How to make homemade air fryer hash browns from fresh potatoes for breakfast! Add cheese and ham for a hearty meal that’s crispy on the outside in your Cosori or Ninja Foodi. If you loved frozen hashbrowns air fryer, these are better.
Air fryer hash browns from scratch are perfect for breakfast or brunch, but great for dinner too. With some russet potatoes and some seasonings you too can make this easy air fryer recipe too. (affiliate links present)
Air Fryer Hash Browns from Potatoes
We live in Idaho, so needless to say we make all things potatoes around here. For breakfast or dinner you really can’t go wrong with them in any form. Lots of cheese is added to the top of these because sharp cheddar goes with everything in our house. 😉 Serve with air fryer sausage links for the ultimate breakfast feast.
This is just one of the things we have made with taters though. You can cube them into bite size pieces to make air fryer dill red potatoes this way which are great as well. In the morning you tend to picture them shredded though like this so we wanted to show you how that was done specifically.
If you love extra crispy food and quick recipes, here are some resources to start with:
- My Favorite models are this Cosori or for a dual machine, the Foodi.
- You can find more Ninja Foodi recipes here as well; bookmark them both!
- It is best practice to put food into a hot basket. this is how to preheat air fryer first.
- Here’s a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Hashbrowns from Scratch
Yes you can cook a bag of frozen hashbrowns air fryer from the freezer section of your local grocery store, but homemade is better. If however that is all the time you have then simply defrost them on the countertop and just follow our seasonings, timing and temperature. I won’t tell you “cheated” a bit this morning. 😉
With either choice though you may want some protein in the mix. You could crack eggs right on to the top a few minutes before they are done. Really. Then close the drawer and let them cook. Soft boiled eggs in air fryer are easier than you’d think. We have done the same thing with diced versions.
Now you could use Yukon Gold or red but russets are the most common for this. Leave the skins off or shred them right off, your choice.
Can I leave the skin on potatoes for hash browns?
Absolutely, actually I would recommend that you do keep them in tact for flavor, texture, nutrition, and pieces will stay together better as well. At least leave half of them on if you want to peel some for best results.
Here are a few questions you might have before you get started. If you have anything else in mind you’re curious about let us know below, I will try to answer those as well as I can as well.
Use a cheese or box grater. Shred just like you would a block of cheese. Fold a few paper towels and put grater on top to catch and absorb moisture. Make sure you squeeze grated potatoes with a few paper towels when done to eliminate moisture or they won’t get crispy.
We will explain it to you here. Be sure to remove the moisture after shredding to get them as crispy as possible.
Mix one egg OR two tbsp. of flour into the mix if you wish. This will allow them to stay together and not fall apart when served. It is not necessary if you want an egg free recipe like we share here. Cheese melted on the top will do the trick too, that is what we prefer.
In this case we aren’t frying them, rather we’re using a hot air fryer. Either way after you shred them, soaking in cold water for 20 minutes is helpful to reduce the amount of starch.
Here’s what your potatoes in a bowl will look like after soaking and removing moisture with paper towels. Add just salt and pepper or include any other seasonings you love like chili powder and/or Old Bay seasoning.
Ingredients
- Potatoes – shredded, russet was used
- Salt and pepper are basic seasonings
- Onions are optional, diced
- Box grater
- Sharp cheddar cheese is optional
This is literally all you need. If you have some diced leftover ham though, I’d add that to the mix too! Bacon bits work too and any seasonings you would normally add if making this on your stovetop.
Are frozen hash browns as good as homemade?
No. If that is all you have I personally suggest that you allow them to defrost on the counter before cooking. This will a yield crispier outcome. If you don’t have time just make sure they’re added into your air fryer basket in one thin layer. Follow instructions below beyond that. Check once time is up and if you want them more brown spray with some olive oil cooking spray on top and add a few more minutes.
Cook times will vary depending on how thick your potatoes are. The thicker they are the longer they will take to air fry to crispiness. Another tip to follow with this or any other Ninja air fryer recipe is to always preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes. This will help make everything crunchy on the outside.
If you want to make these more like a fried mashed potato cakesI would add an egg into the mix. This will allow ingredients to stick together well like a hamburger patty. Then add cheese, melt, and use spatula to lift each out.
I don’t know about you but we make breakfast for dinner quite often. If I have some brats left over from the night before I will dice those up and add them in too. The possibilities are really endless as to what you could add.
Here are quick step by step directions, but there is a printable recipe card at the bottom as well.
How to Make Homemade Air Fryer Hashbrowns
- First you peel and shred russet potatoes.
- Soak in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain and lay on pile of paper towels.
- Wrap it up and squeeze over the sink to remove excess liquid.
- Then preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Put shredded and dried potatoes in a bowl with onions any seasonings you’d like and mix.
- Put a thin layer of shredded potatoes in air fryer basket for 20 minutes total, shaking every 5 minutes. If you choose to add cheese, add it before the last 3 minutes so it can melt.
What goes good with hashbrowns?
- If you ask most kids they would just say “ketchup”!
- You could opt to make caramelized onions and add those instead of raw
- Cheeses of any kind melted on the top like we did
- Browned ground beef is a great add in to amp up the protein for sure.
- You can serve these with a side of our 5 ingredient chili
- Put a dollop of sour cream on top with some bacon bits
- Make air fryer bread if you want to have some toast with it
- If you’d rather make air fryer breakfast potatoes we have a great recipe for those too.
Air Fryer Hash Browns
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 4 potatoes, peeled and shredded, russets
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 c cheese, shredded, optional
Instructions
- After peeling and shredding the potatoes, let them soak in cold water for 20 minutes. (This will help removed the starch from the potatoes which will make them get crispy when cooking and not mushy.)
- Drain potatoes and remove as much water as possible. Lay on a stack of paper towels and squeeze to remove moisture. Combine potatoes, onions, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Mix well. Add mixture to your greased air fryer basket. Air fry at 400ºF for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
- Top with shredded cheese if you choose and air fry for 2-3 minutes until it melts. Alternatively you can transfer to a plate and melt cheese in the microwave.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can’t wait to try it