No par-boiling required for these quick, crisp air fryer roast potatoes. Only 5 minutes prep and 20 minutes cooking time.
Air Fryer
Shallow insert tray for air fryer (I use the 8" pizza pan)
Ingredients:
Optional for extra crunch: 1 tbsp neutral oil such as rapeseed, avocado or sunflower
Method:
700 g (1 1/2 lbs) floury potatoes
2 tbsp neutral oil
1 tbsp neutral oil
1 tsp Maldon salt, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Note 1: Why use a tray insert for air fryer roast potatoes?
Roasting potatoes in the oven requires you to roast the potatoes in a roasting tray with fat in. The potatoes are sitting in the hot fat. This is what helps to give the potatoes that ‘crunchy shell’.
If you try to roast potatoes in an air fryer in the regular basket (with holes in) any excess fat you add will drain through the holes, so the potatoes aren’t in contact with the hot fat. They’ll only have the small amount of fat you poured on coating the skin.
This will result in roast potatoes that are browned, with only a very thin skin of crispness that’s also a little chewy.
If they’re sitting in the hot fat, you’ll get a thicker skin of crunch, as the hot oil absorbs deeper into the skin.
Can I skip the tray insert and add directly to the air fryer basket?
Yes, of course. The skin will be less crunchy, but the potatoes will be browned. They will also have absorbed less fat, so they’ll be lower in calories and fat content.
Shouldn’t you par-boil the potatoes first?