The BEST Air Fryer Home Fries

Name: The BEST Air Fryer Home Fries
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds Russet Potatoes; 1 Red Bell Pepper; 1 Green Bell Pepper; 1 Yellow Onion; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

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These Air Fryer Home Fries are so easy and delicious to make! Crispy potatoes and vegetables fried to golden-brown perfection. You won't want to miss this!

*Originally published March 10, 2022 and updated with new copy and photos 2/28/23.

White bowl with tortillas in the background on red napkin

Who doesn't love potatoes? I mean, they are sent from the gods, right? At least they are in my opinion. My heritage is Scotch Irish so it is basically bred into me a love of the earthy root vegetable. We didn't eat a bunch of home fries growing up, but my mom would always make them on Christmas morning as part of the big Christmas breakfast. They were and still are my favorite! These Air Fryer Home Fries are so crispy and full of flavor, you won't believe how easy and hands-off they are to make!

Air fryer home fries are a healthier alternative to traditional fried potatoes because they require less oil to cook and are not soaked in hot oil, which can add extra fat and calories. They make a delicious and easy side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and can be customized with different spices and seasonings to suit individual tastes.

For some other great breakfast recipes, check out these , these Air Fryer Biscuits, these Air Fryer Frozen Hash Browns, these or these Healthy Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins!

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What Makes These Air Fryer Home Fries So Great
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Instructions
Variations
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Storage
Top tips
FAQ's
Other Great Breakfast Recipes You Will Love
The BEST Air Fryer Home Fries
Food safety

What Makes These Air Fryer Home Fries So Great

Hands Off Recipe- This recipe is almost totally hands off, after you chop the potatoes and vegetables, you let the air fryer do the work. It is perfect when you want to make a full breakfast meal and have to do multiple things at once.
Under 40 Minutes- These potatoes will cook in the air fryer for 35 minutes making them the perfect recipe for when you are making a delicious breakfast for the family or breakfast for dinner. You will be able to cook everything else while they are in the air fryer.
Simple, Clean Ingredients- This recipe reminds me of the frozen bagged Potatoes O'Brien. I don't know if you know those, but we would eat them a lot growing up. This recipe has all the same flavors but is clean and preservative-free. Full of whole foods and simple ingredients.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Ingredients on white surface with text overlay

Russet Potatoes- The key to making these breakfast potatoes extra crispy, is using the right potatoes. I have tried this recipe with a variety of different potatoes and I can say for certain that Russets are the way to go. They create a balanced, crispy, and golden exterior but a soft and fluffy interior.
Olive Oil-You can use any neutral oil that you have on hand for this recipe. Olive Oil is just my go-to. I have also used avocado oil. If you are worried about the oil content, this recipe only contains 2 tablespoons of oil so it isn't as much as traditional frying.
Spices- I love using simple spices in this recipe. Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. There are a lot of vegetables that bring great flavor so I just like to enhance them. However, feel free to throw in whatever herbs you prefer!
Vegetables- I love adding bell peppers and onion to these potatoes. They remind me of the potatoes that I grew up eating as a kid. Feel free to load your potatoes up with whatever vegetables you prefer though!

A complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.

Instructions

Step 1: Wash and peel the potatoes. Dice the potatoes evenly into 1-inch cubes. Toss the cubes of potatoes with olive oil and spices.

Step 2: Add the potatoes to the Air Fryer basket. Cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes shaking/stirring a few times throughout.

Step 3: Dice the peppers and onion and toss them with olive oil. Add to the air fryer and stir in with the potatoes.

Step 4: Cook everything for an additional 15 minutes, shaking/stirring a couple of times to ensure the potatoes are crispy and evenly browned

Hint: Make sure to cut the potatoes the same size. This will help to ensure an even cook time.

Variations

Spicy - Kick up the spice and add some crushed red chili flakes along with the other spices.
Cheesy - Top with some vegan cheddar cheese to make these breakfast potatoes cheesy and delicious!
Hash - Turn these breakfast potatoes into a hash by loading up with additional vegetables and some vegan eggs.

Check out some other great side dishes like these Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables, or this Gluten-Free Scalloped Potatoes!

Recipe Serving Suggestions

These potatoes are a great breakfast side! Serve them up alongside some of these yummy breakfast meals:

Storage

Store leftover breakfast potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can reheat in the microwave, but you won’t get those nice crispy edges. For that, you’ll have to reheat the potatoes in your air fryer. Spread the leftover potatoes in the air fryer basket and fry at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until crisp again.

These breakfast potatoes will freeze great! Spread on a baking sheet and freeze in a single layer for 2 hours or until potatoes are firm. Transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat at 400 degrees until hot and crispy.

Check out these Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes for another great Air Fryer recipe!

Top tips

All air fryers are different. Make sure you know your air fryer, it may take less or more time to cook your potatoes depending on how your air fryer cooks. Shake the basket at 15 minutes and then again at 7 minutes. The potatoes will be done when they are fork-tender and have a crispy exterior.
It is very important to shake the air fryer basket halfway through the cooking time. The way an air fryer cooks is through circulating the air through the machine. So flipping the basket halfway through will ensure that all the potatoes will be cooked evenly.
Serve these potatoes with vegan sausage patties and a vegan "egg" scramble or load them up into a vegan breakfast burrito! These breakfast potatoes would go great with this Dairy-Free Southwest Frittata, this Easy Vegan Sausage and Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole, this Loaded Veggie Breakfast Casserole without Eggs, or these Vegan Egg Muffins with Sausage.

FAQ's

Do you have to soak potatoes before air frying?

No, while soaking will help to draw out some of the starch, I don't find this to be needed when using the air fryer. They tend to get crispy on their own. However if you do make these in the oven, then I would recommend soaking the diced potatoes for 30 minutes before baking.

How do you cut potatoes for breakfast?

You want to use a sharp chef's knife to cut the potatoes. It is also very important to cut the potatoes the same size. This will help to ensure and even cook time.

Do I have to boil potatoes before frying?

No you do not. I don't recommend boiling the potatoes before frying as they will get crispy in the air fryer. This recipe also only takes 25 minutes and the potatoes get perfectly crispy, so boiling would just add time to the recipe.

Where do I put oil in my air fryer?

You do not put oil directly in the air fryer. Add the potatoes and vegetables to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and then toss to make sure the oil coats everything, then you add it to the air fryer.

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