Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes

Name: Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 russet potatoes (scrubbed); 2 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil; 1 tablespoon salt; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

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Crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, you’ll love this Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes recipe! You only need a few basic ingredients and these home fries get crispy in just 20 minutes!

We have a serious love for breakfast and brunch in our house, and savory, golden brown breakfast potatoes are a must have side dish!

Side view of home fries on a plate with ketchup on the side.

While you can definitely use your oven, the air fryer is our preferred method. They get ultra crispy and take just 20 minutes!

We usually pair our breakfast potatoes with some sous vide bacon and sous vide scrambled eggs, but they also go perfectly with this ultimate bagel breakfast sandwich!

If you love breakfast and brunch as much as we do, you’ll also want to check out this collection of air fryer breakfast recipes!

What is an Air Fryer?

The Air Fryer is a healthier alternative to frying foods. It's basically a small, powerful convection oven that sits on your countertop.

It circulates hot air around the food you're cooking, which is what gives it that crisp texture that mimics fried food (without all the grease).

Read more about the health benefits of using an air fryer.

I personally use this Ninja MAX XL Air Fryer because it hold 5.5 quarts, which is more than most. It has worked great so far and we just love how easy it is to use!

Why this recipe works

These air fryer potatoes are quick and easy to prepare and pretty hands off too. Just chop, season and air fry!
You get ultra crispy potatoes without all the oil of deep frying!
This recipe requires just 6 ingredients! Potatoes, oil and basic pantry seasonings.
You can change up the recipe by using different seasonings. I’ve included some options below.
This is a time saving recipe! There’s no need to peel the potatoes and you don’t need to soak them either.

Ingredients

Please refer to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.

You’ll need 2 russet potatoes for this recipe. I usually buy potatoes that are medium-sized to large. While you can peel your potatoes, I like to keep the skins on. Just make sure the potatoes are scrubbed clean and cut into 1-inch cubes.

To help get the potatoes golden brown and crispy, the potato cubes are tossed with 2 ½ tablespoons of avocado oil. You can also use olive oil if you prefer.

These potatoes are coated in a simple seasoning of salt, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper.

Step by step instructions

Cut the potatoes in 1" cubes.

Place in a large bowl and toss with the avocado oil to coat.

Mix the remaining seasonings in a small bowl.

Add the seasoning mixture to the potatoes and toss to coat well.

Raw cubed potatoes in a glass bowl and tossed with oil and seasonings.

Place in the air fryer basket and cook at 400F degrees for 17-20 minutes, tossing every 5-7 minutes to ensure they crisp on all sides. (Add more time if they are not crisp enough).

Remove and serve with ketchup, homemade barbecue sauce or spicy Cajun remoulade sauce.

Air fried breakfast potatoes on a plate with a small dish of ketchup.

Expert tips

To ensure even cooking, cut your potatoes in roughly the same size cubes (about 1-inch).
If you want smaller home fries, cut them into ½-inch cubes and reduce the air frying time.
You don’t need to air fry the potatoes in a single layer, but you don’t want to overcrowd the air fryer basket.
If you have a small air fryer, you may need to air fry them in 2 batches, or half the recipe.
Make sure you shake the air fryer basket a few times so the potatoes on the bottom rotate to the top of the basket.
If your air fryer requires preheating, you’ll want to do so before adding the seasoned potato cubes.
Air fryers can vary so you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly.

Close up view of air fryer breakfast potatoes.

Common questions

What potatoes are best for breakfast potatoes?

I normally use russet potatoes to make breakfast potatoes. (They’re also my preferred option for homemade french fries). They don’t contain as much moisture as some other potatoes, which helps them get crispy. Their skin also gets nice and crispy and the potato flesh is tender and fluffy.

Do you need to peel the potatoes?

I prefer to keep the skins on for extra crispy breakfast potatoes (it also saves time!) but you can peel them if you prefer. If you’re keeping the skins on, just be sure to wash and scrub the potatoes clean.

Can you make these potatoes oil-free?

I don’t recommend cutting out the oil for these breakfast potatoes. While the air fryer does a great job of crisping some foods without oil, you need a little oil to help these potatoes get golden brown and crispy.

Do you need to soak the potatoes?

When making homemade french fries, I usually soak my potatoes to release the starches, which helps crisp them up. You don’t need to do that with these homemade breakfast potatoes. They get nice and crispy in the air fryer without any soaking. If you do decide to soak them, just make sure to pat them dry before air frying them.

What temperature is best for air frying breakfast potatoes?

I recommend setting your air fryer to 400F degrees. This will ensure the potatoes get golden brown and crispy and cook quickly so they stay soft and fluffy in the middle.

What do you serve with air fryer breakfast potatoes?

These breakfast potatoes are the perfect side dish for eggs like these sous vide soft boiled eggs or sous vide poached eggs. Or even these sous vide egg bites!

You can also serve them on the side with orange ricotta pancakes or cornmeal blueberry buttermilk pancakes. And, for the ultimate breakfast, pair these potatoes with a croque madame!

Overhead view of air fryer breakfast potatoes on a plate with ketchup.

Recipe variations

You can change up the seasonings and add-ins to make these breakfast potatoes a little different every time! Here are some options:

Make them spicy with some Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper or chili powder.
Add a smoky flavor by using smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika.
Toss the potatoes with dried herbs like oregano, basil or parsley.
For a warm spice seasoning, mix the potato cubes with some garam masala.
Half way through cooking, add some diced peppers and onions to the potatoes.
Just before serving, sprinkle on some cheddar or parmesan cheese.

More air fryer recipes

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it turned out!