These air fried potato peels are a hot & crispy snack. Nosh on them while you wait for dinner to finish. A tasty way to make sure food doesn’t go to waste!
Since so many holiday foods are only improved by a pile of potatoes next to them, this is the time of year when the potato peeler gets a workout.
Truth be told, when I’m making mashed potatoes or mustard mashed potatoes just for myself, I usually leave the skin on. I like having a little extra texture, and the “homemade” quality that the peels give. Plus, there are nutrients in the peel that I don’t want to skip.
(I only buy organic potatoes, and so I’m not concerned about pesticides in the peels. There’s a reason potatoes are a member of the 2020 Dirty Dozen.)
However, I know there are some people in my extended family who would prefer their potatoes without any speckles of peel. Plus, there is something extra smooth and whippy about peel-less mashed potatoes.
That doesn’t mean you should let those peels go to waste. Air fry them!
I got the idea for frying the peels when I was scrolling through my Instagram feed recently. A friend mentioned that his wife preferred potato dishes sans peels. He fries the peels in oil to avoid wasting them.
Since I choose the air fryer whenever I possibly can, it seemed like a good time to put it to the challenge. Plus, I’ve been making vegan baked potato soup. So I happened to have some peels at the ready.
There’s really only one problem with these air fried potato peels. They taste best straight out of the air fryer. Now, that’s not an issue at all if you’re only planning on eating them. However, if you want to photograph them for a blog, that’s when the problems crop up.
I started snacking on them… just to make sure they were done, right? And before I knew it, I had to grab a smaller bowl for the photograph, and then a smaller bowl, and then a smaller bowl until it was getting kind of ridiculous.
Actual picture from that shoot:
So the next day I peeled more potatoes, just so that I could take pictures of them for you… And then eat them again. You’re welcome.
Top air fried potato peels with any of the following:
- A clove of garlic, minced and sautéed in oil until fragrant
- Chopped & browned seitan bacon
- Grated non-dairy cheese
- Non-dairy cream cheese (This is good for dipping too!)
- Green onions
Or just eat them on their own or with ketchup.
📖 Recipe
Air fried potato peels
Ingredients
- Peels from 2 pounds of Russet potatoes about 4 medium-sized potatoes
- Spritz oil
- Pinch salt
- Optional toppings: Sauteed minced garlic, seitan bacon, grated non-dairy cheese, non-dairy cream cheese, green onions, and/or ketchup
Instructions
- Put potato peels into the air fryer basket. Spritz them with oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.*
- Air fry at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Stop once about halfway through to shake the basket and give the peels another spritz of oil. Check on them during the last few minutes of cooking to make sure they get brown and crisp, but not burned.
- Serve right away with any of the optional toppings, if desired.
Maria McNaee
Loved these!
Cadry Nelson
I’m so glad to hear it, Maria!
Cassie
These were so tasty! I normally don’t peel potatoes, but sometimes I need to make smooth mashed potatoes. I’ve always hated throwing away the peels. This is a great way to use them, and so easy!
I made a double batch (8 potatoes worth of peels), so my total cook time was about 11 minutes. but they still came out crispy and delicious. I used garlic salt and pepper as my seasonings.
Cadry Nelson
Thank you for the great feedback, Cassie! I’m glad you enjoyed the crispy potato peels! Garlic salt & pepper sound like delicious additions.
claudia baskerville
I made these and they were so good , A great healthy snack 🙂
Cadry Nelson
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Claudia!
Sally
I had same idea when I made my boys potato soup after long cold morning cutting and stacking wood. sprayed with vegatanle oil, salted and put in air fryer, used french fry setting(400degrees for 20 mins!) pulled basket out and shook them like ever 5 mins or do. What a hit! Next going to try blotting dry with paper towels and freezing to see how the do. Boys want me to try using dry ranch or bbq seasoning.
Cadry
That’s a great idea to add dry ranch or BBQ seasoning. Sounds delicious!
Whoevaur
Do you think this could work with other peelings, like carrot?
Cadry
That’s a great question! I’ve never tried it, but it seems like it would be delicious with carrot peels. Carrots have more moisture than potato peels, and so they may not get quite as crisp. However, there’s one way to find out! Let me know if you try it. I’m intrigued!
Shell
Another fabulous use of the air fryer! I don’t ever peel potatoes, but I need to find a reason to do so. ASAP.
Cadry
Let me know if you try it, Shell!
Susan
This is a super fun idea!
Cadry
Thanks, Susan!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
Ha! I love the bowl story. I can imagine these are addicting!
Cadry
I don’t know if you can really tell just how tiny that bowl is! It’s like the size you’d use for ketchup. Haha! They are too tasty for their own good. 😀
Dianne
I actually never peel potatoes, but now I want to so I can try this!
Cadry
I rarely peel them either. The first time I made my potato soup, I just started chopping the potatoes with peels on by habit, even though I wanted to air fry the peels. I only remembered once it was too late! So when I made it a second time, I had to keep reminding myself, so that it didn’t happen again. 😀
Jennifer Bliss
LOVING this! Loving this!!!!! YUM!
Cadry
Thanks, Jennifer!
Becky Striepe
Oh my gosh, this is so smart! I avoid peeling potatoes, because I don’t like to waste food, and now I can peel with reckless abandon!
Cadry
Haha! Peel away! Then you get two, two, two snacks in one! 😉
Beverlee
The sacrifices one goes through to benefit us fellow vegans. 😉
Cadry
The depths of my own selflessness amaze me too. 😉
David Busch
Mmmmm, these look really good!
Cadry
Play your cards right, and I’ll make them for you sometime! 😀