Air Fryer Roast Potatoes

Golden, crunchy roast potatoes with soft fluffy centres, cooked in the air fryer with far less oil than the oven. A parboil first is the secret, and they're ready in around 40 minutes start to finish.

Air fryer roast potatoes are a bit of a revelation — properly crispy, fluffy inside, and done in a fraction of the time and oil of the oven. The technique is the same as classic roasties (parboil, rough up, hot fat), just scaled for the basket. They’re perfect when the oven’s busy with the rest of the roast, or when you just want a quick crunchy side.

Ingredients

• 800g floury potatoes — Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp oil — or goose/duck fat
• salt

Method

1. Parboil the potato chunks in salted water for 8–10 minutes until the edges soften, then drain well.
2. Return them to the pan and shake to rough up the edges — this makes them crispy.
3. Toss with the oil and a good pinch of salt.
4. Air-fry at 200°C for about 25–30 minutes, shaking the basket 2–3 times, until deep golden and crunchy all over.
5. Season with a little more salt and serve straight away.

Serve it with

• A roast chicken or beef dinner
• Sausages and gravy
• Air fryer chicken breast
• A fried egg for a quick brunch

Why this works

Parboiling and roughing up the edges creates a rough, starchy surface that crisps beautifully, while the air fryer's fierce circulating heat gets them golden with a fraction of the oil an oven needs. Shaking the basket keeps every side crunchy.

Common swaps

• Toss with rosemary, garlic granules or grated Parmesan for the last few minutes.
• Use goose or duck fat for extra-crisp, richer roasties.
• Cut smaller for quicker, extra-crunchy cubes.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the parboil — raw potatoes won't get that fluffy-inside, crisp-outside texture.
• Overcrowding the basket, which steams them instead of crisping.
• Not shaking during cooking, so some sides stay pale.

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Best eaten fresh; keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Freezing: You can freeze parboiled, cooled potatoes and air-fry from frozen.

Reheating: Re-crisp in the air fryer at 200°C for a few minutes rather than the microwave.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.