crispy air fryer potatoes

these crispy air fryer potatoes strike the perfect balance – delicate, crispy crusts hiding soft, fluffy centres, wrapped up in a warm, silky cheese sauce. so simple and quick – the most perfect comfort snack for lazy afternoons.

why you will love this crispy air fryer potatoes recipe

• easy to make – these crispy air fryer potatoes are really easy and quick to make, with not that many steps required and only a handful of ingredients needed. since they’re made in the air fryer, they’re also great for beginners, since there’s no deep frying involved.

• great for both kids and adults – these crispy air fryer potatoes are kid-friendly, not spicy but still nicely seasoned and a great snack for whenever you’re feeling some kind of comfort food but don’t feel like cooking or making anything too complicated.

• ready in minutes!! – so great for when you want a quick snack that’s still fairly substantial. the best part is that there’s little to no fuss or mess involved when making these crispy air fryer potatoes.

learn how to make crispy air fryer potatoes

to make these soft and crispy air fryer potatoes, we need to wash and cut up potatoes into chunks or small pieces. wash the potatoes again, then pat them dry. add seasonings, and then add oil and mix this in until the potatoes are coated. add cornstarch and rice flour, and mix all of this into the potatoes until completely coated in the mixture. grease your air fryer basket, then add the seasoned potatoes in batches and air fry, making sure to toss them halfway through. once all of the batches are done, air fry all of the potatoes again together for another few minutes for extra crispy air fryer potatoes.

for the cheese sauce, we’re going to add american cheese, cheddar cheese and milk into a pot. mix over low heat until the cheese melts into the sauce and the sauce thickens up.

top your air fryer crispy potatoes with the cheese sauce, as well as some sour cream, chilli flakes and spring onions, and we’re done!

crispy air fryer potatoes ingredients

• potatoes- we’re going to wash and cut these before patting them dry and seasoning them. i prefer to leave the skin on when making these quick crispy air fryer potatoes as i love the added texture, but it’s completely up to you.

• seasonings – i added a mix of salt, paprika, garlic powder, cajun seasoning and peri peri seasoning to these easy crispy air fryer potatoes.

• cornstarch – cornstarch is added to these crispy air fryer potato bites to make them crispy.

• rice flour – i also use rice flour in this air fryer crispy potatoes recipe as it helps make the air fryer potatoes extra crispy. i have found that the potatoes don’t turn out as crispy when using just cornstarch.

• oil – and neutral oil will work here. we’ll just be coating the seasoned potatoes with oil before air frying. you’ll also need oil to grease the air fryer basket.

• cheese – we’ll be making a quick cheese sauce to add to these air fryer crunchy potatoes. this is optional. i like to use a mix of american cheese and cheddar for the best colour and flavour.

• milk – i’m using whole or full fat milk for the cheese sauce. you can adjust the amount based on your desired consistency for the cheese sauce.

• sour cream – optional topping

• chilli flakes – optional topping

• spring onions – optional topping

tools:

• knife – for cutting the potatoes into chunks or bitesized pieces

• chopping board – for cutting the potatoes

• large bowl – for the potato mixture

• air fryer – to cook the potatoes

• a small pot -for making the cheese sauce

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: wash potatoes, then cut them up into bitesized pieces or chunks. to cut the potatoes, slice each potato into half lengthways, then slice each half into half again lengthways.

step two: turn the halved potato sideways, and cut so that you get small triangle sized pieces of potato.

step three: once all of the potatoes have been sliced into chunks or bitesized pieces, wash them again with cold water, and then pat them dry.

step four: add the potatoes to a large bowl. add the paprika, peri peri seasoning, salt, garlic powder and cajun seasoning. then, add the oil.

step five: mix all of this into the potatoes until the potatoes are coated.

step six: add cornstarch and rice flour to the bowl and mix this into the potatoes with a spoon or your hands until the potatoes are coated.

step seven: grease the air fryer basket, the place the potatoes in the basket, making sure not to overcrowd it. you’ll need to air fry the potatoes in batches. there will be some liquid left in the bowl – do not add this to the basket.

step eight: air fry the potatoes, making sure to toss them halfway through, then remove from the air fryer. they should look golden and crispy. repeat with the next batch until all of the potatoes are cooked.

step nine: once each batch of potatoes is cooked, add them all back to the air fryer together and air fry for another few minutes.

step ten: make the cheese sauce. in a small pot, add american cheese, cheddar cheese and milk.

step eleven: mix the cheese into the milk over low heat until the cheese melts into the sauce.

step twelve: continue to cook the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens up.

step thirteen: pour the cheese sauce over the crispy air fryer potato chunks.

step fourteen: top your crispy air fryer mini potatoes with sour cream, chilli flakes and spring onions, and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• after cutting up the potatoes, be sure to wash them thoroughly with cold water or let them sit in cold water for a few minutes before draining them.

• be sure to pat the potatoes completely dry until there is no water left behind before you start adding any seasoning. .

• i did keep the skin on these potatoes for some added texture but that is completely up to you.

• adjust any spices and seasonings to your taste. these potatoes are not spicy, so if you like spice, feel free to add some.

• i would really recommend using a mix of cornstarch and rice flour as stated, as i’ve found that the potatoes don’t turn out as crispy when just using cornstarch.

• make sure the potatoes are evenly coated in the seasonings and the dry ingredients. using your hands to mix everything in will make this easier.

• grease the air fryer basket or spray it lightly with oil to ensure that the potatoes don’t stick to it.

• i did not preheat the air fryer, so the cooking instructions are based on this. if you do preheat the air fryer, the potatoes might take less time to cook, so you’ll want to keep an eye on them.

• when air frying the potatoes, arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket. it’s ok if there’s some overlap, but you want to make sure that you don’t overcrowd the basket. you’ll need to air fry the potatoes in batches.

• shake the basket and toss the potatoes halfway through cooking times to ensure that all sides are cooked and crispy.

• all air fryers vary, so you’ll want to keep an eye on your potatoes in the air fryer. you might need to adjust cooking times depending on your air fryer.

• when making the cheese sauce, you need to make sure to keep the heat low to prevent graininess and to prevent the mixture from splitting. stir or whisk gradually as the sauce cooks over low heat.

• i did just add cubes of cheddar to the cheese sauce, but for more even, smooth melting, and just to make things easier, i would recommend grating the cheddar before adding it to the pot.

• you can adjust the consistency of the cheese sauce depending on your preference. if you find that the sauce is too thin, add more cheese. if you think it’s too thick, add warm milk gradually.

• when making the cheese sauce, make sure the ingredients are at room temperature so that they’re not too cold, as this can cause the sauce to split.

• make the sauce just before serving these crispy air fryer garlic potatoes and then serve immediately while it’s still hot.

• if you find that your crispy air fried potato chunks have softened, you can reheat them in the air fryer for a few minutes to make them crispier.

frequently asked questions

1. what do these crispy air fryer potatoes taste like ?

   – these potatoes are crispy, golden and lightly seasoned, with a light, crunchy coating and tender, fluffy centres, paired with a creamy cheese sauce. like loaded fries but extra crispy, not too heavy and incredibly easy to make!

2. do i need to peel the potatoes ?

   – no, you don’t. keeping the skin on the potatoes adds texture and an extra crispiness, but it’s completely up to you.

3. can i make these crispy air fryer potatoes without oil ?

   – while possible, oil is essential for those perfect crispy air fryer potatoes. without the oil, the potatoes will be a bit more dry and tough than crispy.

4. can i make crispy air fryer breakfast potatoes ?

   – absolutely! just skip the cheese sauce and extra toppings, and feel free to adjust the seasonings based on your taste.

5. why use both rice flour and cornstarch ?

   – i’ve found that the combination of both rice flour and cornstarch creates extra crispy potatoes in an air fryer. using just one of these doesn’t give the same result. rice flour adds that extra crunch, and cornstarch helps give these potatoes a light, crispy coating.

6. can i make these crispy air fryer potatoes without rice flour ?

   – although you can use all cornstarch or all regular flour, rice flour just adds that extra crunch that keeps these potatoes crispy. for similar results, you can also try potato starch instead of the rice flour.

7. can i make these crispy air fryer potatoes without cornstarch ?

   – although you can use all rice flour, cornstarch helps give these potatoes their light, crispy coating. using just rice flour or just regular flour won’t give these potatoes quite the same texture. you can do this if you like, just keep in mind that the potatoes won’t be as crispy.

8. do i need to soak the potatoes before seasoning them ?

   – soaking the potatoes in cold water helps remove starch, which will give you a crispier result. i’ve found that just rinsing the potatoes with cold water does the same, so you can do either of these things.

9. how do i make these crispy air fryer potatoes spicy ?

   – if you want to make these crispy air fryer potatoes spicy, just add some extra spices like cayenne pepper, red chilli powder or red chilli flakes to the potatoes with the rest of the seasonings.

10. can i use this recipe to make crispy air fried sweet potato wedges ?

    – yes, you can – sweet potatoes will work fine instead of regular potatoes. if using this as a crispy air fryer sweet potato recipe, just bear in mind that the sweet potatoes might need different cooking times, and that they won’t be as crispy as regular potatoes.

11. why are my air fryer potatoes not crispy ?

    – it could be that your potatoes weren’t dried thoroughly after rinsing them, so make sure to pat them completely dry before seasoning them.

    – it could also be because the air fryer basket was overcrowded, so you’ll want to make sure to place them in a single layer in the basket, and air fry the potatoes in batches.

    – it could also be that your air fryer potatoes need a few extra minutes of cooking time, as all air fryers vary in terms of cooking times. just cook for an extra few minutes until your potatoes are golden and crisp.

12. my cheese sauce is grainy – help !

    – this usually happens if the heat is too high when making the sauce. make sure to make the sauce over low heat, and whisk or stir the sauce as it cooks.

13. can i use a different cheese instead of cheddar and american cheese in the cheese sauce ?

    – yes, you can, but i find that adding some american cheese gives the best colour and a nice, smooth texture. i would recommend keeping some of the american cheese in the cheese sauce. you can replace the cheddar cheese with any other cheese you like.

recipe