Healthy Air Fryer Hash Browns

By Samantha Schwab

October 28, 2021

Image credit: Samantha Schwab for Clean Plates

If you’re on #teamsavory when it comes to breakfast (or you’re just looking for another excuse to use your beloved air fryer) you’re going to seriously enjoy these hash browns. They’re crunchy, crispy, and best of all: actually healthy.

Because air fryer hash browns are crisped up using convection heating mechanisms, they require much less oil than traditional frying methods but still have that nostalgic, mouthwatering crunch — just as if they were deep fried. Basically, air fryer hash browns are the perfect weekend breakfast treat: they taste incredibly indulgent, but you can feel great about eating them because they don’t have a ton of added fat. (P.S. You don’t have to wait for the weekend — consider doing a quick and healthy breakfast-for-dinner situation this week, served alongside some fried eggs and sliced avocado!)

You also don’t have to sweat if you don’t own an air fryer. This hash brown recipe can also be pan fried; simply swap out the olive oil for a fat with a higher smoke point, like ghee or avocado oil. Just be advised that this traditional frying method will lead to a higher fat intake.

While potatoes sometimes get a bad rap (and people keep trying to sub them out for sweet potatoes in every recipe under the sun), regular old potatoes are actually packed with nutrients. In fact, one medium potato contains over 25% of your daily Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and potassium needs, along with plenty of other necessary minerals, too. They’re also rich in antioxidants and are a good source of resistant starch, which means they function as food for the “good bacteria” that live in your gut.

Some notes on the recipe:

If you notice your potato shreds start to turn a reddish brown color, don’t worry. Once potatoes are exposed to oxygen, a chemical reaction takes place that turns them a reddish hue. Not to worry though — they’re still totally safe to eat! If the color bothers you, you can store your potato shreds in cold water to retain their original color.
Get those potatoes as dry as possible. If your potatoes have too much moisture, they’re never going to crisp up, no matter how long you cook them!
If making ahead, you can freeze the uncooked hash browns in a tightly sealed container. Just adjust the cooking time.

Air Fryer Hash Browns

SERVES

PREP TIME

10 min

COOK TIME

20 min

Ingredients

1 cup (packed) organic Idaho potato, peeled and shredded (about 2 medium potatoes)

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Olive oil

Directions

Shred the potatoes on the largest side of a box grater. Transfer the shreds to a cheesecloth and wring out until potato shreds are dry. Note: If you do not have a cheesecloth, you can use a towel or any other method that works to get the moisture out of the potatoes.

Add the dry potato shreds to a small bowl and mix in the onion powder and salt.

Measure ½ cup of potato shreds and flatten out to a 3-4” circle. Repeat. You should have 2 hash browns total.

Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil. Place the hash browns on the greased area and then lightly spray or brush the tops of the hash browns with more olive oil.

Select the ‘Air Fry’ setting and adjust the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 20 minutes. If the bottoms of the hash browns need more crisping, flip and continue to bake for another 5 minutes.

I used the Cuisanart Air Fryer for these hash browns. Just like with ovens, different air fryers heat differently. If you’re using a different air fryer than the Cuisinart, start checking at 15 minutes to see how the hash browns are progressing. Depending on your machine, you may need to adjust the cook time or temperature slightly.