Say goodbye to dry or shriveled candy batches of air fryer candy potatoes! This recipe provides a technique of par-cooking your candy potatoes earlier than reducing them into cubes and air frying them. The ensuing candy potatoes are completely tender and moist, but crispy and gently browning on the edges.
For a very long time, I mentioned that I owned an air fryer for 2 functions: reheating pizza and making candy potatoes.
This was a joke, and I’ve expanded my air fryer repertoire significantly since then. However air fryer candy potatoes are nonetheless a mainstay in my house. (As is leftover pizza.)
I serve my air fryer candy potato cubes with tofu scramble for breakfast. I pile them onto vegan bowls. They’re a simple facet dish at dinnertime. And I like including them to tacos, too—particularly my candy potato tacos with black bean unfold.
Making candy potato cubes within the air fryer would possibly sound like a self-explanatory course of. For me, nonetheless, it was not.
It took me some time to get my air fryer candy potatoes good. This put up is in regards to the easy par-cooking step that gave me nice outcomes.
Air fryer trial and error
Previously, I roasted candy potato within the air fryer equally to how I roasted it within the oven. I cubed uncooked candy potatoes, seasoned them with oil, salt, and pepper, then let the air fryer go to work.
Generally, this labored out simply fantastic. However loads of the time I ended up with candy potato cubes that had been dry and shriveled. Generally, that they had a pale, starchy look, even when their edges had been closely browned.
The feel of those potatoes was, for lack of a greater description, excessively air fried.
A part of what I like about candy potatoes is their wealthy, candy flesh and satisfying texture. These cubes had been too ethereal; it was as in the event that they’d misplaced their substance.
I saved coating the potatoes in additional oil in an effort to fight this impact. I solely ended up with candy potatoes that had been each dry and greasy—not an important combo.
I might have simply given up on making candy potatoes in my air fryer, however I didn’t wish to. I eat loads of candy potatoes and maintain my air fryer on the countertop typically; I needed to make this recipe work!
I saved tinkering with time and temperature, with no luck.
Lastly, I added a step that seems completely cooked candy potato cubes every time: par-cooking.
Par-cooked potatoes = good outcomes
Par-cooking is any course of wherein you prepare dinner a meals incompletely earlier than ending cooking in one other approach, or at one other time.
You may par-boil noodles earlier than making lasagna or blanch greens earlier than including them to a casserole. Generally it’s useful to simmer fruit earlier than baking it in a pie shell.
Right here, you’ll prick your uncooked candy potatoes and microwave them for about 4 or 5 minutes earlier than you dice and air fry them.
Technically, you would use the air fryer itself for the par-cooking step, however the microwave does the job quicker.
I first began utilizing the microwave to par-cook candy potatoes once I was writing The Vegan Week. That guide is all about meal prep, which implies that it’s additionally about tight schedules and effectivity.
I needed to current a way of oven-baking candy potatoes with deep taste and tenderness. But “low and gradual” isn’t all the time an choice for the hurried house prepare dinner.
Par-cooking candy potatoes within the microwave earlier than transferring them to the oven for baking does the trick: tender, candy-like potatoes in much less time.
Equally, the microwave helps to offer the candy potatoes a head begin on this recipe. It’s additionally a cooking methodology that preserves their moisture. As soon as microwaved, the candy potatoes will turn out to be crispy within the air fryer with out getting dry.
I do know it could appear a bit of nuts to prepare dinner a vegetable in two methods, particularly if comfort is a precedence. However 5 minutes of microwaving goes by rapidly, and it ensures nice candy taters each time.
Adapting the recipe to your air fryer
This methodology works for my air fryer and my oven, so it should be tailored efficiently for many sorts of air fryers.
That mentioned, air fryers can differ of their warmth, effectivity, and timing, so you could must experiment a bit of with the strategy.
I’ve a Philips air fryer that’s now discontinued (this one is comparable), nevertheless it’s the kind with a basket, fairly than one that appears like a toaster oven. It has a few 4L capability, and this recipe is developed accordingly.
You may half or double the recipe should you’re working with a special sized machine.
Tips on how to make good cubed air fryer candy potatoes—every time
Step 1: Choose your candy potato
I normally make this recipe with one massive candy potato. It’s fantastic to arrange it with two smaller potatoes, however should you do this, you could want to regulate microwave time (4 minutes for a single, smaller potato, or about seven minutes for 2 smaller potatoes directly).
Step 2: Par-cook within the microwave
Prick the candy potato throughout with a fork. Place it on a microwave-safe plate and microwave the potato for five minutes.
At this level, the potato will likely be tender, nevertheless it received’t be absolutely cooked. In the event you’re working with a medium or small potato, fairly than a big one, 4 minutes of microwaving will do the trick.
No microwave? No drawback. I embody directions for par-cooking within the air fryer itself within the recipe card.
Step 3: Dice the potato
Enable the potato to chill for 5 minutes, then minimize it into 1-inch / 2.5cm cubes. Cautious as you do that—it’ll be scorching!
Step 4: Season the potatoes
I typically use avocado oil spray once I’m making something in my air fryer; it’s handy and straightforward. So, you’ll be able to switch the cubes to your air fryer basket, give them a twig of oil, then season them with salt and pepper.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to toss them with a small quantity of normal avocado oil in a bowl, season them with salt and pepper, and switch them to the air fryer basket.
Step 5: Air fry
Air fry the potatoes at 400°F / 200°C for 8-10 minutes, or till the potatoes are tender and browning alongside the perimeters.
Cease as soon as midway by air frying to shake the basket nicely; this helps the potatoes to crisp up evenly.
Step 6: Serve
You may serve the candy potatoes simply the best way they’re, or you’ll be able to sprinkle them with toasted chopped nuts or seeds.
You can too drizzle the potatoes with some form of dressing. I’m actually a fan of my cashew queso, however vegan honey mustard (I sweeten mine with dates), beet ketchup, and yum sauce are good concepts, too.
Meal prep & storage
A young batch of cooked candy potatoes is one in every of my favourite issues to meal prep over the weekend. This recipe finds its approach into my very own meal planning on a regular basis.
The potatoes could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
In the event you’re like me, and your first query about any meals or recipe is “can I freeze this?” the reply is sure! You are able to do so for as much as eight weeks.
Defrost the potatoes within the fridge in a single day. Get pleasure from them chilly, in salads or bowls, or reheat them within the air fryer at 350° for about 5 minutes.
The Greatest Cubed Air Fryer Candy Potatoes
Writer –
Yields: 2servings
- 1massivecandy potato, scrubbed and cleaned
- 2teaspoonsavocado oil(or avocado oil spray)
- Salt
- Freshly floor black pepper
Prick the candy potato throughout with a fork. Place it on a microwave-safe plate and microwave* the potato for five minutes (4 minutes for a medium or small potato). The potato will likely be tender, but not absolutely cooked. Enable the potato to chill for 5 minutes, then minimize it into 1-inch / 2.5cm cubes.
In a mixing bowl, toss the cubes with the avocado oil after which switch them to your air fryer basket. Alternatively, you’ll be able to switch them to the basket and spray them with avocado oil spray. Season the potatoes with salt and freshly floor black pepper.
Air fry the potatoes at 400°F / 200°C for 8-10 minutes, or till the potatoes are tender and browning alongside the perimeters, stopping as soon as midway by air frying to shake the basket nicely (this helps the potatoes to brown and prepare dinner evenly). Get pleasure from.
The candy potatoes could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days or frozen for as much as eight weeks. To reheat, air fry the potatoes at 350°F / 175°C for five minutes.
It’s humorous to dedicate as a lot trial and error as I’ve to a easy facet dish. However we love what we love, and I like candy potatoes.
I’ll let you know all about my go-to air fryer mushrooms quickly!
For now, I hope you discover this methodology helpful.
xo