Air-Fryer Roast Potatoes

I spent my early 20s feuding with the humble potato. Fearful of big, bad carbohydrates, I avoided the spud at all costs. My life was a joyless place, filled with nothing but green smoothies and kale salads. I yearned for the nightshade constantly—I dreamed of potatoes all day, every day. I wanted them in every way, shape, and form: mashed, baked, fried, boiled, roasted. I eventually came to my senses and decided that life was too short to live without carbohydrates, and today, potatoes are a permanent fixture in my kitchen. You’ll find me gorging on a bowl of delicious crispy potatoes at least once a week—something made much easier and faster thanks to my air fryer.

Like many of our readers, I’m a fan of Kenji’s famous crispy potatoes—it’s a foolproof recipe that needs no improvement. I’d be lying, though, if I said I wasn’t secretly hoping we’d publish an air fryer version at some point (my love of the potato is nearly matched by my love of my air fryer). Because air fryers are so much smaller than a conventional oven, they take significantly less time to heat up and cook food, and their ability to circulate air quickly and evenly makes them especially handy for crisping up foods. Since I got my first air fryer last year, I’ve used the appliance to cook bacon, roast broccoli, reheat pizza, and refresh stale croissants—to name a few of my favorite uses—and now, I rely on my air fryer to make the crispiest potatoes ever.

Why You Should Parboil Your Potatoes Before Air Frying

Just as in Kenji’s oven-roasted potatoes recipe, this air fryer recipe starts with parboiling the potatoes. Boiling your potatoes before tossing them into the air fryer may feel like an unnecessary step, but it’s a tried and true method for making extra crispy roasted potatoes, and one that Kenji swears by for good reason. We’re not just boiling in plain water, though—in true Serious Eats fashion, we’re using an alkaline solution of a half teaspoon of baking soda to two quarts of water. The alkalinity helps break down the outer layer of the potatoes, creating a starchy slurry that coats the chunks of potato when tossed in a bowl with some oil. As the potatoes roast or air fry, this slurry helps the exterior of the potatoes develop a crunchy, craggy crust. 

The Best Potatoes for Roasting or Air Frying

While you can cook any type of potato any way you want, the fact is some spuds are better suited for roasting and air frying than others. While waxy varieties like new potatoes or fingerlings are good for salads and home fries, they’re really not ideal for roasting. Their lower starch content means they don’t get as crispy as starchy varieties, nor do they maintain that crispiness particularly well; though they might be crisp fresh out of the oven, they soften and lose their satisfying crunch quickly.

On the other hand, starchier potatoes such as russets (sometimes known as Idaho potatoes) and Yukon golds have a floury, low-moisture interior, which means they crisp up more easily than waxy potatoes and develop incredibly fluffy insides when cooked. They’re excellent for mashing, frying, and roasting; I like to use russets when making French fries or British chips, and they’re also my go-to potatoes for roasting, and now air frying.

It’s Worth Taking the Time to Infuse Your Oil With Herbs

How many times have you tossed your potatoes with oil, garlic, and herbs, only to have all your aromatics burn in the oven or air fryer? The truth is, the temperature you need to make ultra-crispy potatoes in the oven or air fryer is also one that’s a little too hot for fresh herbs and garlic. You could add these flavorings to the potatoes after they’ve roasted, but you wouldn’t get their full flavor potential. The solution sounds fussy but is actually quite simple: Cook the garlic and rosemary in olive oil or whatever fat you’re using just until they’re fragrant, strain them out, then toss the parboiled potatoes in the infused oil. (Save the strained garlic and rosemary pieces to fold into the potatoes when you’re ready to serve—no burned bits necessary.)

After you’ve tossed the potatoes in the oil all that’s left to do is roast the potatoes in the air fryer. Unlike our method for oven-roasted potatoes—which takes about an hour to cook—these roasted potatoes require a rapid 20 to 25 minutes in the air fryer. Just give them a shake every now and then, and that’s all there is to it. There’s no preheating the oven, no dealing with rimmed baking sheets (you just have to plop your potatoes into the air fryer basket!), and, most importantly, no waiting an hour for your potatoes to cook. It’s your favorite roast potato recipe—but faster.