Enjoy crispy, yet healthier potato smashers with these Garlic Smashed Air Fryer Potatoes.

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This recipe was originally published on January 16, 2020. It was updated with new photos, recipe notes, and recipe refinements on April 20, 2021.

Crispy, buttery, and crispy Garlic Smashed Air Fryer potatoes with a delicious parmesan cheese topping. Serve these potatoes with burgers, grilled chicken, baked salmon, or your other favorite main dishes.

GUYS! I finally got an air fryer! Like most things in life (I'm looking at you, settling down, getting my career act together, liking potatoes, and almost any technological innovation), I figure it's better late to the party than never.

And once I'm finally there, I go into overdrive making up for all my lost time and fully embracing all my "oh, so this is why people have been raving about this!" moments.

And not only did I just get an air fryer, but I got the Ninja Foodi Tendercrisp: an air fryer and pressure cooker in one.

That's right. If you're looking for me, you're going to need to come with either a million in cash or an armload of dark chocolate to get me out of this kitchen. Otherwise, I have over 4 years of cooking devices to catch up on.

And catching up I've been doing with this air fryer roast potatoes recipe. After a quick run through the pressure cooker, I smashed the tender potatoes and fried them in the air fryer to create a crispy and crunchy smashed potato treat.

A treat so satisfying and addictive that it belied how easy they were to make and how much healthier they were than their deep-fried cousins. (Side note: if you don't have a pressure cooker or Instapot, this recipe is still for you! I include directions on how to boil the potatoes for the same end result).

And so, with every subsequent batch, I'll be checking off the boxes of catching up on air-frying, pressure cooking, and enjoying potatoes. Meaning, that hopefully someday soon I'll emerge from the kitchen without the aid of piles of cash or chocolate, but of course, I'll come out for that, too.

These crispy air fryer baby potatoes are...

• Crunchy
• Garlicky
• Cheesy
• Buttery

They're a perfect gluten-free side dish to take any meal to the next level!

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Ingredients:

• Baby golden potatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Butter
• Garlic
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Crushed red pepper or fresh rosemary (optional)

Substitutions:

• Baby red potatoes - these won't hold together as well when smashed, but they will still have great flavor
• Oil - avocado oil can substitute for the olive oil
• Cheese - shredded parmesan cheese or other types of shredded or grated hard cheese (asiago, romano, etc.) can work in place of the grated parmesan cheese
• Butter - ghee or clarified butter can work in place of the unsalted butter, as can vegan butter

How to make these air fryer smashed potatoes:

1. Boil the potatoes in the pressure cooker or on the stovetop (see directions below)
2. Drain the potatoes and let cool briefly.
3. Spread half of the olive oil on a large baking sheet. Please the potatoes on top.
4. Using the bottom of a drinking cup, smash the potatoes until flattened to ¼-inch thick.
5. Season the potatoes with salt and turn the potatoes in the oil until covered.
6. Gently place the potatoes in the air fryer. Air fry for 14 minutes, turning the potatoes halfway through the cooking time if cooking in an air fryer basket.
7. During the last 4-5 minutes of air frying: saute garlic in the remaining oil and butter mixture until golden brown.
8. Gently move the air-fried potatoes to a mixing bowl. Pour the garlic oil over the potatoes and very gently turn in the oil until covered.
9. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the potatoes and serve hot!

Recipe pro-tips:

• Salt the potato boiling water - this imparts a great flavor into the interior of the potatoes
• Season both sides of the potatoes - salt makes the flavor of these potatoes shine. Salt both sides of the potatoes as you flip them in olive oil.
• Smashing the potatoes - I recommend using the bottom of a drinking glass to easily smash the potatoes. You can also smash them with a large fork, however.
• Gently turn the potatoes - these potatoes are cooked the easiest in an air fryer fitted with a rack. You can also cook them in a basket, though you will need to gently turn throughout cooking and/or cook in batches so they cook evenly and crisp up the best.

How to boil the potatoes:

• In a pressure cooker or Instant Pot: add the potatoes to the cooking pot the pressure cooker. Add cold water to cover and add 1 teaspoon salt. Lock in the pressure cooker lid and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. Quick-release the pressure and your potatoes are ready for the next step.
• On the stovetop: add the potatoes to a saucepan or dutch oven and cover with 1-inch cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to medium-high and boil for 20-21 minutes, or until the potatoes can be pierced with a fork but still hold their shape. 

How to saute garlic without burning it:

Garlic can go from golden brown to burnt very quickly, so it's important to watch the temperature of your oil and butter when sauteing it.

Start the oil on low to medium-low heat and inch the heat up if needed. Stir the garlic non-stop as you cook it. As soon as the garlic starts to turn golden remove the pan from the heat, continuing to stir it until it stops cooking.

Dietary adaptations:

• Dairy-free: to make this recipe dairy-free, substitute vegan butter or ghee and vegan parmesan cheese for the dairy butter and parmesan cheese.
• Vegan: substitute vegan butter or additional olive oil and vegan parmesan cheese for the dairy butter and parmesan cheese.

How to bake these smashed potatoes:

Don't have an air fryer? No problem. You can easily bake these crispy smashed potatoes.

Just smash and season your potatoes and directed and bake them at 425 for 19-22 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy around the edges. Continue with the rest of the recipe as directed.

Serving suggestions:

These potatoes are so versatile! I love serving them as an appetizer or as a side dish with any of the below dishes and more:

• Burgers
• Grilled steak
• Sloppy Joes
• A large green salad
• Broiled salmon

Dipping sauces:

These garlic smashed potatoes are delish on their own, but you can also serve them with your favorite dips. Here are some of my recommendations:

• Ranch
• Creamy parmesan dressing
• Pesto
• Pine nut hummus
• Marinara sauce

Customizing air fryer potatoes:

In the recipe, I recommend red pepper flakes or fresh rosemary as a topping. You can make these potatoes your own by seasoning them with any of your other favorite seasonings, though. Fresh thyme, dried basil, or minced chives are all delicious.

Storage directions:

• Refrigeration - these potatoes last covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freezing - leftover potatoes do not freeze well.
• Reheating - for best results, reheat the potatoes in an air fryer at 375 for 3-5 minutes or in the oven at 375 degrees for 5-8 minutes, or until heated through and crispy.

Tools needed to make this recipe:

• Air fryer
• Instant Pot or stockpot
• Large cookie sheet
• Small skillet
• Heat-safe spatula or turner
• Wooden saute paddle

More delicious air fryer recipes:

• Air Fryer Potato Skins
• Air Fryer Green Beans with Lemon
• Air Fryer Zucchini
• Air Fryer Kale Chips
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash
• Air Fryer Tater Tots

Other tasty potato recipes:

• Instant Pot Baby Potatoes
• Mashed Potatoes without Milk
• Healthy Mashed Potatoes (with no oil or butter!)
• Sweet Potato Souffle
• Twice-Baked Mashed Potato Casserole
• Diced Hash Browns
• Roasted Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad
• Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower & Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup

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