These homemade air fryer hash browns are made with partially cooked potatoes, a little oil, salt, and black pepper. The grated potato mixture is shaped into patties and air fried until the outside is crisp and golden while the center remains soft.
Unlike frozen hash brown patties, making hash browns from scratch lets you control the seasoning and the amount of oil used. Serve them for breakfast, add them to a sandwich, or enjoy them as a simple potato snack.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Like This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Best Potatoes for Hash Browns
- Equipment
- How to Make Air Fryer Hash Browns From Scratch
- Homemade Air fryer hash browns recipe
- Tips for Crispy Homemade Hash Browns
- Hash Brown Burgers With Cheese
- Seasoning Variations
- Storage and Reheating
- Related Air Fryer Potato Recipes
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why You Will Like This Recipe
- Made from scratch with simple ingredients.
- Uses less oil than deep-fried hash browns.
- Crisp outside with a soft potato center.
- Easy to season with your preferred spices.
- Suitable for breakfast, sandwiches, or snacking.
Ingredients
Potatoes: Use a starchy or all-purpose potato that holds together after grating. Russet and King Edward potatoes work especially well.
Avocado oil: Helps the outside and edges become golden and crisp. You can use another neutral cooking oil suitable for air frying.
Salt: Add to taste. Remember that the potatoes are also partially cooked in salted water.
Black pepper: Adds a mild savory flavor. You can adjust the quantity to taste.
Refer to the recipe card for quantities.
Best Potatoes for Hash Browns
Starchy or all-purpose potatoes are best because they grate easily and help the patties hold their shape. Russet and King Edward potatoes gave the best results in my testing. Royal Blue and Dutch Cream potatoes also worked well.
Avoid fully cooking the potatoes before grating. They should be tender on the outside but still slightly firm in the center. Fully cooked potatoes can become too soft and may produce a mashed-potato texture.
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Saucepan
- Box grater or food processor
- Pastry brush
- Perforated parchment paper, optional
- Cookie cutter or food ring, optional
How to Make Air Fryer Hash Browns From Scratch
Place the whole potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water. Partially cook them until the outside is tender but the center is still slightly firm. A knife should enter the outer part easily but meet some resistance in the middle. Do not cook the potatoes until completely soft.
Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool until they are comfortable to handle. Peel away the skins.
Grate the cooled potatoes using a box grater or food processor. Add the oil, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently so the grated potato keeps some texture and does not become mashed.
Preheat the air fryer to 190°C or 375°F for 5 minutes.
Place perforated parchment paper in the preheated air fryer basket, if using. The parchment makes it easier to shape and lift the soft patties during the first part of cooking.
Divide the mixture and shape it into firm, even patties. A cookie cutter or food ring can help create neat shapes. Press each patty firmly enough to hold together, but do not make it too thick.
Arrange the patties in a single layer with space between them. Do not overlap the patties because this prevents the edges from becoming crisp.
Air fry at 190°C or 375°F for 15 minutes. Brush the tops and edges lightly with oil during cooking.
When the patties are firm enough to handle, brush the edges with a little more oil and carefully flip them. Increase the temperature to 200°C or 390°F and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes, or until both sides are golden and crisp.
You can remove the parchment paper during the final few minutes so more hot air reaches the bottom of the patties. Remove them when the edges are crisp and the patties release easily from the basket.
Serve the hash browns immediately while the edges are crisp and the center is warm and soft.
Homemade Air fryer hash browns recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer
- pastry brush
- cookie cutter
- saucepan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 3 potatoes semi-cooked, large (each potato is approx 200gms)
- 2 tbsp. oil
- salt and pepper as per taste
Instructions
- In a saucepan of boiling water, semi-cook(partially cooked) potatoes.I like to cook them partially(70 % , so that they are soft outside and little hard at the code, if you insert a knife while they cook) . Let it cool.
- Peel the potatoes once cool.
- Grate potatoes using a grater or food processor. Add oil,salt and pepper,mix the mixture well
- Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer at 190 C| 375 F.
- Now in a preheated air fryer, line the parchment paper. Make a patty of desired shape, using a cookie cutter.
- Ensure they are not overlapping with each other.
- Air fry for 15 mins at 190 C (375 F) brushing oil once in between
- Brush oil again and flip. Cook at 200C | 390 F for 7-8 minutes or until crisp.For the last few minutes of the cook, you may remove the parchment paper.
- Serve crispy hashbrowns immediately with hot sauce or sour cream.
Hashbrown burgers
- You can make these hashbrowns burgers, place the hashbrown on a bun slice.
- Put a cheese slice on top of these hashbrowns. In a hot airfryer, cook on the grill option for 1 minute or less than 2 minutes if the airfryer is not hot.
Notes
Tips for Crispy Homemade Hash Browns
- Partially cook the potatoes instead of boiling them until completely soft.
- Allow the potatoes to cool before peeling and grating them.
- Mix the grated potato gently so it does not turn into mashed potato.
- Shape patties of similar thickness so they cook evenly.
- Press the patties firmly so they do not fall apart when flipped.
- Brush oil around the edges because they can dry out before the center becomes crisp.
- Wait until the patties are firm before attempting to flip them.
- Remove the parchment paper near the end for better browning underneath.
Hash Brown Burgers With Cheese
These homemade hash browns can also be used as a filling for a simple breakfast burger. Place one cooked hash brown patty on a toasted bun and add a cheese slice on top.
Place the bun and hash brown in a hot air fryer for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese softens. Watch closely so the bread does not become too dark.
Add your preferred salad vegetables and sauce, then serve the burger warm.
Seasoning Variations
- Garlic and herb: Add garlic powder and dried mixed herbs.
- Peri-peri: Sprinkle peri-peri seasoning over the cooked patties.
- Cajun: Add a small amount of Cajun seasoning to the potato mixture.
- Smoked paprika: Mix in smoked paprika and extra black pepper.
- Cheesy: Add a cheese slice after cooking or use the patties in a sandwich.
Storage and Reheating
Homemade hash browns are best served immediately. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days.
Reheat them in the air fryer at 190°C or 375°F for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the center is hot and the outside is crisp again.
Top Tip
Do not fully boil the potatoes. Partially cooked potatoes are easier to grate and help the patties retain their texture instead of becoming soft like mashed potato cakes.
Related Air Fryer Potato Recipes
- Air fryer potato recipes
- Frozen hash brown patties in the air fryer
- Hash browns with onion and garlic
- Air fryer French fries
- Air fryer potato wedges
- Air fryer smashed potatoes
Frequently Asked Questions
Starchy or all-purpose potatoes work best. Russet and King Edward potatoes gave the best results in my testing, while Royal Blue and Dutch Cream potatoes also worked well.
Partially cooking the potatoes makes them easier to grate while keeping enough structure to form patties. Fully cooked potatoes may become too soft and produce a mashed-potato texture.
The potatoes may be too soft, the patties may not be pressed firmly enough, or they may have been flipped too early. Allow the first side to firm up before turning them.
No, but perforated parchment paper can make the soft patties easier to shape and lift during the first part of cooking. Remove it near the end for better browning underneath.
Shape the patties evenly, leave space between them, brush the edges with oil, flip only after they become firm, and remove the parchment paper during the final few minutes.
Yes. The recipe uses potatoes, avocado oil, salt, and black pepper, with no dairy or other animal-derived ingredients.
Laura Hauf says
If I want to use frozen hash browns is it a different temperature or time.
bhavana bhatia says
Yes,frozen hash browns are different. Kindly refer to this link to cook frozen hash browns in air fryer.
https://www.secondrecipe.com/air-fryer-hash-browns/