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Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Boiled, smashed, blasted. Maximum crust per potato.
WORTH ITThe correct answer to 'what do I make with these baby potatoes' from now on.
tested 2026-07 Fork-tender before smashing and a real steam-dry are the two non-negotiables.
Ingredients
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- 1 1/2 lb (680g) baby Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for the boiling water)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Flaky salt and chopped parsley or chives, to finish
Instructions
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- Cover potatoes with cold water by an inch, add the 2 Tbsp salt, and boil until a fork slides in with zero resistance, . Undercooked potatoes don't smash, they break.
- Drain and let them steam-dry in the colander - surface moisture is the enemy of crust.
- On a cutting board, press each potato to about 1/2 inch thick with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup. Ragged edges are the goal.
- Mix olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Brush or spoon over both sides of each smashed potato - get into the crags.
- Air fry at 400°F (200°C) in a single layer (batches if needed), , flipping once halfway, until deep golden and crackling at the edges.
- Finish with flaky salt and herbs. Serve hot - the crunch has a half-life of about .
Notes
- Yukon Golds are creamy inside; red potatoes work, russets fall apart.
- Salting the boil like pasta water seasons the potato all the way through - the only chance you get.
- Oven version: 450°F on a preheated sheet pan, 25-30 minutes, same flip.
When it goes wrong
- Potatoes fell apart when smashed → overboiled or pressed too thin; fork-tender, half an inch.
- No crunch → crowded basket or wet potatoes; single layer, steam-dry first.
- Stuck to the basket → dry basket; the oil goes on the potatoes AND a light mist on the basket.
- Bland → seasoned only at the end; the salt in the boiling water is doing the real work.
rcpbx original