Cheesy and Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
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If you’re looking for a fun potato snack, then these Cheesy and Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes are going to give you everything you’re looking for! They’re crisp, cheesy, and packed with flavour! With the help of the air fryer, they’re super easy to make too!
Watch How To Make Cheesy and Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes Here:
Smashed Potatoes in the Air Fryer Recipe
To be honest with you I had only had this smashed potato recipe once before, but I had been looking to make these for quite some time. I learned about these on my journey to the Philippines last Christmas, seeing what fun ways you can enjoy potatoes. I stumbled across smashed potatoes and knew I had to give them a shot!
Trying out these smashed potatoes totally blew me away! They’re unlike anything else, and take it from me as I’ve been coined as the “Potato King,” so I sure know all about potatoes! There’s mashed potatoes which are soft and creamy, there’s French fries that are crisp, baked potatoes that are crisp on the outside and fluffy and cheesy inside, and there are potato wedges that are thick and crispy with some softness inside. I would describe these smashed potato like a fusion of everything, including chips! If you’ve never had smashed potatoes before, then you gotta try this easy air fryer recipe as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get started for free today to follow along a challenge to get you to get out of your comfort zone in the kitchen and experiment with new creations you never have before!
Be sure to watch the video to follow along with all the steps to guarantee the best results and to visualize the mistakes you might make when preparing these smashed potatoes in the air fryer! Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes go live along with the written ones! Let’s get cooking!
Why You Need to Make these Cheesy Smashed Potatoes in the Air Fryer!
Easy: This recipe is so easy to make, so that you can have these smashed potatoes for a snack any time you want! These will be way better than a bag of potato chips!
Fast: Once your potatoes are boiled, then you’re ready to get smashing and air frying! The process after that is extremely quick and there’s not much hands-on work involved!
Packed with flavour: Although there aren’t many ingredients here, what we are using here will make the smashed potatoes an extremely addictive snack that will have you wanting more!
Crisp and cheesy: Crispy and cheesy potatoes in all forms are so good, and they really are something unique and memorable in this smashed potatoes recipe!
Questions You May Have!
What Air Fryer Do You Recommend?
I’m using the Cosori Air Fryer 6 Quart 9-in-1 air fryer to make these smashed potatoes in the air fryer. The previous air fryer I owned was the Ninja Dual Basket 6-in-1 air fryer, but one of the baskets broke not very long after purchasing it, so essentially this rendered the air fryer useless since I was only stuck with one small basket, and it didn’t fulfill its purpose. To check out all the events leading up to the demise of that air fryer, be sure to watch this video. I’m close to a year in with my Cosori air fryer and it’s been great! I love the large basket, and that it’s not so noisy. For a more in-depth review of the air fryer discussing its features and settings, check out this video.
Do I Have to Boil the Potatoes?
Not necessarily! Instead, I actually recommend that you steam the potatoes instead of boiling them over the stove. To do this, I use the Instant Pot, as you can see in my Instant Pot Steamed Baby Potatoes recipe. I prefer to steam the potatoes over boiling them because the potatoes will retain moisture without getting too waterlogged.
On the other hand, you may wonder why not air fry the potatoes prior to smashing them? You could, however, you run the risk of drying them out too much. They need to be fluffy inside so that you have a good potato skin to potato flesh ratio when you smash them out. That’s why steaming is the best choice!
What Potatoes Should I Use For Smashed Potatoes?
Technically there is no “wrong” potato, since you’ll get a delicious snack regardless of the potato you choose! All potatoes are delicious, and with oil, butter, and cheese, you really can’t have a bed outcome! However, there are “better” potato choices. I suggest using fingerling potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes because the flesh remains crispy and they have a buttery flavour. Furthermore, I suggest you use fingerling or baby potatoes because having potatoes that are too large
What is the Nutrition Info for These Smashed Potatoes?
These smashed potatoes are:
Can I Make These Smashed Potatoes Vegan?
Yes, you sure can make this smashed potatoes recipe vegan! Simply don’t coat them with butter and olive oil, and instead just use olive oil. In addition, you can use a dairy-free cheese alternative to replace the cheese that’s on top.
How Thin Do the Potatoes Need to be Smashed?
We’re aiming to have them be about a half an inch in thickness. This way, there is enough potato flesh for the filling, and enough skin on the outside for the smashed potatoes to hold their shape and to hold the cheese that’ll be added on top.
What Temperature Do We Air Fry the Smashed Potatoes?
We’ll be air frying the smashed potatoes at 400 F.
Tools Needed To Make Smashed Potatoes in the Air Fryer
Ingredients for Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Let’s review the ingredients needed to make the best smashed potatoes in the air fryer! All ingredient quantities can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD, or by press the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can also use the recipe card to save the recipe for later and scale it based on how many potatoes you’ll be using to make these smashed potatoes.
Baby potatoes: I’m using fingerling Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe, then will be steaming them in the Instant Pot.
Cheese: I’m using a Mexican fiesta cheese blend, but other great options are your choice of cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper Jack. You can also sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavour!
Olive oil and butter: Melt the butter, and then mix them together. Add the seasoning directly in this mixture to coat over the potatoes.
Green onions: Sliced.
Chives: Chopped for garnish.
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Steam fingerling potatoes for 12–15 minutes, or until fork-tender. Instant Pot option:Pressure cook on Steam for 5 minutes + natural release. Pat potatoes completely dry.
Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently smash each potato using the back of a spatula or cup. Do not over-smash—keep them intact.
Preheat air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
Mix melted butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Brush potatoes generously.
Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 12–15 minutes, flipping halfway and brushing with more oil. Cook longer if needed for extra crispiness.
Top with cheese and green onions. Air fry for 1–2 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Garnish with chives and serve immediately.
Tips & Tricks for Perfectly Crisp Smashed Potatoes in the Air Fryer
Wash your potatoes: Since we’re leaving the skins on, make sure to make sure to thoroughly scrub and rinse the potatoes to remove any dirt. It never hurts to give them another quick rinse even if the bag says the potatoes come pre-washed - I learned that the hard way.
Smash the potatoes properly: You need to smash the potatoes correctly! Press down until the potatoes are flattened with rough edges, but still intact. If you don’t smash them enough, you won’t get those crispy edges. If you smash too much, they can fall apart.
Ensure to season the potatoes well: Potatoes need a good amount of seasoning to really shine. Don’t be shy with the salt and pepper, and make sure the oil and butter mixture is evenly brushed over every potato for maximum flavour.
Avoid overcrowding the basket: Give the potatoes space in the basket so the hot air can circulate properly. Overcrowding will steam them instead of crisping them, and you’ll miss out on that golden, crunchy texture.
How to Serve Crispy and Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
First of all, you gotta have them fresh right out of the air fryer so the cheese is molten and they are as crispy as possible! They’re perfect on their own as a snack! Here are some ideas to make these super satisfying:
Garnishes and Sauces
Garnish: Chives, green onions, freshly chopped parsley, chilli flakes, and/or bacon bits.
Sauce: Sriracha, Garlic Truffle Aioli, Homemade Mayo, Guacamole, Ranch or your favourite hot sauce (mine is Dawson’s original!)!
If you want these cheesy smashed potatoes as part of a complete dinner, then I suggest you pair them with a protein! Here are some options!
Proteins
Soups would also be great to have with your smashed potatoes! Here are some great options.
Soups
Can These Smashed Potatoes be Made in Advance?
Of course! While these smashed potatoes will definitely be the best fresh, this recipe will make quite a lot, so they’re perfect to have as snacks over the next couple of days!
Storage Instructions
Once cooled down, you can transfer your cooked smashed potatoes into an airtight container in the fridge. The smashed potatoes will last about 2 to 3 days in the fridge before they get soggy.
How to Reheat Smashed Potatoes
The air fryer will be the best way to reheat them to ensure that they remain crispy and the cheese will be perfectly molten. I reheated mine at 380 F for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until they have been entirely warmed through and the cheese is molten.
More Air Fryer Snack Recipes Recipes:
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
If you’re looking for a fun potato snack, then these Cheesy and Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes are going to give you everything you’re looking for! They’re crisp, cheesy, and packed with flavour! With the help of the air fryer, they’re super easy to make too!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes until fork-tender. You can either boil them or steam them in the Instant Pot. Instant Pot option: Pressure cook on Steam for 5 minutes + natural release. Pat potatoes completely dry.
- Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently smash each potato using the back of a spatula or cup. Do not over-smash—keep them intact.
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Mix melted butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Brush potatoes generously.
- Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 12–15 minutes, flipping halfway and brushing with more oil. Cook longer if needed for extra crispiness.
- Top with cheese and green onions. Air fry for 1–2 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Garnish with chives and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
260Fat (grams)
18 gSat. Fat (grams)
7 gCarbs (grams)
21 gFiber (grams)
3 gNet carbs
18 gSugar (grams)
1 gProtein (grams)
6 gSodium (milligrams)
190 mgCholesterol (grams)
26 mg
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Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
