Air Fryer Mashed Potatoes

Discover the ease of making Air Fryer Mashed Potatoes! This guide offers a quick, creamy, and tasty solution to your busy weeknights and festive holiday meals using your air fryer or Ninja Foodi! 

👩🏻‍🍳Can you cook mashed potatoes in an air fryer? Yes! As a chef with a busy family that focuses on quick meals and side dishes using kitchen gadgets, the air fryer is the ultimate way to make the best mashed potatoes recipe!

The air fryer is a significant asset in a busy family kitchen, especially for preparing a mashed potatoes recipe. It uses a high-heat circulating fan to cook food quickly, providing the texture of fried food without excessive oil.

This is great for making mashed potato in an air fryer, guaranteeing an effortless and efficient cooking process. Learning how to air fry mashed potatoes allows you to avoid the traditional, more time-consuming boil-and-mash method.

Mashed potatoes are a staple side dish for many during the holidays, including Christmas and Thanksgiving. Using an air fryer ensures that they are consistently perfect and easy to prepare. The straightforward process of making mash potatoes in an air fryer allows for easy customization with various flavors and ingredients, making the dish adaptable for any event or taste preference. 

🥔 Ingredients & Tools

• Baby potatoes – I always recommend baby potatoes (aka “new” or”early” potatoes) for mashed potatoes because they cook quickly. Also, since they’re harvested before maturity, baby potatoes are more tender and creamy, so you won’t need as much milk and butter.
• Olive oil – To coat the potatoes and keep the skins from sticking to the aluminum foil.
• Butter – Unsalted butter is best here. Even better if it’s grass-fed! But use whatever works for you.
• Milk – Milk creates beautifully creamy mashed potatoes. You can also use heavy cream here.
• Spices & seasonings – Baby potatoes are naturally more flavorful than mature potatoes, so that you won’t need much. Garlic powder, salt, and black pepper are the perfect simple blend of spices.
• Equipment recommendations – To set yourself up for success, you’ll obviously need an air fryer, but for these mashed potatoes, you’ll also need aluminum foil and a potato masher.

🥣 How To Make Mashed Potatoes In The Air Fryer

1️⃣ Prep potatoes for the air fryer. First, power on your air fryer and set it to 400F. Let it preheat while you prep the potatoes by coating them with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

2️⃣ Assemble foil packets. Divide the potatoes in half, then wrap both halves in a foil, creating an airtight sealed packet. Place the foil packets in the preheated air fryer basket.

3️⃣ Cook potatoes in the air fryer. Set the timer for 25 minutes. Once the time is up, pierce one of the potatoes with a fork. If they are not fork-tender, wrap them back up and cook for an additional 5 minutes

4️⃣ Make mashed potatoes. Once the potatoes are cooked, add them to a bowl with the butter and milk, and mash with a potato masher until everything is smooth and thoroughly combined. Adjust the seasonings to taste and enjoy!

⏲️How Long To Air Fry Potatoes (Time and Temperature Chart)

Weight of Potatoes	Time	Temperature
1 lb	15-20 minutes	400°F
2 lbs	25-30 minutes	400°F
3 lbs	35-40 minutes	400°F

👩🏻‍🍳Chef Val’s Cooking Tips

• Opt for baby potatoes for your mashed potato air fryer recipe as they cook quickly and have a tender, creamy texture, requiring less milk and butter.
• When placing potatoes in the air fryer, ensure they are spread out evenly, preventing them from being undercooked in certain areas.
• Ninja air fryer mashed potatoes: The Ninja Foodi is a versatile kitchen appliance that can also be used to make delicious air fry mashed potatoes, utilizing its air frying function to achieve perfectly cooked and easily mashable potatoes.
• Don’t hold back on seasoning your potatoes before air frying; a generous coating of olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper enhances the flavor significantly.
• After air frying, pierce a potato with a fork to ensure they are tender and ready for mashing, ensuring the perfect consistency for your dish.
• Utilize a sturdy potato masher for a smooth and creamy texture, avoiding any unwanted lumps in your mashed potatoes.

🍠Variations

• Swap out regular baby potatoes for sweet potatoes in your air fryer mashed potatoes recipe to infuse a sweet and nutritious twist to your dish, ensuring a colorful and vitamin-rich serving.
• Make everything bagel mashed potatoes by incorporating some everything bagel seasoning into the mix. 
• Elevate the taste by incorporating freshly minced or roasted garlic into your mashed potato mix, infusing a warm, aromatic flavor that complements the creamy texture.
•  Stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese into your mashed potatoes for a rich and savory flavor boost, adding a delightful cheesy twist to the classic dish.
• Mix in fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or chives to your mashed potatoes, enhancing the dish with a fresh and fragrant herbal note.
• Adapt the recipe for vegan diets by substituting dairy milk with almond, soy, or oat milk and using vegan butter, ensuring a delicious dairy-free version of air fry mashed potatoes.
• Introduce a kick to your mashed potatoes by adding a dash of red pepper flakes or paprika, perfect for those who enjoy a bit of heat in their dishes.
• Serve with a variety of toppings like crispy bacon, chopped green onions, or sour cream, ensuring each serving is tailored to individual taste preferences.

🥞What To Do With Leftover Mashed Potatoes

• Potato Pancakes: Mix them with an egg, a handful of flour, and your favorite seasonings, and then pan-fry until golden and crispy. Serve with sour cream or applesauce for a tasty snack or side dish.
• Mashed Potato Balls: Roll leftover mashed potatoes into small balls, dip them in beaten egg, and coat with breadcrumbs. Air-fry or deep-fry the balls until they are golden brown for a delicious and crunchy treat.
• Potato Soup Thickener: Utilize leftover mashed potatoes as a natural thickener for soups and stews. Stir them into your simmering pot to add richness, body, and flavor, enhancing your warming meals.
• Shepherd’s Pie Filling: Top your homemade shepherd’s pie with a generous layer of leftover mashed potatoes before baking. This provides a comforting and hearty topping that crisps up beautifully in the oven.

🧊Storing and Reheating

How to store mashed potatoes: Transfer cooled mashed potatoes into an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. Properly stored, they will maintain the best quality for about 3 to 5 days. 

How to freeze mashed potatoes: Once cooled, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container, expelling as much air as possible before sealing. Frozen mashed potatoes can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 to 5 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

How to reheat mashed potatoes: To reheat mashed potatoes, use a microwave, oven, or stovetop. In the microwave, place them in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and heat on medium power, stirring occasionally until heated through. For oven or stovetop reheating, transfer the mashed potatoes to an oven-safe dish or pot, adding a splash of milk or butter to retain moisture, and heat at 350°F (oven) or medium heat (stovetop) until warm, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating.

❔FAQ

Can you heat up mashed potatoes in an air fryer?  

Absolutely, mashed potatoes can be efficiently reheated in an air fryer. Place the mashed potatoes in a suitable container and warm them at a low setting for about 4-5 minutes, checking and stirring to ensure even heating. To prevent the top from browning, add a layer of aluminum foil on top, making sure it’s secure and doesn’t blow around. 

How long does it take for a potato to get soft in the air fryer?  

Generally, it takes about 20-25 minutes at 400°F for small to medium potatoes to become tender in an air fryer. The exact time depends on the potato type and size, and you should check for tenderness by piercing with a fork.

What are the best type of potatoes for mashed potatoes?  

Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes are excellent choices for making mashed potato in air fryer due to their high starch content, which helps in achieving a fluffy and creamy texture, allowing them to absorb butter and milk.

More Air Fryer Fall Side Dish Recipes

• Air Fryer Crispy Diced Potatoes
• Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
• Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
• Air Fryer Acorn Squash
• Air Fryer Maple Cinnamon Butternut Squash