Air Fryer Home Fries

Name: Air Fryer Home Fries
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes (about 3-4 small potatoes); 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped; 1/2 medium-sized green pepper, chopped

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Complete your breakfast or brunch at home with these Air Fryer Home Fries. They’re golden brown and crispy with green peppers, onions and a simple seasoning of salt, pepper and garlic powder!

In our house, a big brunch or breakfast isn’t complete without breakfast potatoes, and these crispy home fries made in the air fryer are usually our go-to. They’re easy to make with minimal ingredients and require very little oil.

Overhead view of home fries in a white bowl with a spoon inserted into it.

Over the last few years, the air fryer has become my preferred way to cook any type of potato. Some of our favorites include these air fryer baby potatoes, air fryer potato wedges and air fryer potato slices.

So, naturally, I had to try making home fries in the air fryer! They get crispy without any butter and very little oil, and they take less time than pan-fried home fries as you don’t need to boil or soak the potatoes.

What are home fries?

Home fries are made with diced or cubed potatoes that are pan-fried with butter, oil and seasonings. They’re typically boiled before frying, and many recipes include diced or chopped onions and peppers.

These breakfast potatoes are commonly referred to as ‘diner-style’ as they can sometimes be found served for breakfast in American diners.

This recipe is a twist on classic home fries. We’re omitting the butter and using the air fryer instead of a skillet.

Ingredients for air fryer home fries

Ingredients to make air fryer home fries arranged in individual dishes on a wooden surface.

Potatoes – You’ll need 1 pound of Yukon gold potatoes, or about 3-4 small potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes. I leave the skins on and scrub them clean, but you can peel them if you prefer. The skins will add a little extra crispiness.

Oil – You only need one tablespoon of oil to coat the potatoes. I normally use extra virgin olive oil but you can use the oil of your choice.

Seasoning – The potatoes are seasoned with a simple mix of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Feel free to adjust to taste or add other dried herbs and spices to change things up.

Peppers and onions – You’ll need half a yellow onion and half a green pepper, both roughly chopped. Feel free to use red onion and red, yellow or orange pepper if you prefer.

How to make home fries in the air fryer

Once the potatoes are scrubbed clean and cubed, pat them dry with a paper towel to get rid of any excess moisture.

Add the potatoes to a bowl and toss together with the oil and seasonings.

Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket and air fry at 400F for 10 minutes.

Raw, cubed and seasoned potatoes in an air fryer basket.

Toss the basket to rotate the potatoes around and mix in the peppers and onions.

Air fry for another 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown, crispy and fork tender. Shake the basket another 1-2 times to ensure even browning.

Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary, before serving.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best potato for making home fries?

For this recipe, I found that Yukon gold potatoes worked best. They were crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. I also tested the recipe with Russet potatoes, and while they worked fine, they required some soaking in water first in order to achieve the same crispy texture.

Do you need to parboil the potatoes before air frying?

No need to parboil. Some recipes call for parboiling or blanching potatoes before air frying to help achieve a crispy texture. While this may help a little, these home fries get perfectly crispy without this extra step.

Do you need to soak the potatoes before air frying?

I normally soak potatoes before air frying to remove any starches, which helps make them crispy, but to save time, I skipped that step with these home fries. It also helped that the recipe calls for Yukon gold which are a little less starchy than Russet potatoes.

How long does it take to make home fries in the air fryer?

Home fries (cut into 1-inch cubes) will take about 20 minutes to cook in the air fryer. If you cut your potatoes into smaller pieces, they will air fry a little quicker.

Why are my air fried home fries not crispy?

It could be that you didn’t air fry them long enough or they weren’t well dried after being washed. Using too much pepper and onion or adding them to the air fryer too soon can also result in less crispy home fries. The peppers and onions add moisture so I recommend sticking to the amount in the recipe.

Air fried potatoes, green peppers and onions in an air fryer basket.

How to serve home fries

We usually serve these crispy home fries for breakfast or brunch with quiche or frittatas and a side of turkey bacon.

They’re also great for lunch or dinner and pair well with turkey burgers, chicken patties and pork schnitzel!

We like to keep it simple and serve home fries with ketchup, but this homemade chipotle dip or cashew mayo would also be delicious.

Storing and reheating leftovers

I think air fried home fries are best served hot and crispy. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To get them crispy again, reheat them in the air fryer at 400F for 3-5 minutes or until crispy and heated through. I don’t recommend reheating them in the microwave.

Side view of air fryer home fries in a bowl with ketchup and chopped herbs in the background.

Key recipe tips

Size of home fries. I like to cut my home fries into 1-inch cubes. If you go bigger or smaller, you will need to adjust the air frying time.
Peeling the potatoes. I like to keep the skins on so the home fries get a little extra crispy, but you can peel them if you prefer.
Even cooking. To ensure the home fries air fry evenly, make sure they are all cut into roughly the same size cubes and shake the basket a few times to rotate the potatoes around.
Pat potatoes dry. If you rinse or soak the potatoes, make sure they’re well dried or they may not get as crispy in the air fryer.
Air fry in single layer. I found the home fries were the crispiest when they were air fried in a single layer. If you’re not able to do this, you can overlap the potatoes, but you’ll need to increase the air frying time and shake the basket more often to rotate the potatoes around.
Type of air fryer. I used a Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer for this recipe. If you have a different size, brand or model, you may need to adjust the air frying time and temperature slightly.

More air fryer recipes

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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