Air Fryer Potato Pancakes: A Quick, Crispy Treat

Yes, you can make potato pancakes in an air fryer! They are crispy, tasty, and can be served as a main or side dish. You can use a variety of ingredients, including potatoes, eggs, onions, flour, and spices. The cooking time and temperature may vary depending on your air fryer and the thickness of the pancakes, but typically they are cooked for around 10 minutes at 380°F.

Recipe for potato pancakes in an air fryer

Ingredients:

• 2-3 medium-sized potatoes, grated
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, grated (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)
• Fresh herbs (optional)
• Applesauce or other sauces of your choice (optional)

Method:

• Preheat your air fryer to 370-400°F.
• In a bowl, combine the grated potatoes, egg, and grated onion (if using).
• Add the flour, salt, and pepper (if using). Mix everything thoroughly and try to squeeze out any excess liquid. This is important, otherwise, the potato pancakes may not air fry well.
• Grease the air fryer grate with oil. Using a spoon, drop some of the potato mixture into the air fryer and form small potato pancakes, about 2-3 inches in diameter.
• Don't overcrowd the air fryer; cook in batches if needed.
• Air fry the potato pancakes for 10-15 minutes on one side, or until crispy and browned. Then, flip them over and air fry for another 4-10 minutes, or until fully cooked on both sides. The exact cooking time can vary depending on your air fryer and the thickness of the potato pancakes.
• Serve the potato pancakes with sour cream and fresh herbs, applesauce, or sauces of your choice.

Tips:

• If you want to enjoy the potato pancakes as a sweet dish (e.g. with applesauce), don’t add black pepper.
• Don’t grate the potatoes ahead of time, as they may change color due to oxidation.
• Squeeze out as much liquid as possible, otherwise, the potato pancakes may not air fry well.
• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket or the potato pancakes may not cook and crisp evenly.
• If you have trouble with the potato pancake mix running through the cracks in the air fryer basket, place a bit of parchment paper at the bottom. The cooking time will likely be longer in that case.
• If you like your potato pancakes crispy, make them thinner.
• Be careful when flipping over the potato pancakes in the air fryer basket, they will be delicate.
• If you want your potato pancakes to be golden brown, you can spritz some oil on them.

Tips for making potato pancakes in an air fryer

Ingredients

You can use a variety of ingredients to make potato pancakes in an air fryer. Here are some options:

• Potatoes (shredded, mashed, or grated)
• Onion (grated or shredded)
• Egg
• Flour (all-purpose or gluten-free)
• Spices (co: 1,3,4,5 salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, garlic)
• Green onions/scallions

Preparation

• If you're using grated or shredded potatoes, squeeze out as much liquid as possible before mixing the ingredients. This will help the potato pancakes cook and crisp up better in the air fryer.
• If you want to serve the potato pancakes with a sweet topping (such as applesauce), it's best not to add black pepper to the mixture.
• Don't grate the potatoes too far in advance, as they may change colour due to oxidation.
• If you're having trouble getting the potato pancake mixture to stick together, add more flour or use a cheesecloth to squeeze out excess liquid.
• Form the potato mixture into small, thin patties. Thinner patties will result in crispier potato pancakes.

Cooking

• Preheat your air fryer to between 370–400°F.
• Generously spray the air fryer basket with oil before placing the potato pancakes inside.
• Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Leave enough space to flip the potato pancakes halfway through cooking.
• After flipping the potato pancakes, spray the tops with oil to help them crisp up.
• Cook the potato pancakes for around 10 minutes in total, flipping them halfway through.

Serving

• Potato pancakes can be served with a variety of toppings and dips. Some popular options include sour cream, green onions, parsley, applesauce, and smoked salmon.
• If you want your potato pancakes to be golden brown, spritz them with oil before serving.
• Potato pancakes are best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–5 days.

Reheating potato pancakes in an air fryer

• Place the leftover potato pancakes in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Make sure they are not overlapping, as this will ensure even cooking and crisping.
• Set the air fryer to a temperature of around 350-380 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Reheat the potato pancakes for 4-5 minutes. For thicker pancakes, you may need to increase the time slightly.
• Serve the potato pancakes hot and crispy. You can enjoy them as a snack or a side dish.

Some recipes suggest spraying the potato pancakes with oil or cooking spray before reheating, but this is not necessary if you want to avoid added oil.

You can also reheat frozen potato pancakes in the air fryer. Simply follow the same steps, but increase the cooking time to around 10-12 minutes.

What to serve with potato pancakes

Potato pancakes are a versatile dish that can be served as a side or main course. They are commonly served with sour cream and applesauce, but here are some other ideas for what to serve with potato pancakes:

As a Main Course:

• Brisket or roast beef
• Roasted chicken
• Grilled steak
• Pork chops
• Shrimp
• Salmon
• Beef stew
• Sausage
• Eggs
• Bacon

As a Side:

• Roasted vegetables
• Salad
• Gravy
• Chili sauce or sweet chili sauce
• Poached eggs
• Avocado
• Honey
• Sea salt
• Salmon roe
• Spinach
• Broccoli Rabe
• Mushroom
• Caramelized onion
• Horseradish cream
• Chives
• Capers
• Cream cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Green onions
• Ranch dressing
• Fresh tomatoes
• Red peppers
• Tomato-basil jam
• Caramelized onions
• Sauerkraut
• Bacon-wrapped sausages
• Crispy Brussels sprouts
• Balsamic roasted asparagus
• Smoked salmon
• Creme fraiche
• Lox
• Scrambled eggs
• Red onion
• Tomato
• Chive sour cream
• Beef Wellington
• Instant Pot Chicken Stroganoff
• Instant Pot Crab Legs
• French Onion Chicken

As Toppings:

• Cinnamon
• Sugar
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Green onion
• Smoked salmon
• Creme fraiche
• Lox
• Scrambled eggs
• Avocado
• Honey
• Sea salt
• Salmon roe
• Spinach
• Broccoli Rabe
• Mushroom
• Caramelized onion
• Horseradish cream
• Chives
• Capers
• Cream cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Green onions
• Ranch dressing
• Fresh tomatoes
• Red peppers
• Tomato-basil jam

Differences between potato pancakes and latkes

Yes, you can make potato pancakes in an air fryer. Here is a simple recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2⅓ cups of leftover mashed potatoes (cold)
• 3 green onions (diced, whites and greens separated)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp all-purpose gluten-free flour or regular all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• Sour cream and green onions (optional, for serving)

Instructions:

• Scoop the cold leftover mashed potatoes into a mixing bowl.
• Add the diced green onions, flour, oregano, and smoked paprika to the bowl.
• Scramble an egg in a separate bowl and add it to the potato mixture.
• Combine all the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
• Form the potato pancake mixture into patties about 2-3 inches across.
• Place the patties in the air fryer basket and cook for about 10 minutes at 380°F, flipping halfway through.
• Plate the potato pancakes and garnish with green onions or parsley. You can also serve them with a side of sour cream.

Now, here are the differences between potato pancakes and latkes:

Potato pancakes and latkes are both potato-based dishes that are fried, chewy, and golden brown. They are usually topped with sour cream or applesauce. However, they are distinct dishes with different ingredients, preparation methods, and origins.

Ingredients:

Potato pancakes typically contain raw grated potatoes, eggs, and all-purpose flour. They may also include some seasonings. Latkes, on the other hand, include additional ingredients such as baking powder, matzo meal, and sometimes milk. Latkes also typically include onions, which add a distinct flavour and texture.

Preparation:

The main difference in preparation lies in the grating of the potatoes. For potato pancakes, raw potatoes are finely grated to create a slush, allowing the natural starch of the potato to hold the fritter together. This results in a longer preparation time. Latkes, on the other hand, use roughly grated potatoes (similar to the texture of hash browns), which reduces the preparation time. The addition of baking powder and matzo meal in latkes helps hold the mixture together, eliminating the need for extensive potato starch.

Origins:

The potato pancake, or Kartoffelpuffer, was first popularized as a street food item in Germany during the 1870s. Meanwhile, latkes were inspired by Italian ricotta cheese pancakes brought to Northern Europe by Jews from Sicily. Latkes were originally made with buckwheat flour and fried in schmaltz (chicken fat) until the mid-1800s when potatoes were introduced to Eastern Europe, transforming them into the modern potato-based dish.

Frequently asked questions