Easy, healthy, and crispy air fryer breakfast potatoes are the best simple breakfast side dish that pairs perfectly with a side of eggs and bacon or sausage. These homemade crispy potatoes are air fried to perfection in just 15 minutes.
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If you've ever wanted to make diner-style crispy & seasoned diced potatoes for brunch, these air fryer breakfast potatoes have got you covered! This healthy version of the breakfast classic is super easy to make with no oven and just a few ingredients.
While you're browsing around for healthy breakfast recipes be sure to try French toast and oat flour pancakes - they are two of our faves! Looking for a shredded hash brown style? Try my air-fried hash browns or sweet potato patties.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect texture! These air fryer breakfast potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.
- Great for dietary restrictions. This recipe is naturally gluten-free, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and Whole30.
- Quick to make and easy to meal prep! With four simple and basic ingredients, this recipe only takes 15 minutes to air fry and 2 minutes of prep.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Baby red potatoes: You can select any kind of potato you want, both fresh and frozen work. Red, Baby, Yukon Gold, or Idaho Russet all produce great air fryer breakfast potatoes.
How to Make This Recipe
Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
Step 1:
Cutting: For a larger potato (i.e red, Russet, Yukon Gold) you will need to quarter before dicing. Baby or fingerling may require fewer cuts.
Cut the potatoes in half and then half again. This will create four quarters with which you can cut 3-4 small cubes per quarter.
Step 2:
Oil: Place diced cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
Step 3:
Seasoning: Season with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon paprika per pound. After air frying you can season the breakfast potatoes to taste with additional seasoning if desired.
Step 4:
Air Fried Instructions
Add breakfast potatoes to the basket in one layer, with space in between pieces and not crowding. Split into two batches to air fry if needed.
Oven Instructions
Transfer seasoned potatoes to a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 425F for 15 minutes, shaking halfway. You may also broil them for the last minute for even more crispiness, however keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
Make Ahead, Storage, Freezer, Serving & Reheating
- Make Ahead: The recipe may be prepped the night before and air fried or roasted in the morning to ensure a crispy texture.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Uncooked, diced potatoes may be oiled, seasoned, and then stored in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. You can cook them straight from frozen.
- Serving: Serve as a side dish with eggs and bacon, in a bowl with onions and peppers, in an egg hash casserole with peppers and sausage, or in breakfast burritos.
- Reheat: Air fry leftovers at 400F for 3-5 minutes or until crispy and heated through.
Expert Tips:
- Optional overnight soak: If you are making these ahead, soak the diced cubes in a bowl of water to draw out as much starch as possible (helps with crispy texture).
- Make sure all pieces are diced evenly to ensure proper and even cooking.
- Variations: For a spicy version top with jalapeños, Sriracha hot sauce, or sprinkled cayenne pepper. You could also top it with cheese for a cheesy version.
- For a crowd: To double the recipe or to make in larger quantities use a larger machine and make in batches to ensure potatoes are crispy and do not steam.
Recipe FAQs
Air frying at 400F for 12-15 minutes will produce super crispy breakfast potatoes.
Soaking and boiling are not required, however soaking them before air frying will remove some of the starch making them more crispy. Martha Stewart has a great resource on why you have to soak potatoes in water to get the crispest potato.
This recipe calls for diced or cubed potatoes, however, you can also cut them into slices (similar to these sweet potatoes), cut them into home fries or wedges, or shred them.
To make air fryer breakfast potatoes crispy and not soggy, be sure to allow space between each cube so that they are crisping, not steaming. Also, be sure to air fry them for longer if they are not as crispy as you would like.
The seasoning for this recipe is a tiny bit zesty yet basic. Salt, pepper, and paprika are the base seasonings, however, adding in garlic powder or onion powder will also give it great flavor.
Related Recipes
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Crispy Breakfast Potatoes in the Air Fryer or Oven
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound potatoes I generally choose baby red potatoes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Clean potatoes and dry them. Cut each in half, then half again, finally turning them for 3-4 more cuts horizontally.1 pound potatoes
- Add potatoes to a large bowl and drizzle them with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika
Air Frying Instructions
- Add your potatoes to the basket. Air fry at 400F for 12-15 minutes, shaking basket halfway through.
Oven Instructions
- Transfer seasoned potatoes to a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 425F for 15 minutes, shaking halfway. Broil for 1 minute to even more crisp texture.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Potatoes may be prepped the night before and air fried or roasted in the morning to ensure crispy texture. If you are making these ahead, soak the diced potatoes in a bowl of water to draw out as much starch as possible (helps with crispy texture).
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Uncooked, diced potatoes may be oiled, seasoned and then stored in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. You can cook them straight from frozen.
- Serving: Serve as a side dish with eggs and bacon, in a bowl with onions and with peppers, in an egg hash casserole with peppers and sausage or in breakfast burritos.
- Reheat: Air fry leftovers at 400F for 3-5 minutes or until crispy and heated through.
- Make sure all pieces are diced evenly to ensure proper and even cooking.
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