These Air Fryer Diced Potatoes are the perfect side dish! Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, these potatoes are so easy to cook in the air fryer. Made with a handful of budget-friendly pantry ingredients, this dish will be ready in under 20 minutes!
My air fryer has quickly become one of my most used kitchen appliances. I make everything in my air fryer, from Beyond Burgers to quesadillas to salmon teriyaki. I even use it to reheat leftover pizza! Check out my complete air fryer recipe collection.
If you're new to air frying, this is the perfect recipe for you! My Easy Air Fryer Diced Potatoes are so quick and easy to make in the air fryer.
It's the perfect side dish and a much healthier option than French fries. It may just become a regular in your dinner rotation!
When I was in culinary school, we would start out each class practicing our knife skills by dicing potatoes. Then, to use up all those potatoes, we would cook them.
First, we would parboil them until they were partially softened. Then we would sauté them in a pan with a little oil, garlic, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. Even years later, those tasty potatoes are hard to forget- crispy, creamy, and packed with flavor!
Now I've adapted that recipe to make in the air fryer. Air frying not only makes this dish a lot easier, it also makes it healthier. With air frying, there's no need to parboil the potatoes first. This cuts down significantly on the cook time.
Air frying also means that you can use a lot less oil. Don't worry- you'll still get perfectly crispy potatoes on the outside with a soft, buttery center.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Dish
- Quick & easy- make it in under 20 minutes!
- Only 5 ingredients
- Healthy- whole, unprocessed ingredients and minimal oil
- Budget-friendly
- Kid-friendly
- Versatile side dish- equally suitable for a casual meal or an elegant dinner
How an Air Fryer Works
An air fryer is basically a mini convection oven that sits on your countertop. Air fryers have a heating element at the top and a mechanical fan that helps circulate the hot air around your food more efficiently. This makes your food nice and crispy on the outside while keeping it moist and juicy on the inside.
So although air fryers have a catchy name with the word "fryer" in them, there's no actual frying involved at all!
Basically, air frying gives you the taste and texture of deep-fried food that you crave but with little to no oil. So air frying is a healthy cooking technique.
Plus, air fryers heat up quickly and cook food super fast. They're also easy to clean.
Best Air Fryer
Looking for an air fryer? I love the Ninja Max XL 5.5 quart Air Fryer. The large basket is perfect for a family of four.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Diced Potatoes
Recipe Notes and Substitutions:
- Potatoes- I like to use either red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes and leave the skin on. They get nice and crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. If you leave the skin on, make sure to scrub them well.
- Olive oil- you can use other types of oil like avocado oil
- Garlic powder- I use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic because fresh garlic tends to burn. If you want to use fresh, I would suggest adding it just a few minutes before the potatoes are done.
- Parsley- nothing beats bright, fresh parsley at the end. However, if you don’t have any, you can use dried parsley and toss it with the potatoes along with the salt and garlic powder.
Doctor's Tip
Potatoes are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The skin contains a good amount of these nutrients so try to leave them on when you can.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Step 1- Scrub the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces or cubes.
- Step 2- Soak them in cold water for 10 minutes.
- Step 3- Drain the potatoes and dry them off with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Toss them in a bowl with oil, salt, and garlic powder. If using dried parsley, add it at this point. If using fresh parsley, you’ll add it at the end.
- Step 4- Preheat your air fryer to 360°F. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Step 5- Cook potatoes 14-15 minutes, shaking the basket to toss them 1 or 2 times during cooking.
- Step 6- Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh parsley.
Chef's Tips
- Peeling the potatoes is optional. I prefer to use red potatoes or Yukon gold and keep the skin on for more nutrients.
- Cut the potatoes into uniform bite-sized pieces to ensure that they cook quickly and evenly.
- Soaking the potatoes in cold water removes excess starch from the potatoes. This helps them crisp up nicely as they cook. Be sure to dry the potatoes well before tossing them with the oil and spices.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket or the potatoes will steam and won’t get crispy. Cook them in batches if needed.
- Shake the basket 1 or 2 times during cooking to ensure even browning.
Recipe Variations
These diced potatoes are so versatile and can be spiced up to your liking! Use this recipe as a guideline and add your favorite seasonings.
Here are a few ideas:
- Mediterranean- Rosemary, thyme, oregano, herbs de Provence
- Cajun- paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne
- Tex Mex- chili powder, cumin
- Indian- curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala
What to Serve with These Potatoes
You can enjoy these cubed potatoes for breakfast along with eggs, pancakes or waffles. You can even toss them into breakfast burritos.
Serve them as a side dish at dinner. It's a great accompaniment to chicken, turkey, meat or seafood dishes. Since you'll have the air fryer on, you can make some air fryer chicken legs or chicken wings.
Add them to burrito bowls or salads.
They're a healthy alternative to French fries served with some ketchup. I like to serve them with burgers like my Juicy Air Fryer Turkey Burgers, Air Fryer Beyond Burgers or Grilled Salmon Burgers with Dill Yogurt Sauce.
Recipe FAQs
I like to cook potatoes at moderate temperature, around 360°F. Potatoes take some time to cook so if you set the temperature too high, they'll brown too quickly on the outside and will remain undercooked on the inside.
Yes, you can cook frozen diced potatoes or hash brown potatoes in the air fryer. I recommend cooking them at 360°F for 15-20 minutes, and tossing the potatoes 1 or 2 times during cooking. Cooking times will vary depending on your air fryer model. Potatoes are done when they are fork tender.
You can reheat these potatoes in the air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Add the potatoes to the basket and cook 3-5 minutes until heated through.
Soaking the potatoes in cold water removes excess starch. This helps them crisp up nicely as they cook. Be sure to dry the potatoes off well before tossing them with the oil and spices.
Learn how to adapt any recipe to cook in your air fryer! Read my Easy Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Guide and get my helpful conversion chart!
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Recipe
Easy Air Fryer Diced Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds (4-5 medium) red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces (¾ inch). Soak them in cold water for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry the potatoes.
- Toss the potatoes in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt, and garlic powder. If using dried parsley, add it at this point. If using fresh parsley, you’ll add it at the end.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F for 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes in a single layer to the air fryer basket. Don’t overcrowd the basket- cook the potatoes in two batches if needed.
- Cook potatoes 14-15 minutes, shaking the basket to toss them halfway through. Potatoes are done when they are easily pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary depending on how large the pieces of potatoes are.
- Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- Peeling the potatoes is optional. I prefer to use red potatoes or Yukon gold and keep the skin on for more nutrients.
- Cut the potatoes evenly into bite-sized pieces to ensure that they cook quickly and evenly.
- Soaking the potatoes in cold water removes excess starch from the potatoes. This helps them crisp up nicely as they cook. Be sure to dry the potatoes well before tossing them with the oil and spices.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket or the potatoes will steam and won’t get crispy. Cook them in batches if needed.
- Shake the basket 1 or 2 times during cooking to ensure even browning.
- This dish is so versatile. Use this recipe as a guideline and add your own favorite seasonings.
Nutrition
About the author
Dr. Sonali Ruder
Meet Dr. Sonali Ruder aka The Foodie Physician- ER doctor, chef, culinary creator & mom.
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