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Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, perfectly seasoned Air Fryer Baby Potatoes are the perfect side dish for potato lovers! Pair them with any main dish for an amazing complete meal on busy weeknights!
If you’re like me and you believe perfectly crispy potatoes are their own love language, you’re going to go bonkers over this easy recipe.
These Crispy Air Fryer Baby Potatoes transform a basic potato into a dreamy experience. They are soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, and have that golden brown flavor we all crave in a delicious side dish. Plus, they are simple to prepare and easy to customize too!
From start to finish, this simple method only requires about 30 minutes of time, much of which is inactive. In this sense, you can multi-task preparing your main dish while the potatoes are cooking.
Pair it with steak, chicken, fish, or pork to complete your dinner!
Ingredient Notes:
Baby Potatoes: The star of the show, baby potatoes generate a soft on the inside, golden brown crisp on the outside for those who adore crispy potatoes.
Avocado Oil: This rockstar ingredient serves many purposes. First and foremost, it helps keep the inside of the potatoes nice and tender and moist. It also helps generate the perfect outer crust for an amazing crisp.
Finally, avocado oil has a high smoke point, which makes it ideal for air frying at high temperatures, as it won’t burn. For these reasons, it is my number one oil choice for this recipe. I don’t recommend using olive oil, which can burn.
Garlic Powder: Bringing a savory flavor to the potatoes that levels up the experience in the simplest way possible, a little garlic powder goes a long way! You can swap it for 2 to 3 cloves of fresh garlic if you prefer.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the potatoes to your personal taste using salt and pepper.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Just Add Cheese: When the potatoes are fresh out of the air fryer, toss them in a bowl with ½ to 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese. You can also toss in feta cheese, grated cheddar cheese, or any other kind of cheese you love.
- Onion Addition: Toss ⅔ cup of chopped yellow onion in with the potatoes for a little crispy onion action.
- Lemon Twist: Similar to the cheese option above, you can toss the cooked potatoes with lemon zest and a little lemon juice to add a citrusy punch.
- Herbal Infusion: Finely chop your favorite fresh herbs, like fresh parsley, fresh rosemary, or fresh thyme, and toss them into the air fryer with the potatoes for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Or, add Italian seasoning at the same time as the other seasonings.
How to Make Air Fryer Baby Potatoes:
Slice the baby potatoes in half lengthwise using a sharp knife on a cutting board.
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toss the cut potatoes, oil, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder together in a large bowl until all of the potatoes are coated with oil and seasonings.
Transfer the seasoned potatoes to the basket of the air fryer in a single layer cut-side down.
Air fry at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Shake the air fryer basket and cook for another 2-5 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.
Base the cooking time on your desired level of crisp. For crispier potatoes, cook for a total of 20-25 minutes.
Serve these golden brown crispy potatoes with your main dish, and enjoy! If you want to get real fancy, whip up my Peruvian Green Sauce, Creamy Garlic Butter Steak Sauce, or my Crab Cake Sauce for dipping.
Storage Options:
- Store leftover air fryer potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating Instructions: Reheat leftovers in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 5-8 minutes, or until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions:
Looking for main dishes to pair these potatoes with magically? Here are some of my top picks.
- Mediterranean Salmon in Parchment Paper
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- BBQ Tri Tip
- Canned Salmon Patties
- Lemon Garlic Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Chuck Roast
And that’s it! Even picky eaters adore this perfect easy side dish due to their crispy perfection. Just remember: when in doubt, add cheese!
If you love cooking in your air fryer, check out some of my other recent air fryer recipes.
More Air Fryer Recipes:
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Sesame Garlic Air Fryer Chicken Bites
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Crispy Mediterranean Air Fryer Chicken
- Air Fryer Hamburgers
Drop a comment below if you’re a fellow crispy potato lover!
Air Fryer Baby Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs baby potatoes, sliced in half
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
Optional Additions:
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Slice the baby potatoes in half lengthwise using a sharp knife on a cutting board.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Toss the cut potatoes, oil, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder together in a large bowl until all of the potatoes are coated with oil and seasonings.
- Transfer the seasoned potatoes to the basket of the air fryer in a single layer cut-side down. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Shake the air fryer basket and cook for another 2-5 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy. Base the cooking time on your desired level of crisp. For crispier potatoes, cook for a total of 20-25 minutes.
- Serve these golden brown crispy potatoes with your main dish, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Frequently Asked Questions:
When slicing the potatoes in half, baby potatoes take about 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees F in the air fryer. If you’re cooking whole baby potatoes, the time may increase to 25-30 minutes, depending on your desired level of crisp.
Yes. However, adding oil generates the best results because it keeps the inside of the potatoes moist and tender, while allowing the outside to obtain a golden brown crust. Oil is also what helps the seasonings stick to the potatoes, so without it, there will be no easy way to season the potatoes before air frying.
Nevertheless, if you’re trying to cut down on the amount of oil you use, you can use less oil or go oil-free. Just note that the flavor and texture of the potatoes will be different.
Yes! Use any kind of potatoes, but make sure larger potatoes are chopped into 2-3 inch pieces or that you stick with little potatoes, such as fingerling potatoes or red potatoes. This recipe is designed to cook small potatoes that are chopped in half, so cutting bigger potatoes to a smaller size is necessary to get the timing right.
