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Air Fryer Snacks & Sides

Simple Air Fryer Roast Potatoes

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Fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside; these Simple Air Fryer Roast Potatoes are a fantastic quicker alternative to oven roasted potatoes. You’ll want to make these roast potatoes to accompany every meal!

why use an air fryer instead of an oven?

Air fryers cook food quicker than a standard convection oven which is great for saving energy and pennies but also for busy families that want to be able to make food quickly.

Another advantage is that air fryers are smaller than ovens so you’re not heating up a full-sized oven but instead a smaller air fryer. This means you’re using less energy because you’re heating up a smaller appliance as well as the food cooking quicker.

When it comes to cooking roast potatoes, they cook much quicker in an air fryer. I also think you are less likely to use an excess of oil when air frying them which is easier to do when oven roasting them.

Air frying roast potatoes also frees up space in the oven which is very much needed when cooking a roast dinner – especially at Christmas.

simple air fryer roast potatoes as the name suggests

I have deliberately kept these roast potatoes really simple. I like to keep roast potatoes simple however I’m cooking them. I like the salty, crisp potatoes to speak for themselves.

Another reason for keeping the recipe is so people can add their own twists. I’m sure people will have their own flavourings they like to add to roast potatoes and once they have the basics of how to air fry them, they can add extra flavours.

Another option would be to try my Air Fryer Rosemary & Garlic Roast Potatoes which are absolutely delicious!

You could also heat up some goose or duck fat to toss the potatoes in. This is a great extra indulgence perfect for Christmas.

Remember to save your potato peelings to make Air Fryer Potato Peel Crisps.

which potatoes are best for roast potatoes?

The main goal for a good roast potato is a crisp exterior with a super fluffy interior. To get that, you need to start with the right potato.

In the UK, the best options are Maris Piper and King Edward potatoes. It helps that these are also the most commonly found potatoes so you shouldn’t have any problems finding them.

If you look for any potato variety considered an ‘all rounder’ such as estima, melody or marfona then you can’t go wrong.

If you’re in the US, Yukon Gold potatoes will work really well.

is parboiling needed for these air fryer roast potatoes?

I have always parboiled my potatoes when making roast potatoes. It’s the way my Mum taught me and I really do think it makes a difference.

Parboiling the potatoes helps provide the deliciously crisp crust that we all want. If you don’t parboil your potatoes the fat won’t be able to get into the cracks and you won’t get the crispness.

So in my opinion parboiling is an essential step to a good roast potato and is worth the extra step.

tips for the best roast potatoes

Even though these Air Fryer Roast Potatoes are really simple, there are a few tips to ensure they are as delicious as they can be.

Parboiling your potatoes

We’ve already been over this, but yes it is essential in my opinion! But don’t cook the potatoes too long.

You want the potatoes to be soft enough so you can insert a sharp knife with a little resistance. You don’t want them to be completely cooked through and starting to fall apart.

Chuff your potatoes

I don’t know if that is the technical term, but it’s what my Mum always referred to it as. Chuffing the potatoes is roughing up the edges to ensure the fat can crisp them up perfectly.

I do this by tossing the parboiled potatoes in a colander quite vigorously so the edges get bashed up.

This along with the parboiling will help create deliciously crisp roast potatoes.

Cut your potatoes into irregular shapes

I can’t remember which TV chef told me to do this years ago, but it has stuck with me. The idea is to cut them into irregular shapes so there is more surface area which means more potato to get crispy.

Do you get the theme here? Everything we do is for ultimate crispiness!

Leave your potatoes to steam dry

Before you put the potatoes in the air fryer, make sure you let them steam dry. Wet potatoes won’t crisp up as well.

All you need to do is to leave them sitting in the colander for a few minutes to dry and then you’re good to go.

Don’t over crowd your air fryer

One of the most important things to remember when air frying is to not overcrowd your basket. You want the air to be able to circulate properly around the food to get it nice and crisp.

That does mean that you might have to cook these roast potatoes in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. I have a Ninja 7-in-1 multicooker which has a 3.7L basket and I cook this amount of potatoes in two batches.

If you already have your oven on, you can keep the first batch of roast potatoes warm in there while the second cooks. Alternatively you could just quickly reheat the first batch before serving.

reheating & storing the potatoes

If you want to get ahead you can make these roast potatoes earlier in the day, or even the day before. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to reheat them.

Reheating them couldn’t be easier. Just put them back into the air fryer and heat through for 5-7 minutes until they are piping hot in the centre and crisp on the outside.

what to serve these air fryer roast potatoes with

The most obvious way to serve these roast potatoes is as part of roast dinner, however there are loads of ways to enjoy them. The following would go perfectly:

But a roast dinner isn’t the only way you can enjoy these potatoes! They’d be perfect served alongside my Slow Cooker Beef & Ale Stew, Slow Cooker Pork & Mustard Stew and Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole.

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4.8 from 24 votes
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Simple Air Fryer Roast Potatoes

Fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside; these Simple Air Fryer Roast Potatoes are a fantastic quicker alternative to oven roasted potatoes. You'll want to make these roast potatoes to accompany every meal!

Course Side Dish
Cuisine British
Keyword Potatoes, Air Fryer
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 244 kcal
Author Curly

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg potatoes peeled
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Peel 1.5kg potatoes and cut into large chunks. Add to a large pan

  2. Par boil the potatoes for 7 or until you can insert the tip of a sharp knife

  3. Drain the potatoes thoroughly in a colander

  4. Toss the potatoes in the colander to rough up the edges. Leave the potatoes to steam dry for a few minutes

  5. Preheat your air fryer if needed

  6. Put the potatoes back in the pan and add 2 tbsp oil and 1 tsp sea salt

  7. Add the potatoes to your air fryer basket – you might need to do this in batches. Make sure you don't over crowd the basket

  8. Cook the potatoes for 25 minutes at 190°C, turning half way

  9. If you want them even more crisp you can cook them for a little longer, just check them every few minutes

Recipe Notes

I use an air fryer with a 3.7L basket. 

Nutritional information is given as a guide only and may vary. 

Nutrition Facts
Simple Air Fryer Roast Potatoes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 244 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Sodium 388mg17%
Potassium 1mg0%
Calcium 1mg0%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Imran says

    Could you do multiple small batches, set them aside and then put all batches back on together to do a final crisp and reheat?

    My thinking is that way they’re all the same crispness and temperature…might mean doing the small batches slightly less.

    I like the idea of giving each potato more space initially. Have I overthought this?

    Reply

    • Linda says

      5 stars
      These were perfect roast potatoes for me. Only cooking for one so only used 3 medium potatoes and 1 tsp oil and cooked for 20 minutes. Had tried other recipes before but this is definitely the one for me. Thank you.

      Reply

  4. Elaine says

    5 stars
    Well who’d have thought!? Quick tasty roasties and so easy! Converted here to use air fryer when fancy a roastie and not using the oven. Thanks Curly!

    Reply

  5. Rob Bannerman says

    I came across your website while on the hunt to find roast potatoes that are crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle after making the normal air fryer roasties which are usually cooked from raw and while they were ok they wasn’t really anything like a proper roastie, but I tried your recipe and wow what a difference, they are just as good as when done in a conventional oven, the one thing I have done different to you is I use duck fat instead of oil.

    Reply

  7. Roo Aiken says

    5 stars
    This recipe is perfect!
    I didn’t know about shaking the potatoes once they’ve been par-boiled.
    It made a huge difference, giving them a rough surface which made them look and taste better than ever.
    I’m a new user of air frying food, so any recipes like these make life so much easier.
    Thank you!

    Reply

  8. Pete says

    “I can’t remember which TV chef told me to do this years ago”

    The person I heard this from was Nigella Lawson?

    Reply

    • Curly says

      It very well could have been her, I have watched a lot of cooking shows over the years and I’m pretty sure I’ve watched all of hers.

      Reply

  10. CD82 says

    4 stars
    These look amazing! I tend to use butter with mine instead of oil! Better flavour and no need to add extra salt! Sometimes I add a bit of hunny just before they are done, it gives a slight sweet crispy finish.

    Reply

  12. Eva Ashton says

    1 star
    They didn’t turn out well, it’s possible that my air fryer basket rotates. Next time I will try them on a grill pan instead.

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Eva, sorry to hear that. Did they break up too much or was there another issue? I have only tested these in an air fryer that has no moving parts because I don’t think they will work as well in air fryers with paddles or ones that rotate.

      Reply

  13. Ali says

    Just got my air fryer in time for Christmas, do you put the goose fat at the bottom of each drawer. I cook the Christmas meal and move everything to my Mum’s but her oven never ready gets that hit.

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Ali, I don’t use goose fat in this recipe. You could melt the goose fat and drizzle it over the potatoes once they are par boiled and coat them in it before adding them to your air fryer. If you put the goose fat directly in the air fryer it would just fall through the basket to the bottom and could start smoking as it gets over heated so I wouldn’t recommend it.

      Reply

  14. Margaret den Hoet says

    These look delicious and I am going to try them today. It could be me but I cannot find the temperature to cook at. Many thanks.

    Reply

  16. Cathy says

    5 stars
    Made today. They were really easy and look gorgeous. I’m going to freeze. Hopefully they’ll taste as good as they look. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

  18. Anna says

    5 stars
    I love to cook my roasties in the air fryer. I do them only slightly differently to you which works perfectly for me, after many trial and errors. I parboil them but then put them straight into the air fryer for 15mins on 150, just to dry out and dry the outsides. I then toss them in a bit of oil and cook for another 10mins or so on 220. So far they have always come out perfectly…

    Reply

  19. Lisa says

    I tried this tonight for the first time. They looked lovely and golden but they weren’t as crispy as when cooked in the oven. It was like when you reheat them, the following day. What am I doing wrong?

    Reply

  20. Matthew says

    5 stars
    This is the BEST recipe for roasties, almost fuss-free and very convenient ! I cooked these potatoes with vegan butter, parsley & double crispy garlic, it was divine. My mom couldn’t believe how fluffy and crispy they were ! From now on I’ll do this method. When you only cook them raw, they taste like nothing and have a weird texture, this recipe is the way to go! Even better than the oven !

    Reply

  21. Christine McLafferty says

    They turned out really great. Thanks – also the first time that I’ve actually wanted to feedback an online recipe, they were that good

    Reply

  22. Mr Terry Hendrick says

    Hi,
    The only part i was a bit lost on is the oil part , do i just brush some vegetable oil over them once par boiled and let dry for a few mins then put in air fryer ?

    Regards,

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Terry, so you parboil the potatoes, drain them and chuff them up in the colander. Leave them in the colander to steam dry. Then add them back into the pan they were cooked in with the oil and salt and gently coat them in the oil. Then put them in the air fryer. Hope that helps.

      Reply

  23. Suzanne says

    5 stars
    These potatoes sound delicious! I’m in the U.S, and I’m guessing 190c is 400f? I am trying tonight. I will “chuff”! I love the British ☺️!

    Reply
4.80 from 24 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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