September 2, 2024

Air Fryer Potato Cubes

Air fryer potato cubes are a quick and delicious side dish that offers the perfect balance of crispy exterior and tender interior. Diced potatoes are lightly coated with oil and seasoned with spices like salt, pepper, and paprika before being air-fried to golden perfection. The air fryer’s hot circulating air ensures even cooking and a satisfying crunch without the need for excessive oil. These potato cubes make a versatile and healthier alternative to traditional fried potatoes, ideal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and can be served with your favourite dipping sauce.

In this blog post, you will learn how to make air fryer potato cubes.

How to Make Air Fryer Potato Cubes

Using your peeler, peel your large potatoes (of any potato variety, I prefer Rooster potatoes) and rinse them off in the sink. Then, dice them on your chopping board into small bite sized pieces. Put all of the diced potato cubes into a large bowl and pour the olive oil over the potatoes making sure to coat the diced potato cubes evenly. Take half of your sweet paprika, salt, and pepper and sprinkle them over the cubes. Mix the cubes around with a silicone spatula and then sprinkle the rest of the spices on top for a nice even coating.

Place the potato cubes into the air fryer and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir them around then insert them again for another 20 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Why Make Your Potato Cubes in the Air Fryer?

Air fryer potato cubes are a delicious and easy-to-make side dish that perfectly balances crispy exteriors with tender, fluffy interiors. Made by tossing cubed potatoes, like Yukon Gold, Russet, or Rooster potatoes, in a light coating of olive oil and seasoning with spices such as sweet paprika, salt, and black pepper, these cubes are then air-fried to golden perfection. The air fryer’s rapid circulation of hot air ensures even cooking with minimal oil, making this dish a healthier alternative to traditional fried potatoes. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, air fryer potato cubes are a versatile and crowd-pleasing option.

What are the Best Variety of Potatoes to Use?

The best potatoes for air fryer potato cubes are those that strike a balance between crispiness and fluffiness. Here are the top choices:

Yukon Gold:

- Qualities: Yukon Gold potatoes have a medium starch content, which allows them to develop a crispy exterior while maintaining a creamy interior. They also have a slightly buttery flavour, which adds richness to the dish.
- Best For: Balanced texture—crispy outside and soft inside.

Russet Potatoes:

- Qualities: Russet potatoes are high in starch, making them ideal for achieving an extra crispy texture. However, they can be a bit drier inside, which works well if you prefer a fluffier interior.
- Best For: Super crispy, golden-brown potato cubes.

Red Potatoes:

- Qualities: Red potatoes are lower in starch and have a waxy texture. They hold their shape well during cooking, resulting in a firmer bite. The skin is thin, so you can leave it on for added texture and flavour.
- Best For: A firmer, less fluffy interior with a slightly chewy exterior.

Fingerling Potatoes:

- Qualities: These small, thin-skinned potatoes are similar to Yukon Gold in their balance of starch and moisture. They produce a nice crispness while maintaining a smooth interior.
- Best For: Smaller, bite-sized potato cubes with a smooth texture.

Rooster Potatoes:

- Qualities: Rooster potatoes are versatile, all-purpose potatoes with a red skin and pale yellow flesh. They have a slightly waxy texture and a balanced starch content, allowing them to crisp up nicely in the air fryer while maintaining a fluffy interior. Their robust flavour adds a hearty depth to the dish.
- Best For: A good mix of crispiness and fluffiness, with a slightly earthy flavour. Ideal if you’re looking for a versatile potato that performs well in air frying.

For the best results, Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes are generally the top choices due to their ability to crisp up well while offering a satisfying, tender bite inside. However, I do have a favourite with the Rooster potatoes.

Ingredients

Cubed Potatoes: cubed potatoes are the main ingredient, providing a starchy base that crisps up beautifully in the air fryer. The cubes allow for even cooking and ensure a perfect balance of crispy edges and tender insides.

Olive Oil: olive oil lightly coats the potato cubes, helping them crisp up in the air fryer. It also adds a subtle, rich flavour and promotes even browning.

Sweet Paprika: sweet paprika adds a mild, smoky flavour and vibrant colour to the potato cubes. It enhances the overall taste without overpowering the other spices.

Salt: salt is essential for seasoning the potatoes, bringing out their natural flavours and making the dish savoury and satisfying.

Black Pepper: black pepper adds a bit of heat and depth to the seasoning, complementing the paprika and enhancing the overall flavour profile of the potato cubes.

Tips

Try leaving the skin on the potatoes. Just make sure to wash the potatoes first before dicing.
Use starchy or all-purpose potatoes like Yukon Gold, Russet, or Rooster for the best balance of crispy exterior and fluffy interior.
Cut the potatoes into even-sized cubes to ensure they cook evenly in the air fryer. Aim for about 1-inch cubes for the best texture.
Add your preferred spices, such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, or sweet paprika, before air frying. Seasoning before cooking allows the flavours to infuse the potatoes as they cook.
It is best to stir/shake them around about halfway through the cooking time so that you have evenly crisped cubes.
Cooking times can vary depending on the size of the cubes and the type of potato, so check for doneness by piercing a cube with a fork. It should be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket. If you have a lot of potatoes, cook them in batches to ensure they cook evenly and get crispy.
For the best texture, serve the potato cubes right after cooking. If you need to keep them warm, use a low oven temperature to maintain their crispiness.