The Best Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

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Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

Air fryer smashed potatoes are a very easy side dish to make, and they taste amazing. This is one side dish that requires very little mess and goes great with any meal. If you are looking for an easy dish to make, this one is definitely it!

Smashed Potatoes close up

What is Smashed Potatoes?

A smashed potato is when you take a potato, bake it until it is soft, then take an object such as a cup, or a potato masher and smash it so that it is flat or kind of pancaked.

Once flattened you can then add delicious toppings to these potatoes, bake them once more, then serve and enjoy this fabulous tasting side dish. 

Making mashed potatoes in the air fryer is very easy to do, and allows you to have very little cleanup.

These smashed potatoes make a perfect side dish for any meal, or for any occasion. You don’t want to miss out on this easy and absolutely delicious recipe! Let’s dive into how to make these smashed potatoes.

Ingredients for Smashed Potatoes

Potatoes. Typically, we prefer Yukon Gold potatoes, or red potatoes, however, small Russets will work as well. 

Butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter, we are going to melt it slightly and then mix in seasonings before topping the smashed potato. If you prefer, you could also substitute olive oil as a replacement for butter. 

Garlic Powder. We like to use garlic powder because it is quick and easy, but you could also substitute fresh garlic or minced garlic if desired. 

Garlic Salt. A little bit of garlic salt will help to season your potatoes. We will add garlic salt along with other seasonings to the butter mixture and top the mashed potatoes to make them taste delicious. 

Sea Salt. You can use your favorite type of salt, however, we like the flavor of sea salt for the overall best taste in potatoes.

Black Pepper. Completely optional, but we enjoy adding a bit of black pepper to the seasoning mixture for the perfect flavor. 

Green Onions. Green onions or chives and a delicious flavor and color appeal to your smashed potatoes. These are completely optional, but we enjoy using them. 

Parmesan Cheese. Finely grated Parmesan cheese is another optional ingredient, however, we like to add just a little bit to the seasoning mixture in sprinkle it on top of the mashed potatoes for a delicious overall flavor. 

Smashed Potatoes top down

How to Make Smashed Potatoes in an Air Fryer

Begin by preparing the potatoes. Wash each of the potatoes to remove any dirt. Pat dry or allow to fully dry before cooking. Poke each potato with a fork so that it does not explode in your air fryer.

Preheat your air fryer to 400°F.

When the air fryer is preheated, add your potatoes to the air fryer basket, being careful to place them in a single layer with a little space in between. Replace the basket, and air fry for approximately 15 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft in the center.

Please note that the amount of time may vary depending upon your specific air fryer, in the size of your potatoes. You’ll know when your potatoes are ready when you can easily insert a fork into the center of each potato. 

Carefully transfer your potatoes from the air fryer basket onto a cookie sheet or a cutting board. Now we are going to smash the potatoes.

To do this, we recommend using the bottom of a glass, mug, or you could even try using a masher. Keep in mind we are looking to flatten the potatoes though and not cause them to crumble.

The idea as you flatten the potatoes is you still allow each potato to remain intact, leaving the potato approximately ¼ to ½ inch thick. 

Now take your glass, and gently press the flat bottom onto the potato. Carefully smash the potato so that the whole potato gives way, but remains intact overall. When the potatoes are smashed, set them aside to make your seasoning mixture. 

In a microwave safe bowl, add your butter, then microwave it for approximately 30 seconds or until the butter is melted. Take your garlic powder, garlic salt, sea salt, black pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Mix until combined. Pour the seasoning mixture over each potato. 

Using a spatula, place the now smashed and seasoned potatoes back into the air fryer basket. 

Air fry the smashed and seasoned potatoes at 400°F for another 15 to 25 minutes, or until they are as crispy as you desire.

When they are cooked to perfection, remove them from the air fryer, top with green onions for chives if desired, serve and enjoy! 

Smashed Potatoes very close up

Can I make them in an oven?

Absolutely! Smashed potatoes can easily be made in the oven, using a similar process. The main difference is that you will want to increase your bake time of the potatoes, to approximately 35 to 40 minutes, depending on your oven. 

Then remove, smash, and season as instructed above. Once smashed, continue baking at 400°F until they are as crispy as you like. Please note that they are likely to take longer to become crispy in the oven as it is a bigger space to be heated.

Storage

Room temperature. For best results and food safety, we recommend that you leave the smashed potatoes at room temperature for no longer than two hours. 

Refrigerator. Once the smashed potatoes have cooled, transfer them to an airtight container, or seal them in a plastic storage bag and place them in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

Freezer. You can also freeze your leftover smashed potatoes if desired. To do this, you can freeze them individually or together. To freeze individually, place your individual smashed potatoes on a cookie sheet and add to the freezer.

Freeze for approximately 2 to 4 hours or until each one is solid. Transfer the individually frozen potatoes to an airtight container, or seal them in a plastic freezer bag, label and date them, then place back into the freezer for up to three months.

Variations

There are several different variations to this recipe. The variations include preparing the potatoes in different ways, or adding different seasonings to the potatoes as desired.

Below are a few ideas on how you can prepare the potatoes differently. 

Boil and Smash the Potatoes

You can also prepare your mashed potatoes by first boiling the whole or half potato until it becomes soft. Then remove the potatoes from your water, allow it to dry for a few minutes then take a glass and carefully smash the potato. 

By boiling the potato you ensure that it stays nice and moist. However, one of the downsides of boiling potatoes is that they have more of a chance of falling apart. 

Smashed Potatoes on a plate

Oven Baked Smashed Potatoes 

You can also prepare mashed potatoes in the oven using the same method as in the air fryer. Simply preheat the oven to 400°F, then wash and dry each of your potatoes.

Be sure to poke a hole or multiple holes in each one. Add potatoes to a baking sheet then place in the oven. 

Bake until you can insert a fork easily into the center. Remove the potatoes from your oven, smash but still leave intact, then add your seasoning mixture and continue baking until they are done to your desired level of crispiness. Then serve and enjoy! 

What to Serve with Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

Air fryer smashed potatoes make a delicious side dish for pretty much any main meal. Below are a few of our favorite dishes you can serve alongside air fryer smashed potatoes. 

Topping Ideas

So many things you could tap smashed potatoes up with. A few of our ideas include green onions, chives, Parmesan cheese, your favorite shredded cheese, or sour cream. Really though, the sky is the limit when it comes to delicious toppings for these potatoes. 

Spice Mix Suggestions:

Garlic Mixture

Butter 
Garlic powder or minced garlic
Garlic salt
Sea salt
Pepper

Rosemary Mixture

Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
Dried rosemary

Lemon Mixture

Butter
Lemon Pepper
Sea salt
Lemon juice

Dipping Sauce Suggestions:

Ketchup

Mayonnaise

Sour cream

BBQ sauce

Chick-fil-a sauce

Tips & Tricks

Baking Smashed Potatoes in the Oven

Making some mashed potatoes in the oven is another easy way to prepare them in addition to air frying potatoes. To prepare them in the oven, simply follow the air fryer instructions, but extend the big-time to approximately 45 minutes in the oven, or as needed. 

How to make your smashed potatoes extra crispy

Two great ways to make your smashed potatoes extra crispy is to brush the potatoes with butter on both the top and the bottom, and you can also air fry them longer to make them extra crispy. 

Don’t Over Smash 

One of the keys to air fryer smashed potatoes is to be careful that you do not over smash the potatoes. You are looking for the potatoes to be lately smashed, but still, overall have the potatoes intact. You do not want to end up with mashed potatoes by over smashing them. 

Smashed Potatoes from the side cover

FAQs

How long does smashed potatoes last in the fridge?

Air fryer smashed potatoes last between three and four days when stored properly in the refrigerator. 

Are smashed potatoes good reheated?

Yes, you can reheat mashed potatoes. The best way to reheat them is to put them back in the air fryer and air fry at 350°F until they are warmed through.

If you need to make them crispy again, crank the air fryer up to 400°F and air fry for a couple of minutes until they are as crispy as you want them. 

Can I use baby red potatoes?

Yes, you can use baby red potatoes for this recipe and have them turn out amazing. 

Can I microwave the potatoes instead of boiling them?

We do not recommend using the microwave to bake the potatoes. When potatoes are microwaved, it changes their overall consistency and makes them a yucky kind of mushy.

Instead, if you are looking to an alternative, we recommend either baking the potatoes in the oven, or air frying them to make the potatoes before they are smashed.

What kind of potatoes are the best to use?

Our favorite is to use Yukon Gold potatoes for smashed potatoes. However, you could also use red potatoes or even small Russet potatoes if needed. 

Smashed Potatoes in Air fryer

Making some mashed potatoes in the air fryer is so easy, and they taste delicious. If you were looking for a very versatile side dish, try making these smashed potatoes for your meal.

Now, time to get cooking and try out this recipe! Be sure to leave us a star review and comment below once you have tried this recipe.

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Faith
Faith Has been cooking and baking for many years! she loves to share her recipes with the world, and hopes you will enjoy them too!

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