Can you put raw potatoes in an air fryer? Yes, potatoes cook well in an air fryer without deep frying. In this air fryer home fries recipe, we’re air frying seasoned potatoes with peppers, onions, and olive oil. This air fryer breakfast potatoes side dish is perfect with eggs, sausage, bacon, or whatever you’d like. Get my tips and tricks for making the best home fries in the air fryer right here!

Oh, potatoes. You may be a white food, but you still definitely count as a vegetable. With vitamin C, potassium, and an assortment of other nutrients, you’re in a different league than white flour and white sugar. Like flour and sugar, though, potatoes make things delicious.

When I was an undergraduate in college, I remember one of the dining halls on campus making the BEST home fries. This was a long time ago now, but I still remember them!

They were crispy along the edges of the potatoes and just a bit oily (not swimming in a pool of oil).

They were seasoned really well with a combination of spices. No plain potatoes, peppers and onions here. Nope.

And always (always!) there was a ketchup dispenser nearby for adding a little sweetness. I’m indifferent to ketchup with eggs, but good home fries need some good ketchup, IMVHO.

This recipe for air fryer breakfast home fries is my tribute to these home fries from my past. My son’s going to be heading off to college soon. Hopefully, these will beat out any home fries served in the dining halls at his school!

Air Fryer Home Fries Benefits

• This is a vegetable recipe your kids will want to eat. Picky eaters tend to be notorious for turning their noses up at vegetables. Lucky for us, potatoes are often one vegetable that is loved by even ardent veggie haters. Throw a little ketchup on there, and rest assured that the kids are getting some veggies in.
• You don’t need tons of oil for crispy air fryer home fries. Classic home fries are typically cooked in a skillet with a large amount of oil or bacon grease. We can get away with using less oil with air frying. Additionally, some of the oil on our air fryer home fried potatoes will collect in the air fryer drip pan during cooking. You’re getting a lower fat and lower calorie version of your favorite crispy potatoes.
• My air fryer home fries with onions and peppers are vegan and rich in phytonutrients. Are you looking to include more whole food plant based items in your diet? This delicious breakfast vegetable side dish should fit the bill.
• You’ll save on your grocery bill with inexpensive ingredients. It’s possible to get a 10-pound bag of potatoes for under $3 at certain stores in my area. All of that food will go a long way in feeding a crowd! The onions tend to be inexpensive as well, and the spices are common ones you’re likely to already have.
• Air fryer home fries make a delicious addition to your weekend breakfast. When you have a little more time in the morning, making these air fried potatoes is such a treat. If you have a regular Monday through Friday work schedule, the weekend is the perfect time to make a hot breakfast.

Air Fryer Home Fries with Peppers and Onions Ingredients

So, what do you need to make air fryer home fries? This recipe is not very complicated at all. Sometimes it’s nice to keep things simple.

• Baby potatoes (no need to peel them)
• Avocado oil, olive oil (or your favorite all-purpose cooking oil)
• Chopped onion
• Chopped red bell pepper (yup, these are my spin on air fryer potatoes O’Brien!)
• Smoked paprika
• Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Sliced scallions (for garnish)

I use Yukon gold baby potatoes in this recipe. Since we’re chopping the potatoes fairly small, using baby or fingerling potatoes will help save you time. Other types of potatoes, such as red potatoes, will work here as well.

In full disclosure, I haven’t tested starchy russet potatoes in this recipe yet. However, I’m thinking they’ll be fine for air fry home fries too.

The other thing that I would make sure to have on hand is ketchup! True Made Foods makes a no added sugar ketchup that tastes great. It’s made entirely of vegetable purees, vinegar, and spices. We love it (and it happens to be low carb and keto friendly, if that’s what you want).

The main piece of equipment that you need for this recipe is (of course) an air fryer. I use a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven with two baking trays.

If you use a smaller air fryer with an air fryer basket, you may need to make this recipe in two batches. You may also need to slightly adjust the cooking time depending on the air fryer you use. Air fryer brands can vary a bit in regards to cooking times.

How to Make Air Fryer Home Fries

Ok, let’s do this thing. Scrub and rinse your potatoes. If you are using thin skinned potatoes (such as new potatoes or fingerlings), there is no need to peel them. Chop your potatoes into 1 inch cubes.

Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water and add your potato pieces. Make sure the water is covering the potatoes. Let the potatoes soak for 15-20 minutes.

The soaking step was a tip from the manual that came with my air fryer. It will help your home fries to crisp up. However, I’ve forgotten to do the soaking step in the past, and the recipe still came out fine.

Next, drain your potatoes and spread them out on a paper towel. Pat them dry with a clean paper towel. After drying, put the potatoes in a large bowl.

Add a chopped onion and chopped bell pepper to the potatoes. Drizzle the vegetables with oil and give everything a good stir. Now add the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir again.

Spread this mixture out on two air fryer trays in a (mostly) single layer. There’s no need to mist the air fryer trays with cooking spray since the potatoes already have oil on them.

Your potatoes will be air fried for a total of 35 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You will need to flip the home fries and switch the position of the trays in the oven every 10 minutes. That would be after 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes of total cooking time.

If your fries on the top tray seem to be cooking too rapidly, try flipping the fries and switching the trays every 5 minutes instead of every 10. It’s a bit more work but can help ensure more even cooking.

How to Make Crispy Home Fries

What to do if your home fries are not crisp and fork tender after 35 minutes of air frying? No worries. Simply flip the fries again, switch the position of the trays in the oven, and cook them for an additional 5 minutes at 400F.

You can extend the air frying time as needed to achieve your version of crispy home fry perfection. (Just make sure that your peppers and onions don’t burn in the process!) The potatoes will have more difficulty getting crispy if you forgot to do the soaking step.

While your air fryer fries cook, you have time to prepare the rest of your breakfast. Now’s the time to cook up some eggs, sausage, bacon, or whatever else you are having.

After your crispy air fryer home fries are cooked to your liking, it’s time to serve! Divide the home fried potatoes between four plates. Garnish with scallions and finish with a squiggle of catsup on top. SO GOOD!

What do you serve with home fries?

As I’ve mentioned above, these air fryer home fries are a side dish. A protein packed breakfast entrée would go well with home fries. Here are some protein breakfast ideas for main dishes you could try:

• Low Carb Mini Quiche
• Ninja Foodi Frittata
• High Protein Crustless Quiche (High Protein Frittata)
• Pork Sausage in Air Fryer with Eggs
• Homemade Sausage with Chicken, Feta, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (slow food recipe)
• Low Sodium Cottage Cheese (fun and not too difficult culinary project!)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do home fries have gluten?

This recipe for homemade home fries is naturally gluten free. However, store bought frozen home fries may contain gluten. If you won’t be making home fries from scratch, check the package label to confirm the frozen mix you’re buying is gluten-free.

How can I make low carb home fries?

For home fries that are low carb, try using chopped jicama in place of the potatoes. I’ve used jicama as a potato substitute before in air fryer recipes (remember the Air Fryer Jicama Fries?). They are quite wonderful!

Are fries healthy in an air fryer?

These air fryer American fries (another name for home fries) are similar nutritionally to potatoes roasted in the oven. We’re using some added oil here but not as much as you would for deep fried french fries.

Whether something is “healthy” always depends on the context. This air fryer home fries recipe is a whole foods plant based dish that does provide some nutritional benefits. In general, I’d consider it a healthy choice, though that doesn’t mean it’s the best option for everyone.

How to make air fryer frozen home fries?

You can cook just about any frozen veggie in an air fryer, and that includes frozen home fried potatoes. If you are interested in making air fryer frozen home fries, check out my Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables post. The basic steps given in the post (oil, season, cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit) should apply.

More Potato Recipes

White potatoes, sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, gold potatoes, red potatoes…

There’s a whole world of potato goodness out there just waiting for you! Here are more recipes using potatoes that you can try after making home fries in the air fryer:

• Sweet Potato Toast (Air Fryer)
• Polish Sausage in Air Fryer Meal Prep with Potatoes
• Meat Loaf in Air Fryer Recipe with Sweet Potatoes

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