Air Fryer Home Fries [Oil Free Option]

Crispy and delicious air fryer home fries are comfort food at their finest. Perfect for breakfast or dinner, this easy recipe makes the ultimate side dish. Prepare for LOVE at first bite.

This recipe was originally published in November 2020. It has been updated for content and photos.

Bonus! It’s healthier than your classic version and can be made with no oil at all!

Just like my crispy air-fried hash browns, these home fries are truly perfection. Crispy, with or without oil, incredibly flavourful, and absolutely delicious.

Jump to:

• Here’s why you’ll love these!
• How to get crispy potatoes without oil?
• Ingredients + Substitutions
• Instructions
• With Oil vs Oil-Free Comparison
• Storage
• What to serve with them
• Equipment
• Expert Tips
• More amazing air-fried potato recipes
• 📖 Recipe

Here’s why you’ll love these!

• They’re crispy, flavourful, and absolutely delicious.
• Perfect for breakfast, but also a great side dish for lunch or dinner.
• Delicious, with or without oil, so for those of you on a low-fat or fat-free diet, you can skip the oil with fabulous results! (See the comparison photos towards the bottom of this post.)
• Just a few basic ingredients are required to make these incredibly good air fryer home fries.

How to get crispy potatoes without oil?

The air fryer plays an important role here, but also, the preparation of your potatoes is key.

Soaking potatoes in cold water releases excess starch. This prevents them from sticking to one another and results in crispier potatoes.

Do I really need to soak them?

Yes and no. 🙂

If you’re in a hurry and just don’t have the time to soak the potatoes, you may skip this step. Your potatoes won’t be AS crispy and you’ll have to stir your potatoes while cooking a little more often to prevent them from sticking to one another.

BUT, if you want to achieve maximum crispiness, I highly recommend soaking the potatoes, rinsing them, and drying off the excess water before air frying.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Here’s everything you’ll need for these wonderfully delicious air-fried home fries.

• Potatoes: I like yellow or Yukon Gold potatoes for their pleasant flavour and they have less starch than russet potatoes. Use a kitchen scale to weigh about 1 pound worth of potatoes. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use approx. 2-3 medium or 4-5 small potatoes per batch.
• Red pepper: You may use any colour bell pepper you have on hand.
• Onion: I like yellow onion as they get nicely caramelized in the fryer, but any onion you have on hand will be fine.
• Spices: Salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika make the perfect blend of seasoning for these potatoes.

Instructions

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

NOTE: Let the potatoes soak for 20 minutes, or longer. Then drain them, rinse well, then lay them on a clean, dry dish towel and pat dry.

Serve your air fryer home fries garnished with fresh chives, and sprinkle a little extra salt if needed.

With Oil vs Oil-Free Comparison

During my testing, the optional oil did make the potatoes a little crispier, as expected.

However, I was pleasantly surprised that the oil-free version is also very crispy. The edges are crispy, with a fluffier texture inside.

Here’s a comparison photo of both options. Both produce similar results.

Storage

The home fries taste best when freshly made, but you may keep leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a sealed container.

To reheat, pop them back into your air fryer basket at 350 degrees until heated through. Or use a toaster oven. I don’t recommend microwaving these to prevent soggy potatoes.

What to serve with them

I could personally enjoy these crispy home fries as a meal on its own, but here are some great pairing options. 🙂

• Fluffy pancakes or waffles, and some baked beans, and fresh fruit for breakfast.
• Or serve them on the side of these veggie wraps or a chickpea salad sandwich for lunch.
• Enjoy with this roast, vegan ham, or with these amazing burgers.

Equipment

I use a Ninja Foodi 8qt model, but any model, including toaster oven styles will work for these home fries.

Just keep in mind that strength and cook times will vary from one model to another.

So start checking on your potatoes around the 12-13 minute mark and keep going until cooked through and desired crispiness level is reached. My potatoes are perfect in about 20 minutes.

Expert Tips

• For best results, take the time to soak and rinse your potatoes before cooking. This will give you the crispiest air fryer home fries.
• Cut your potatoes as evenly as possible for even cooking. Half-inch cubes work well for quick cooking and they will crisp up nicely.
• Don’t dice the onion and pepper too small or they will burn and may fall through the holes of your basket. If you don’t want larger pieces, add them only once the potatoes are about halfway cooked.
• Air fryers range in strength so always check on your potatoes while cooking. I use a Ninja Foodi 8qt and mine are perfect at the 20-minute mark. Smaller models may cook faster.
• Play with the seasoning for added flavour. I’ve kept these simple, but if you want to change up the flavours, you may sub the paprika with smoked paprika, and/or add some onion powder, chili powder, cumin, or cayenne.

More amazing air-fried potato recipes

📖 Recipe