Who doesn’t love a roast potato? Have you tried making them in an air fryer? No need to parboil — these come out crispy and delicious in about 20 minutes, making them a perfect quick side for a speedy meal.
“This was a life saver when the little monkey wanted roasties for dinner at short notice. Amazing! Thank you!”
– Alexandra
Nicky’s Notes
I experimented with three ways to make roast potatoes in the air fryer without parboiling. Here’s what worked and what didn’t.
- Steaming the potatoes in a foil parcel inside the air fryer, then removing the foil and air frying with oil.
- FAIL – they didn’t steam properly, stayed hard and became dry with a thick chewy skin.
- Placing the potatoes directly in the air fryer basket with oil (no parboil).
- These were okay: nicely browned skin, slightly chewy, with a fluffy interior.
- Cooking the potatoes in a shallow tray insert inside the air fryer, drizzled with oil (no parboil).
- WINNER! – fluffy inside and a crunchier skin. Not quite as crisp as oven roast potatoes, but a great quick option when time is short.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- 📋 Ingredients for Air Fryer Roasties
- Abbreviated Recipe
- Shouldn’t you par-boil the potatoes first?
- Why use a tray insert for air fryer roast potatoes?
- Can I skip the tray insert and add directly to the air fryer basket?
- Recipe Tips
- 🍽️ What to serve them with
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Air Fryer Roast Potatoes Recipe
- Type of Air Fryer
- 🍲 More fantastic Potato Sides
📋 Ingredients for Air Fryer Roasties
Full recipe with quantities is in the recipe card below.
Best type of potatoes for roast potatoes
Choose a floury potato rather than a waxy one—floury varieties crisp on the outside while staying fluffy inside. Good choices include:
- UK: Maris Piper, Rooster, King Edward
- US: Russet/Idaho or Yukon Gold
Abbreviated Recipe
Peel, wash and pat the potatoes dry. Add them to a shallow tray insert in the air fryer basket and drizzle with oil. Air fry for 20 minutes, shaking a couple of times, until golden. Serve with flaky salt and fresh thyme.
Tray Insert
A shallow tray insert keeps the potatoes sitting in hot oil rather than letting oil drain through the basket holes. This helps build a thicker, crunchier skin similar to oven-roasted potatoes.
Shouldn’t you par-boil the potatoes first?
This recipe focuses on speed and simplicity. Parboiling will give an even crisper finish, so if you have time, parboil the potatoes and then roast them in the air fryer (see notes in the recipe card for timings).
Why use a tray insert for air fryer roast potatoes?
In an oven, potatoes roast in hot fat inside a tray, which soaks into the skins and creates a thick crunchy shell. In a perforated air fryer basket, excess oil drains away, so the skins only get a thin coating and a thinner, slightly chewy crisp. Using a shallow tray keeps the potatoes in contact with hot oil, producing a deeper, crunchier skin.
Can I skip the tray insert and add directly to the air fryer basket?
Yes. The potatoes will still brown and taste great, but their skin will be less crunchy and they will absorb less fat.
Recipe Tips
- Use a shallow tray insert so the potatoes stay in contact with the oil instead of letting it drain away.
- Choose floury potatoes for the best texture.
🍽️ What to serve them with
- Traditional roast dinner like roast chicken, pork, lamb or beef.
- Comforting stews and casseroles such as chicken casserole or beef stew.
- Pan dishes like tarragon chicken or pork chops with creamy mustard sauce.
📺 Watch how to make it
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Air Fryer Roast Potatoes
5
20
25
Equipment
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Air Fryer (drawer-style)
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Shallow insert tray for the air fryer
Ingredients
- 700 g (1 1/2 lbs) floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or Rooster
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (rapeseed, avocado or sunflower)
- 1 tsp Maldon salt
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Optional for extra crunch:
- 1 tbsp extra neutral oil
Instructions
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Peel and chop potatoes into bite-size chunks (about 3–3.5 cm). Rinse under cold water and pat dry.
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Place a shallow tray insert into your air fryer basket.
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Add the potatoes to the tray, drizzle with the 2 tbsp oil and toss or shake so they’re evenly coated.
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Cook at 200°C/400°F for 5 minutes, then turn or shake and cook another 5 minutes.
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Turn or shake again and bash the potatoes lightly with the back of a spoon to roughen the edges. Drizzle on the extra 1 tbsp oil.
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Cook for another 10 minutes (total 20 minutes) until crisp and golden.
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Scatter with Maldon salt and fresh thyme before serving.
Notes
Note: Tray insert vs basket
A tray insert keeps the potatoes in contact with hot oil, creating a thicker crunchy skin. In a perforated basket, oil drains away so the skins get only a thin coating and a thinner crisp.
Can I skip the tray insert?
Yes. The potatoes will brown but the skin will be less crunchy and they’ll absorb less fat.
Should you parboil?
This is a quick recipe prioritising speed. Parboiling will improve crunch if you have the time:
- Parboil peeled, chopped potatoes for 8–9 minutes until softened at the edges.
- Drain and shake to fluff the edges.
- Place in the tray with oil and follow the recipe, reducing cook time by about 5 minutes.
Type of Air Fryer
These instructions are for drawer-style air fryers (not tested with grill-style models or those with paddles).
Nutritional information is per serving (serves 4).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and should be used as a guide.
This recipe was first published in September 2023 and updated with new images and a video.
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Some links in this post may be affiliate links which help support the site at no extra cost to you. Nutrition estimates are approximate.