With a crispy exterior and fluffy interior, air fryer red potatoes are a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional fried potatoes. With this easy recipe, you can make red skin potatoes as a tasty side dish or snack with minimal oil and maximum flavor.
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Table of Contents
ℹ️ Introduction
I love potatoes and I love roasted vegetables. Roasted potatoes are the best of both worlds!
I used to roast potatoes in the oven, but the air fryer has been a game-changer! I find that roasting red potatoes in the air fryer is even better than roasting them in the oven.
Because the air fryer circulates air within a small space, the air fried potatoes cook perfectly with a crispy skin, while the inside is light and fluffy. I really have to resist popping them in my mouth before I serve them, or I’ll end up eating most of them!
Red potatoes are a great choice for air frying because they are waxy potatoes. Waxy potatoes are lower in starch and have a firmer texture than other potatoes. This prevents them from drying out during the high-heat air frying process.
However, you can also use this recipe for Yukon gold potatoes, russet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or baby potatoes.
If you’re a potato lover like me, you’ll love my batata harra (Lebanese potatoes) recipe! And if you haven’t tried frozen potatoes in the air fryer, you’re missing out. Air fryer frozen french fries and frozen sweet potatoes in air fryer turn out wonderfully!
❤️ WHY THIS IS THE BEST AIR FRYER ROASTED RED POTATOES
- This recipe is so easy that even your kids can make it. My son is the designated potato maker in our family!
- The recipe is customizable – add different kinds of spices, such as Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, or creole seasoning. You can sprinkle the potatoes with some parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
- This air fryer red potato recipe is budget-friendly.
- It’s a great recipe for beginners.
💡 Tips for making air fried roasted red potatoes
Here are some tips for getting the best results when making this air fried red potatoes air fryer recipe:
- It’s important to cut the potatoes into equally sized cubes to make sure that they cook at an even rate.
- Avoid cutting them too small, as they may dry out. A good size is 1.5 inches (about 4 cm).
- If using baby red potatoes, they can be cut in half.
- Tossing the potatoes in a thin coat of olive oil helps them crisp up nicely.
- Too much oil makes them soggy, but with too little, they won’t crisp properly.
- Seasonings like salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika stick better to potatoes when they are lightly oiled first.
- Make a big batch of roasting seasoning and use one tablespoon for this recipe.
- Preheat your air fryer for 4 minutes before adding the potatoes.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. The potatoes need hot air circulation to crisp up on all sides, so arrange them in a single layer if possible. Work in batches if needed.
- Toss or shake the basket periodically. Shaking or tossing the potatoes every 5-8 minutes helps them brown evenly.
- Season before cooking and after cooking, as needed.
- Let the potatoes rest before serving, about 5 minutes after the cook time is up, to allow the insides to finish cooking through with residual heat.
❓ FAQS
There’s no need to peel red potatoes before air frying – the skin adds great texture and nutrients. Just make sure you scrub them with a brush to remove any dirt.
Potatoes can get soggy if you overcrowd the air fryer basket. Make sure you dry the potatoes well before coating them with oil but don’t use too much oil.
You may have used too little oil. If the potatoes look dry, spray them with a little oil halfway through cooking.
Yes, to reheat, set the air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 176 degrees Celsius. This helps re-crisp them after refrigerating.
🧂 Air Fryer Red Skin Potatoes Ingredients
- Keep the skin on the red potatoes for maximum flavor.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Paprika adds color, but you can use cayenne pepper too.
- Onion powder and garlic powder add lots of flavor.
- Olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil can be used. I prefer olive oil.
- The roasting spice mix can be made in bulk using my recipe.
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
📝 How to make air fryer red potatoes
- Dry the potatoes with a paper towel or clean cloth and place them in a medium bowl.
- Coat the potatoes with olive oil. Add the spices and distribute evenly.
- Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket without overcrowding. One layer is best. Shake the potatoes once or twice.
- Air fry the potatoes for 18 minutes at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
♨️ Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place potatoes on a baking sheet.
- Bake until the potatoes are cooked through, flipping them halfway through cooking.
Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
✅ MY FAVORITE AIR FRYER ACCESSORIES
EVO oil sprayer is great for spraying oil on food. This is the best I’ve tried.
An instant-read thermometer is invaluable when air frying meats or frozen foods.
Perforated parchment sheets come in handy when making messy foods.
Air Fryer Red Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs red potatoes (⅔ kg) cut into 1.5 inch cubes
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Pat the potatoes dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel until they're completely dry. This is an important step.
- Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika in a small bowl. Alternatively, you can use 1 tablespoon of my roasting seasoning.
- Coat the potatoes with oil. Add the spice mix and coat evenly until every surface is covered.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees C).
- Coat the air fryer basket with oil. You can use a paper towel soaked in oil or an oil sprayer. Don't use canned aerosol oil, as that can harm the coating of the air fryer basket.
- Transfer the potatoes to the basket and make sure they're evenly spread out. Do not overcrowd.
- Air fry for 16 to 18 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Shake the basket or use a spatula to turn the potatoes once or twice during cooking process.
- When the cooking time is up, check to make sure the potatoes are ready. If needed, toss the potatoes again and air fry for another 2 minutes.
- Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with oil.
- Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and golden in color.
Notes
- Prep time does not include the time needed to peel and cut the potatoes.
- Substitute the individual spices with 1 tablespoon of my homemade roasting seasoning.
- Cooking time can vary based on the air fryer model and the size of the potato cubes. At the 15-minute mark, check the potatoes to see if they’re done.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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✅ Why Trust Neena at Paint the Kitchen Red?
I’m Neena, and I’ve spent a lifetime perfecting the recipes I share. My years of practice have honed my skills, resulting in consistently delicious and easy meals. My experience (including hits and misses!) enables me to provide valuable insights, troubleshooting advice, and innovative recipe ideas. Every recipe is tested multiple times, so you can be sure it works the first time!
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