Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
Air fryer breakfast potatoes are easy to make and great for more than just breakfast. The crispy potatoes and caramelized onions make the perfect side dish to any meal and are ready in under 30 minutes.
If you love air fryer potato recipes, you should try Air Fryer Potato Cubes or Air Fryer Baby Potatoes.
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Why you will love this recipe
- So easy and fast – making breakfast potatoes in the air fryer is super simple. Chop, toss and air fry without needing to babysit the pan like you do when making them on the stove. This recipe is so much faster than the oven.
- Versatile – use air fryer potatoes and onions as a side for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner or you can even make them for a snack with your favorite dip. Change up the flavors too by using a different spice blend!
- Simple ingredients – air fryer breakfast potatoes are made with simple ingredients you likely have on hand all the time. It’s a simple but super flavorful side dish that pairs well with just about anything! This recipe is vegan, gluten free, dairy free and Whole30 friendly!
Ingredients
- Potatoes – use whatever potatoes you have on hand! I recommend using yellow (gold) potatoes, red skinned potatoes or baby potatoes for this recipe. These potatoes have thin skin (no need to peel them) and get crispy and fluffy when roasted.
- Onion – use whatever kind of onion you have on hand; red, white or yellow onions would all work in this recipe.
- Olive oil (or avocado oil) – oil helps to ensure that the spices stick to the potatoes and onions and also helps ensure that they get nice and caramelized when roasting in the air fryer.
- Spices: Salt, garlic powder, paprika and dried thyme – these spices are my go-to favorite spice blend for potatoes. They give the potatoes flavor while still making them super versatile so you can use them as a side for pretty much anything. You can change up the flavor by changing up the spices (see below for some ideas).
How to make air fryer breakfast potatoes
Start by washing and drying the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into ½-1 cubes. The best way to do this is to first cut the potato in half. Place the cut side down so that you have a more stable surface to work with and cut the potatoes into ½ inch logs/matchsticks. Then cut the matchsticks into cubes. Move the potatoes to a large bowl.
Next cut up the onion. Follow the same method as the potatoes. Cut the onion in half lengthwise. Then peel away the outer skin. Place the onion cut side down on the cutting board and cut it into ½ inch logs, then cut those into cubes. You don’t need to finely dice the onion, just cut into cubes. Add the onion to the bowl with the potatoes.
Drizzle the potatoes and onions with olive oil and add the spices. Stir well to coat.
Dump the potatoes and onions in the air fryer basket. Try to make as even of a layer as you can then turn the air fryer on 400F for 23 minutes.
After 10 minutes, pause the air fryer and shake the basket. Repeat this 2-3 more times during the last 13 minutes of cooking.
Serve hot. The potatoes and onions are best right out of the air fryer.
Top tips for making crispy potatoes in air fryer
- No need to peel the potatoes before roasting, just make sure they are clean before chopping into cubes.
- Use whatever spices you love. This spice blend helps to create roasted potatoes and onions that will pair well with just about anything.
- If you need to double the recipe, make it in batches. Overcrowding the air fryer basket will make it almost impossible for the potatoes to cook evenly.
- Cut the potatoes into even size pieces to ensure they cook at the same time. Having really large cubes and smaller cubes can cause some of the potatoes to be overcooked while some are still raw on the inside.
- Be sure to shake the basket often after the first 10 minutes of cooking to ensure all the potatoes and onions get nice and caramelized in the air fryer. The larger the air fryer basket, the less you have to shake them.
- Coat the potatoes well in oil before cooking. I recommend doing this in a separate bowl so that you can be sure that everything is well coated. This helps the potatoes really crisp up on the outside as they are cooking.
Other spices
- Ranch – omit the thyme and paprika and add 1 tablespoon dried chives, 1 teaspoon dried parsley and ½ teaspoon dried dill.
- Smoky – add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or cumin (or both)
- Spicy – add ¼ – ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
- Taco – omit the dried thyme and add 2 teaspoons chili powder and ½ teaspoon cumin
- Cajun – add 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- Curry – omit the dried thyme and add ½ tablespoon curry powder and ½ teaspoon cumin
- Italian – omit the dried thyme and add 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- Greek – omit the paprika and thyme and add 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon oregano and squeeze with the juice of half a lemon after cooking.
How to serve air fryer potatoes and onions
- For breakfast or brunch alongside of eggs, egg stuffed peppers or smoked salmon frittata
- For lunch in a salad or alongside a sandwich or burger
- As a snack with your favorite dipping sauce and some fresh veggies. Some of my favorite dips for roasted potatoes are chipotle mayo, ketchup, ranch and chimichurri.
- For dinner as a side dish to chicken, beef. meatloaf or salmon or as part of a grain bowl
- Leftovers can be added to salads, in frittatas or egg bakes or in casseroles.
Common questions
What are the best potatoes to use?
The beauty of making air fryer potatoes and onions is that it’s so versatile. It will work with just about all potatoes and onions (and all combinations of them). Here are a few things that might help you when choosing a potato for this recipe:
- Russet potatoes (sometimes called Idaho potatoes) are what you typically use to make mashed potatoes. They are high in starch and sugar and get very golden brown when cooked in the air fryer. Typically these potatoes get even crispier if soaked in cold water for a few minutes before roasting (be sure to dry them off before adding the oil and spices).
- Yukon gold potatoes (or other yellow skinned potatoes) are a great choice for roasting in the air fryer because they are high in sugar but lower in starch. This means that they still get very crispy on the outside but aren’t as starchy and usually create that fluffy inside and crispy outside.
- Red skinned potatoes – red skinned potatoes are more waxy than starchy and hold their shape very well when boiled (these are the best for things like potato salad for example). However they do still have some natural sugars and will get crispy when cooked in the air fryer.
- Baby potatoes – baby potatoes are a mixture of yellow, red and usually purple potatoes. These are very easy to work with since they are already so small (less chopping is needed) and they get super crispy when roasted in the air fryer.
Do you need to peel potatoes before baking in the air fryer?
No, you don’t need to peel potatoes before roasting them, especially thin skinned potatoes like gold potatoes, red potatoes or baby potatoes. If you are using a thicker skin potato (like a russet) you may decide to peel the potatoes first, but that will be a personal preference as it’s not necessary.
Do you need to soak potatoes before roasting in the air fryer?
- I did not notice a difference between soaking the potatoes or not soaking the potatoes, especially when using yellow or red potatoes. That is why for this recipe, I recommend that you use yukon gold potatoes (or gold potatoes), red potatoes for the best result.
- Often it’s recommended that you soak potatoes before roasting to help pull out excess starch so the potatoes will get crispy and fluffy but this is not necessary with the air fryer, especially when using the potatoes listed above.
- If you are going to use russet potatoes (which tend to be more starchy), you may want to soak the potatoes for 5-10 minutes in cold water before cooking. Russet potatoes are very starchy and can also start to oxidize quickly once exposed to air so soaking can be helpful.
How to use leftovers
Breakfast potatoes reheat well on the stove or in the air fryer. If you want to use them in a different dish, you can easily use the leftovers in:
- In salads – crisp up the potatoes and onions first then add them to the salad. They will act like croutons in the salad, giving lots of flavor and helping to make the salad super filling.
- In frittatas or egg bakes – no need to heat the potatoes and onions up first, just add the leftovers to the egg mixture before baking and you have a whole different meal!
- In casseroles – just like the frittatas, there is no need to heat the potatoes and onions up before adding them to the casserole ingredients.
- In burritos, tacos or burrito bowls – crisp up the potatoes and onions before adding them to your burritos, tacos or burrito bowls for a nice contrast in texture!
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: Store leftover roasted potatoes and onions in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note: the potatoes lose their crispy exterior quickly after cooking and especially when stored in the fridge, but you can re-crisp them up on the stove or in the air fryer when reheating.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 375F for 5-7 minutes
- Reheat on the stove in a preheated skillet over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or so or until heated through (be sure to drizzle with some additional olive oil to get them super crispy).
- Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. This will not create a crisply exterior for the potatoes but will heat them through.
- Freezer: You can freeze leftovers, however I would not recommend it because the potatoes will get a slightly different texture when defrosted. If you have to freeze them (up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or container), use the leftovers in casseroles or frittatas so that you don’t notice the texture as much.
Substitutions
- Potatoes – use whatever potatoes you have on hand for this recipe. You can also use sweet potatoes, butternut squash or even rutabaga in place of the potatoes. Each of these will require slightly different cooking time and temperatures though so check out the posts for detailed instructions.
- Onions – use whatever onions you have on hand (you can even use shallots). If you only have green onion, wait to add those to the dish after cooking. You can omit the onion if needed.
- Olive oil or avocado oil – use whatever oil you prefer. You could also use melted coconut oil, melted butter or ghee.
- Spices – the only spice that I would consider to be mandatory would be the salt, because salt makes everything taste better. If you are sodium free, use your favorite sodium free seasoning blend. For more ideas on how to spice the potatoes, check out the list above.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Sweet Potato Wedges (Air Fryer)
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Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
Air fryer breakfast potatoes are easy to make, perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or brunch. This healthy roasted potatoes and onion cooked in the air fryer are ready in under 30 minutes. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, dairy free or Whole30 friendly.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds potatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Wash and dry the potatoes. Cut into 1/2 – 1 inch cubes. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise the lay them flat on the cutting board. Then cut the potato in logs then cut into cubes.
- Chop the onion into cubes. Cut the onion n half lengthwise. Peel the onion then cut it into logs then into cubes.
- Add the potatoes and onion to a large bowl. Add the olive oil and spices and stir well.
- Pour the potato and onion mixture into the air fryer basket. Cook at 400F for 23 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, pause the air fryer and shake well. During the last 13 minutes pause and shake the basket 3-4 more times.
Equipment
Notes
Top tips
- No need to peel the potatoes before roasting, just make sure they are clean before chopping into cubes.
- Use whatever spices you love. This spice blend helps to create roasted potatoes and onions that will pair well with just about anything.
- If you need to double the recipe, make it in batches. Overcrowding the air fryer basket will make it almost impossible for the potatoes to cook evenly.
- Cut the potatoes into even size pieces to ensure they cook at the same time. Having really large cubes and smaller cubes can cause some of the potatoes to be overcooked while some are still raw on the inside.
- Be sure to shake the basket often after the first 10 minutes of cooking to ensure all the potatoes and onions get nice and caramelized in the air fryer. The larger the air fryer basket, the less you have to shake them.
- Coat the potatoes well in oil before cooking. I recommend doing this in a separate bowl so that you can be sure that everything is well coated. This helps the potatoes really crisp up on the outside as they are cooking.
- Ranch – omit the thyme and paprika and add 1 tablespoon dried chives, 1 teaspoon dried parsley and ½ teaspoon dried dill.
- Smoky – add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or cumin (or both)
- Spicy – add ¼ – ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
- Taco – omit the dried thyme and add 2 teaspoons chili powder and ½ teaspoon cumin
- Cajun – add 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- Curry – omit the dried thyme and add ½ tablespoon curry powder and ½ teaspoon cumin
- Italian – omit the dried thyme and add 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- Greek – omit the paprika and thyme and add 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon oregano and squeeze with the juice of half a lemon after cooking.
- Fridge: Store leftover roasted potatoes and onions in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note: the potatoes lose their crispy exterior quickly after cooking and especially when stored in the fridge, but you can re-crisp them up on the stove or in the air fryer when reheating.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 375F for 5-7 minutes
- Reheat on the stove in a preheated skillet over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or so or until heated through (be sure to drizzle with some additional olive oil to get them super crispy).
- Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. This will not create a crisply exterior for the potatoes but will heat them through.
- Freezer: You can freeze leftovers, however I would not recommend it because the potatoes will get a slightly different texture when defrosted. If you have to freeze them (up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or container), use the leftovers in casseroles or frittatas so that you don’t notice the texture as much.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
175
Fat
4
g
Carbohydrates
33
g
Fiber
4
g
Sugar
3
g
Protein
4
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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