Smashed red potatoes (air fryer recipe)

Get your taste buds ready for a tantalizing treat!  This smashed red potatoes recipe didn’t last long in my house when I made it today.

If you want to know how to make air fryer smashed potatoes that will rock your world, you have come to the right place.

Don’t let the simplistic list of ingredients fool you. This crispy smashed potatoes recipe is jam-packed with flavor.

To be honest with you, it kind of caught me off guard how tasty these smashed red potatoes really are. I think I went into this recipe with low expectations. I don’t know why because I love all things baked potatoes and twice baked potatoes.

Interestingly, I failed making this recipe at first. I had to start over a few times. The first attempt I wound up with mashed potatoes. Though it was a mess, they still ended up as part of my lunch. So it all worked out.

So without further ado, let’s talk all things smashed red potatoes in the air fryer!

What are smashed potatoes?

Smashed potatoes are essentially baked potatoes that have been smashed and then cooked again to make them crispy on the outside. These potatoes are soft on the inside and have crispy edges on the outside.

They generally have the skin on and made with smaller potatoes such as small red potatoes. Smashed potatoes are an ideal mix between a baked potato and skin-on mashed potatoes.

Why cook smashed potatoes in the air fryer?

There are a few advantages to cooking smashed potatoes in the air fryer. The first advantage is the speed. It only takes about 30 minutes to cook these crispy smashed potatoes in an air fryer. It would take about an hour for the same recipe in the oven. Second, air fryers are a bit better than the oven at making foods crispy. Finally, a bonus reason for using an air fryer over an oven is that it doesn’t heat up the entire house like an oven does.

What kind of potatoes for smashed potatoes?

The best potatoes for smashed potatoes are red potatoes. They’re a perfect size and the skin of the red potato is thin enough to provide a great texture that isn’t too chewy. However, you can use any small size potato that you prefer. The best size of potato for smashed potatoes is one that is about two to three inch in diameter.

• • Tongs are your friend in this recipe. Smashed potatoes can be a bit challenging to handle. They can easily fall apart. Also, consider using a spatula to move these crispy potatoes around. They can easily fall apart.
  • Don’t over smash the potatoes. There is a fine line between smashed potatoes and mashed potatoes. I learned this the hard way.
  • Used my handy kitchen scale to weigh the potatoes that I could get the ingredients vs potatoes right for this recipe. You don’t have to be so precise of course. It came out to be five small potatoes for me. I bring this up because if you are cooking for a crowd you will want to multiply the amount and ingredients accordingly.
  • Feel comfortable experimenting with spices and flavors on this recipe. You can also mix and match the kind of potato used. Just use whatever you have on hand.
  • Size matters in this recipe. Small potatoes are required for this recipe to be proper finger food.
  • Warming up an air fryer doesn’t take long at all. I usually let the air fryer run for about three minutes and then I start cooking.

• • Air fryer
  • Tongs
  • Spatula
  • Basting brush
  • Kitchen towels
  • Fork
  • Small glass
  • Baking sheet

• • Small red potatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Minced garlic
  • Lemon pepper
  • Salt and pepper