Air Fryer Roast Potatoes

Square overhead image of roast potatoes piled up in dark bowl. The potatoes are sprinkled with thyme and salt. The bowl is on a wooden table next to a green napkin. There is a small dish of salt and gold cutlery partly in shot at the top of the frame.

5 from 5 votes

No par-boiling required for these quick, crisp air fryer roast potatoes. Only 5 minutes prep and 20 minutes cooking time.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: side dish

Cuisine: British

Keyword: air fryer cooking, crispy potatoes, potatoes

Servings:

Author Nicky Corbishley

Equipment

Ingredients

700 g (1 1/2 lbs) floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or red-skinned Rooster potatoes
2 tbsp neutral oil such as rapeseed, avocado or sunflower
1 tsp Maldon salt
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Optional for extra crunch:

1 tbsp neutral oil such as rapeseed, avocado or sunflower

Instructions

Peel and chop potatoes into bite-size chunks - about 3-3.5cm (approx. 1+1/4 to 1+1/3 inches). Rinse under cold water and pat dry.
700 g (1 1/2 lbs) floury potatoes
Place a shallow tray insert into your air fryer basket. *see note 1
Add the potatoes to the tray. Drizzle on the oil and give a good shake or stir - so the potatoes are fully covered in oil.
2 tbsp neutral oil
Cook for 5 minutes in the air fryer at 200C/400F, then turn or shake the potatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Turn or shake the potatoes again and give them a bit of a bash with the back of a spoon - to ruffle the edges slightly. Drizzle on a further tbsp of oil.
1 tbsp neutral oil
Cook for another 10 minutes (so it will be 20 minutes cooking time altogether), until the potatoes are crisp and golden.
Sprinkle with salt and thyme before serving.
1 tsp Maldon salt, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Video

Notes

Note 1: Why use a tray insert for air fryer roast potatoes?

Roasting potatoes in the oven requires you to roast the potatoes in a roasting tray with fat in. The potatoes are sitting in the hot fat. This is what helps to give the potatoes that 'crunchy shell'.
If you try to roast potatoes in an air fryer in the regular basket (with holes in) any excess fat you add will drain through the holes, so the potatoes aren't in contact with the hot fat. They'll only have the small amount of fat you poured on coating the skin.
This will result in roast potatoes that are browned, with only a very thin skin of crispness that's also a little chewy.
If they're sitting in the hot fat, you'll get a thicker skin of crunch, as the hot oil absorbs deeper into the skin.

Can I skip the tray insert and add directly to the air fryer basket?

Yes, of course. The skin will be less crunchy, but the potatoes will be browned. They will also have absorbed less fat, so they'll be lower in calories and fat content.

Shouldn't you par-boil the potatoes first?

This recipe is about making quick roast potatoes. I've prioritised speed and simplicity over getting the ultimate crunch. If you have more time, then yes, you can parboil the potatoes.

Par-boil the peeled and chopped potatoes for 8-9 minutes - until softened at the edges.
Drain and give good shake to fluff up the edges further.
Add to the air fryer tray insert and place in the airfryer with the oil. Cook as per the recipe above, but reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes.

Nutritional information is per serving - this recipe serve 4.

Nutrition

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