This Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes recipe makes the perfect breakfast hash browns or home fries! Cubed potatoes cooked until golden & crispy with less fat – an easy side dish for breakfast or brunch.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Whether or not you agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it’s DEFINITELY the most delicious in our opinion! We love a good breakfast or brunch and we’ve even been known to make breakfast for dinner once a week (at least!).
These Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes are in our top 10 recipes to make for breakfast and we know you’ll agree. They’re perfectly crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside, and they make the perfect breakfast side dish to round out your morning meal. Serve them with fried eggs and a salad, a slice of a delicious frittata, or alongside your favourite fruit salad and you’ve got an absolutely delicious breakfast!
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating breakfast at a local diner, you’ve probably had to choose what kind of breakfast potatoes to enjoy – hash browns or home fries. Hash browns are usually shredded and pan-fried or finely diced potatoes combined into a patty and then fried. Home fries are larger cubes of potatoes, sometimes boiled first, and then fried until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
These Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes are exactly like diner-style home fries, minus all the added fat because they’re cooked until crispy in the air fryer instead of the deep fryer. If you love crispy potatoes for breakfast (who doesn’t!?!?), these home fries-style breakfast potatoes are the recipe you need!
Achieving the perfect crispy breakfast potatoes or home fries in the air fryer is an easy task with a few simple tips! Here are all our best tricks for crispy breakfast potatoes every single time!
For the best crispy breakfast potatoes, you’ve got to go with either Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes. Russets are the high-starch potatoes that crisp up like a dream, while Yukon Golds bring a naturally buttery flavour and a dense, creamy texture that’ll make the BEST breakfast potatoes you’ve ever tried.
- Give those potatoes a good scrub, dry them well.
- Peel the potatoes for that classic smooth diner style. They’ll turn out crispier and more evenly cooked.
- When it comes to cutting, consistency is key; aim for even cubes, about 1.5 centimetres or so, for that perfect cook.
Toss your cubed potatoes in a light drizzle of oil and your seasonings. Only a little oil is necessary here – just enough to very lightly coat the potatoes – a little goes a long way! You can also use spray oil, if desired.
Preheating: Is it Necessary? Yes! Don’t skip preheating your air fryer. It’ll get you that consistent crispy finish you’re after.
The Perfect Temperature and Timing for Crispy Outside and Soft Inside: Set your air fryer to about 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit and let those cubes cook for 15-20 minutes. That’s the sweet spot for the perfect crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside texture.
Batch Cooking – Tips for Cooking Large Quantities: Don’t overcrowd your air fryer. Work in batches so you don’t steam the potatoes instead of air frying them.
Shake the Basket Halfway Through Cooking: Halfway through, give them a good shake or a stir — this will help them cook evenly and brown on all sides.
Pay Attention to Air Circulation in the Cooking Process: Air circulation is what makes the magic happen. Ensure your potatoes have room to release moisture – if they’re too close together, they’ll steam instead of getting crispy.
Using Parchment Paper or Aluminum Foil: Lining your air fryer basket can make clean-up smoother, but it can interfere with air flow. If you use it, poke some holes in that parchment to keep the air moving.
If you want the perfect home fries or breakfast potatoes and encounter some trouble along the way, here’s what we recommend when it comes to solving common issues:
If your potatoes are too soft after air frying, chances are they were overcrowded. Give them more space to prevent steaming and promote browning.
Increase the temperature a little bit (every air fryer is different!), extend the cook time by one minute or two, and make sure you haven’t added too much oil.
Keep an eye on your potatoes, especially in the final minutes. Every air fryer’s got its own personality, so adjust accordingly.
If you’ve been gifted an air fryer for the holidays and it’s been sitting on your shelf collecting dust, or if you’ve been thinking about picking up an air fryer for awhile but haven’t yet, we’d HIGHLY recommend getting started. An air fryer is a fantastic kitchen appliance for achieving that oven-crisp or fried texture in a fraction of the time with next to no added fat, and to be honest it’s a kitchen appliance we’d have a hard time living without!
Here’s a list of our favourite air fryers we’d recommend (paid links):
- A great Air Fryer for space-saving (2 quart capacity)
- The perfect Air Fryer for large families with a dual basket feature
- A standard Air Fryer for everyday use (works well for a family of 2 to 4 people)
- A large Air Fryer for everyday use (works well for a family of 2 to 4 people)
In addition to an air fryer, you’ll need this basic kitchen equipment to make this recipe (paid links):
- a chopping board
- a vegetable peeler
- a chef’s knife for chopping
- a mixing bowl
- measuring spoons and measuring cups
- a pair of tongs
Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make these air fryer breakfast potatoes (paid links):
- 4 medium to large potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes are best, approximately 1 pound
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
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Here’s a list of tasty ways to switch up the classic breakfast potatoes recipe!
- Maple & Bacon: Toss cubed potatoes with maple syrup and cooked, crumbled Canadian bacon before air frying for a sweet and savoury twist.
- Smoky Chipotle: Add chipotle powder and smoked paprika to the seasoning mix for potatoes with a kick and a hint of smokiness.
- Garlic Herb: Combine minced garlic, dried rosemary, and thyme for a fragrant and herby variation.
- Poutine: After cooking, top with cheese curds and a light gravy for a breakfast take on the classic poutine.
- Cajun Spiced: Sprinkle a homemade or store-bought Cajun spice blend for a Southern-inspired flavour profile.
- Greek: Use lemon juice, oregano, and a touch of feta cheese crumbles post-cooking for a Mediterranean flair.
- Everything Bagel: Sprinkle on Everything Bagel seasoning before air frying for a crunchy, oniony crust.
- Salt and Vinegar: Lightly spritz with vinegar before cooking, seasoning with coarse salt for that tangy chip flavour.
- Cheesy Chive: Stir in shredded cheddar and chopped chives when potatoes are almost done for a melty, oniony addition.
- Roasted Red Pepper: Toss with chopped roasted red peppers and onion powder for a slightly sweet and vibrant variation.
Time needed: 20 minutes
Follow these steps for the perfect breakfast potatoes made easy in the air fryer!
- Choose the right potatoes.
Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes are the best for achieving the perfect crispy texture on the outside and a soft interior.
- Prepare your potatoes well.
Be sure to wash and dry them, and peel them well. Chop them nice and small.
- Season.
Add the potato cubes to a bowl with the oil and seasoning and toss very well to coat.
- Air Fry.
Air fry for 12-15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Shake the basket halfway through cooking.
This will help the potatoes cook and brown evenly.
What type of potatoes is best for breakfast potatoes?
Russet and Yukon Gold potatoes are often recommended for their texture and flavour after cooking.
Do I need to preheat my air fryer?
Yes, preheating your air fryer can help achieve a more even and consistent cook on the potatoes.
Should I peel the potatoes for breakfast potatoes?
Peeling is optional. Leaving the skin on can add texture and nutrients, while peeling can result in a more traditional diner-style home fry.
Do I need to add oil before air frying the potatoes?
Adding a small amount of oil can help achieve a crispy texture and prevent sticking, but it is much less than what would be used for deep frying.
Why did my breakfast potatoes come out soggy in the air fryer?
This could be due to not preheating the air fryer, overcrowding the basket, or not cooking at a high enough temperature.
What’s the difference between home fries and hash browns?
Home fries are typically diced or cubed potatoes, while hash browns are shredded potatoes that are formed into a patty and cooked until crisp.
We hope you love this easy breakfast recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite recipe for breakfast or brunch? We’d love to know!
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Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 4 medium to large potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes are best, approximately 1 pound
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
Recipe: Instructions
- Wash and dry the potatoes well.
- Peel the potatoes.
- Cut the potatoes into small square pieces (about 3/4 inch thick) and add to a mixing bowl.
- Preheat your air fryer to 200 degrees celsius (400 degree Fahreinheit) while you get everything else ready.
- Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and seasonings then toss very well to coat.
- Add the potatoes to the air fryer. Avoid overcrowding them and place them in the air fryer in a single layer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook the potatoes in two batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Air fry for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking.
- Serve immediately when the potatoes are fork tender, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.
Recipe: Notes
How to Store Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
These roasted potatoes keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.How to Reheat Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
Reheat the potatoes in the air fryer for about 3-4 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius or 400 Fahrenheit until warm and crispy.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
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Let us do the work for you with 7 days of deliciously easy family dinners, grocery lists, meal prep guides and MORE!
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Buy 3, save 30%!
Buy 4 or more, save 40%!
There’s so much you can do with an air fryer. All those delicious meals! I’ve been trying to convince my wife we need to buy one, but she said if I buy one, she’d leave me! God Iam going to miss her. 😉
😂😂😂