Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes Recipe – Real Food with Sarah (2024)

FAQs

Why are my potatoes still hard in air fryer? ›

Not preheating the air fryer

Air fryers might not serve quite the same function as a traditional oven, but they have a fair amount of crossover in how they operate. For instance, preheating your air fryer much the same way you'd preheat your oven might be the secret to ensuring a crispy, savory potato.

Top tips to get the best out of your air fryer

To get that golden-all-over finish, the air needs to be able to get to the food on all sides. Aim to cook things in a single layer, without stacking, overlapping or squashing items together. This may sometimes mean you'll need to cook in batches.

Cook in the Air Fryer on 400 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes, until fork tender. (Note: I used tongs to rotate mine after about 25 minutes, as they were getting pretty brown on top.)

While it may seem like a pain, soaking the potatoes in hot water for 10 minutes prior to cooking them in the air fryer is essential. The water removes excess starch, allowing the fries to be their crispiest. Instead of soaking them in large bowl of cold water, I like to use hot water to cook the potatoes slightly.

Air frying the potatoes in a shallow tray insert in the air fryer basket, drizzled in oil (no parboiling/steaming stage). WINNER! – Fluffy interior, crunchier skin. Not quite as crispy and crunchy as my oven roast potatoes, but a great swap when you're short on time.

Uses less oil than deep-frying: Cooking raw potatoes in an air fryer uses a fraction of the oil as deep frying, but they come out tasting amazing! Easy to make: Simply wash and cut your potatoes, toss them with oil and spices, and add them to your air fryer. They cook up fast and easy!

Less time: The baked potato made in the air fryer took less time than when baked in the oven. A 10-ounce potato took 40 to 45 minutes to get tender and crisp, whereas a potato baked in the oven took about 1 hour. Crisper skin: The skin of the air fryer baked potato became considerably crispier.

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

Soaking the potatoes after they're cut draws out some of the starch which is naturally present in potatoes. This will result in a crispier fry. A thirty minute soak in cold water does the trick but you may soak them longer if you want.

To speed up the cooking time, you can microwave on high for 8-10 mins before airfrying (check after 15-20 mins).

Why are my potatoes not getting soft in air fryer? ›

You may have left some moisture on the potatoes before air frying. Be sure to dry the potatoes really well before adding oil and seasoning. Also, potatoes differ from one another.

Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Rub potatoes with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley. Place potatoes in the air fryer basket. Cook in the preheated air fryer until potatoes are soft, 40 to 50 minutes, depending on potato size.

Size and Cut: The size and cut of the potato pieces can also affect their cooking time. Smaller pieces will cook faster and become softer than larger ones. If the potato cubes were too large or unevenly cut, this might result in some pieces remaining crunchy.

The thing is, when you cook potatoes (or dry beans) in an acidic environment, they will never get soft. You'll always be left with, at the very least, a bit of an al dente effect, if not a full-on crunchy texture.