oil (such as rapeseed, avocado or sunflower)
• 1/2 tsp flaked sea salt
• 1/2 TBS fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel your potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks, and give them a good rinse under cold water. Place them into a saucepan and cover them with lightly salted cold water.
2. Bring to the boil and cook for 8 minutes. Drain well and return to the saucepan. Give them a good shake over the residual heat of the burner to really dry them out and chuff them up a bit.
3. Add 1 TBS of the oil, stirring the potatoes gently to coat them with the oil, covering them completely.
4. Preheat the air fryer (if required) to 400*F/200*C.
5. Place the oil coated potatoes into the basket of the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes at 400*F/200*C. Take them out and flip them over. Return to the air fryer and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the remaining oil. Give them a good shake.
6. Cook again for a further 10 minutes at 400*F/200*C until the potatoes are crisp, golden brown and the tip of a sharp knife inserts easily.
7. Serve hot, sprinkled with flaked sea salt and thyme leaves if using.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #TheEnglishKitchen

 

Thanks for visiting! Do come again!! 

 If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.

Also, if you have not checked out my YouTube Channel yet, do give it a gander. I would really appreciate it, and if you want to subscribe that would be even more appreciated!  Thank you so much!  It is not really fancy like some people's channels. I am very much learning as I go along, but what you get is authentic at least! There is nothing fake there! No filters, bells or whistles. Filmed in real time and unedited!