Air fryer baby potatoes are roasted until crispy perfection on the outside with a creamy and buttery tender middle. Fresh rosemary and a handful of spices make these a mouthwatering side dish for almost any meal.
If there was an award for most versatile side dish, I think it goes to roasted potatoes without contest.
Like their full size cousins, these roasted air fryer baby potatoes go with just about anything you pair them with. From a steak dinner, like air fryer filet mignon or air fried ribeye, to a lighter seafood meal and everything in between they’re the side dish that never disappoints.
With a crispy golden exterior but tender and buttery middle, they take on any spice flavor you coat them with and feature a relatively hands off cooking approach.
If you love the air fryer for making even quicker work of traditionally oven cooked meals, these air fried baby potatoes will rank high on your go-to list for easy dinners.
INGREDIENTS FOR ROASTING BABY POTATOES IN THE AIR FRYER
What’s great about potato side dishes like this is that the potatoes are the star of the show and there’s very little needed to show them off.
- yellow baby potatoes (tri-color or red baby potatoes also work)
- avocado oil (or another high smoke point oil)
- fresh rosemary
- salt & pepper
- garlic powder
- paprika
- fresh parsley for garnish
This seasoning blend is a nice combination of both fresh and dried herbs that go well with almost any meal. Feel free to vary the spices up however you like though if you’re cooking a main dish with a specific flavor profile.
Other fresh herbs like thyme, oregano or sage would be great swaps for the rosemary depending what you have on hand.
HOW TO COOK BABY POTATOES IN THE AIR FRYER
Halve the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle the oil into the bowl and toss until all the potatoes are well coated.
Add the minced fresh rosemary, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper and toss again to combine.
Transfer the seasoned baby potatoes to the air fryer. If you have an oven model air fryer, arrange them on the trays in a single layer.
For basket models, place the potatoes into the basket making sure they don’t overlap too much. You may have to air fry in batches in order to ensure they come out crispy.
Air fry the baby potatoes at 400°F for 18-22 minutes until fork tender. The outsides should be golden brown and crispy while a knife or fork can easily pierce through the middle.
Remove from the air fryer, transfer to a serving plate and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
STORAGE & REHEATING
The potatoes are best enjoyed hot straight from the air fryer but leftovers store well in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
The best way to reheat them is in the air fryer for a few minutes at 400°F just until they’re warmed through. This will help to re-crisp the potatoes a bit versus reheating in the microwave.
From oil sprays to muffin cups and from pizza pans to racks, we've got them all, and they make fantastic Christmas presents, too!
WHAT TYPE OF BABY POTATO IS BEST?
I’m partial to yellow baby potatoes as I think they’re the most “buttery” in flavor with a very creamy texture when roasted in the air fryer.
However, both red baby potatoes and tri-color baby potatoes will also work in this recipe and can be swapped out without any changes.
Fingerlings (just cut them up into thirds or smaller depending on their size) are also delicious. Our local farmer’s market carries these all winter and I often use them in place of baby yellow potatoes with this recipe.
Basically, any soft skinned potato can be used as long as they’re cut up into the same size as a halved baby potato.
If you’d rather use a Russet, try cutting the potatoes into wedges first and then air-frying for a similar cook time.
As for sweet potatoes, I don’t like them as much with this method. Try these parmesan herb air fryer sweet potatoes or roast white sweet potatoes in the oven instead. The former are cut into rounds which is better suited for their thicker skin and less tender flesh and the latter is the best method for getting the starchy white sweet potato caramelized and crispy.
DO YOU WRAP THE POTATOES IN FOIL WHEN USING THE AIR FRYER?
While you can definitely use aluminum foil in the air fryer to help with clean up, I don’t find it necessary for this recipe. A little bit of the oil and spice mixture will drop to the bottom while air frying but it’s not an overly messy recipe.
Many people wrap full-sized potatoes in aluminum foil when baking them in the oven but that’s not needed when using the air fryer for baby potatoes.
In fact, if you were to wrap the potatoes in foil, it would inhibit them from getting nice and crispy which is arguably the best part of this side dish!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THESE BABY POTATOES
Like I said earlier, air fryer baby potatoes are incredibly versatile. Enjoy them in a breakfast bowl with some eggs and sausage, eat them in a salad for lunch or pair them with almost any protein you can think of for dinner.
Some favorites include baked sockeye salmon, air fryer chicken leg quarters and grilled rack of lamb.
Their crispy golden outside and creamy center will have you addicted and craving these little gems weekly!
MORE POTATO RECIPES TO TRY:
Crispy air fryer hasselback potatoes
Roasted purple sweet potatoes
Roasted pesto potatoes
Crispy potato strips
Roasted peri peri potatoes
Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, halved
- 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- freshly chopped parsley for garnish, *optional
Instructions
- Place the halved baby potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and toss until the potatoes are all equally coated.
- Add the spices, salt, pepper and minced rosemary to the potatoes and toss to combine.
- Transfer the seasoned potatoes to the air fryer. If using an oven model, they should fit on two racks without having to overlap. If using a basket model, make sure the potatoes sit in a single layer. If they don't fit, cook in batches to ensure maximum crispiness.
- Air fry at 400°F for 18-22 minutes until fork tender in the middle and golden brown on the outside. For oven models, rotate the racks half way through cooking. For basket models, shake the basket half way through.
- Remove from the air fryer, transfer to a serving plate and garnish with fresh parsley.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I’ve been loving my air fryer and these baby potatoes were SO good! Definitely making these again.
Roasted potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes. These turned out so perfect, I will use this recipe every time I make them, I think. The combination of crispy outside and creamy inside can’t be beat!
This recipe is easy AND delicious! That’s a huge win in any family. Air Fyer Baby Potatoes are a weekly family favorite!
I bought some of the baby potatoes from Trader Joe’s and I wasn’t sure what to do with them. I made these and they’re SO good!
I used dried rosemary and I didn’t have the fresh but it turned delicious and crispy. Great side dish.
These were so good! First time using avocado oil and wow, what a difference! Fabulous way to jazz up the old potato side!
These potatoes were sooo good. I used dried rosemary instead of fresh, and it worked perfectly. Served them with some pork chops. Will definitely make these again!