Air Fryer Mashed Potatoes

Now you can add mashed potatoes to the list of foods to make in the amazing air fryer. These Air Fryer Mashed Potatoes are rich, creamy, and a cinch to make. They’re perfect for busy weeknights and the holidays -and when it comes to customizations, anything goes!

During the chaos of holiday cooking, I keep my appliances busy. With the turkey tenderloin in the oven along with the stuffing & macaroni and cheese, and the burners occupied with the gravy and cranberry sauce, that doesn’t leave much room for the mashed potatoes. So insert the air fryer (or Ninja Food!).

In 25 minutes or less, you’ll make a creamy, buttery batch of homemade mashed potatoes. The constant circulating heat in the air fryer cooks the potatoes to the perfect mashable consistency. Then, you’ll need to combine them with butter, milk, and seasonings.

Air fryer mashed potatoes are a welcomed addition to any Thanksgiving, Christmas, or holiday table. You’re going to love how easy this is!

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The air fryer softens and cooks the potatoes in just 20 minutes.
• You’ll make a traditional holiday side dish from scratch FAST.
• Mashed potatoes are always a kid-approved side dish!
• Easy to customize. See below for dairy-free substitution and more.

🥔 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!

👉 Recipe Tips

• For the best mashed potatoes, be sure to use baby potatoes. This includes any variety of potatoes harvested young.
• Use thick foil. The purpose of the foil packets is steaming the potatoes, so be sure to use a heavy-duty foil that air cannot escape from. You may need to wrap the potatoes in two layers of foil to keep the air out and the potatoes in place.
• The precise cooking time will vary. You may need to add more or less time depending on the functionality of your air fryer and the size of your potatoes.

🔀 Variations & Substitutions

Use these instructions as a guide and put your spin on air fryer mashed potatoes. See below for some of the possibilities.

Spices & Seasoning Variations

• Garlic & herb – Enhance the garlicky goodness by stirring fresh minced garlic or roasted garlic into your mashed potatoes. Then, add more flavor with fresh parsley, chives, dill, rosemary, or thyme.
• Spicy – Turn up the heat with a dash of red pepper flakes, paprika, and cayenne.
• Loaded – Elevate your mashed potatoes with your favorite baked potato toppings. Add sour cream, shredded cheddar, chopped crispy bacon, and chives.

Dairy-free & Vegan

• Non-dairy milk – Almond, soy, coconut, and oat milk are good plant-based milks to make creamy mashed potatoes.
• Non-dairy butter – Use your go-to vegan buttery spread instead of real butter.

Repurposing Leftovers – Use extra mashed potatoes to make any of these repurposed mashed potato dishes in your air fryer.

• Mashed potato balls
• Mashed potato croquettes
• Mashed potato pancakes

🧊 Storing & Freezing

Storing: Let cool to room temperature, then keep your mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Freezing: You can also make a batch of mashed potatoes in the air fryer for now and one to freeze for later. Transfer the cooled mashed potatoes to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for 4 to 5 months—Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

❔FAQ

More Air Fryer Side Dish Recipes

• Air Fryer Zucchini & Squash
• Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
• Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
• Air Fryer Yuca Fries
• Air Fryer Beets
• Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato