Frozen Roast Potatoes in Air Fryer (The Best & Crispiest)

Frozen roast potatoes in air fryer are the perfect time-saving alternative to making the real thing from scratch. When you air fry frozen roast potatoes, they come out crispy and golden with a super fluffy centre. They’re a fantastic accompaniment to any Holiday or Sunday roast, especially with a juicy protein like my TENDER Cast Iron Chicken Breast.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Here’s why frozen roast potatoes in air fryer are always a win.

• Faster than roasting: Frozen potatoes in air fryer are done in around 15-20 minutes instead of 45 minutes to an hour from scratch, leaving you time to make a 30-Minute Cream of Mushroom Chicken.
• Perfect every time: Roast potatoes in air fryer come out golden and delicious every time, unlike the unpredictability of oven temps.
• No thawing required: Cook straight from frozen, saving you loads of time so you can focus on mains like Easy Chicken Piccata.

Love potatoes? Try these easy recipes: Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe, Frozen Jacket Potato in Air Fryer, and Airfryer Hash Browns.

Ingredients

You only need a few basics for frozen roast potatoes in air fryer.

• Bag of frozen roasties: Use your favourite brand. I love air fryer frozen roast potatoes because you get perfectly crispy results without any peeling – though if you do have time for prep, my Crispy Garlic Fries at Home are absolutely worth it.
• Oil spray (optional): A light spray can help with colour and crisping, depending on the brand. It helps to keep notes if you’re testing how long to cook frozen roast potatoes in air fryer for your specific air fryer and preferred brand.
• Salt (optional): Season at the end to taste, then serve with this lovely Tonkatsu Inspired Pork & Cabbage Salad.

Variations/ Adaptations

Once you’ve nailed frozen roast potatoes in air fryer, it’s easy to switch things up.

• Swap the potato type: Try frozen roast potatoes, frozen french fries, or frozen diced potatoes for a quick lunch side alongside this Jennifer Aniston Salad.
• Seasoning ideas: Use a Cajun blend of spices such as cayenne pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and a bit of ground thyme.
• Topping ideas: Keep the same method for how to cook frozen roast potatoes in air fryer and finish with garlic butter, grated cheese, or even use a dipping sauce like my Easy Gyoza Dipping Sauce for a fusion twist.

How to make Crispy Frozen Roast Potatoes in Air Fryer

Start by preheating your airfryer basket for 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C)

1. Add your frozen roast potatoes and evenly distribute across the airfryer basket (Image 1).
2. Cook for 20 minutes at 400°F (200°C), shaking the basket at the 10 minute mark to maximise crispiness (Image 2).

3. After 20 minutes the potatoes should be cooked throughout (Image 3).

4. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and serve with a protein & veg of choice and enjoy! (Image 4).

Here are some delicious main dishes to serve with these roasties: Perfect Pan Fried Cod Recipe, Salmon Tray bake with Asparagus (in 30 minutes) and Frozen Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer.

Frozen Roast potatoes in Air Fryer: Temperature, Batch Size, and Make-Ahead

I absolutely love potatoes in any form: baked, mashed, French fries, roasted, chips, or even hash browns. But if I have to spend my time peeling, parboiling, cutting and all the other things that go with making potatoes from scratch, I’m just not doing it.

Thank goodness modern day conveniences brought us frozen potatoes! And before air fryers, I was perfectly happy making them in the oven. But now, my go to method is the air fryer. This section is the quick “what actually matters” part for frozen roast potatoes in air fryer.

• What’s the ideal temperature and batch size? 400°F / 204°C is a solid default for most air fryers. Keep them in a single layer where possible, as overcrowding steams them and you lose that crisp outside.
• Is it better to air fry frozen or thawed? You always want to add roast potatoes to the air fryer that are still frozen. In the past, I have tried thawing them before air frying, and found that they come out somewhat soft and soggy. So don’t even mess with defrosting your potatoes because they turn out best when you air fry them from frozen.
• Which frozen roast potatoes should you buy? The frozen roast potatoes that I will be using in this recipe are McCain’s just because they are my favorite and quite easy to find at the market. However, there are loads of roast potato brands that you can use and are just as delicious such as Aunt Bessie and the supermarket own brands.

Make Ahead Instructions

There is an option to make these ahead, however they are typically best when cooked and served right away. To make ahead and use within a few hours, follow the instructions above but only cook the potatoes for a total of 15 minutes. Then turn the air fryer off and leave the potatoes warm in the air fryer until you are ready to cook them the rest of the way. When you are ready, turn the air fryer back on to 204°C (400°F) and cook for the remaining time until the potatoes are done. You can also cook them fully and then store and reheat them using the reheat instructions in the next section.

You can also use your airfryer to reheat your favourite dishes ; The Best Way to Reheat Chicken Wings in the Airfryer, The Best Way To Reheat Salmon and The Best Way to Reheat Baked Ziti

Serving Suggestions

Frozen roast potatoes in air fryer go with loads of meals, not just Sunday roast.

Try them with:

• Delicious Air Fryer Cod {Flaky with Best Seasoning}
• Easy Beef and Broccoli Recipe {Chinese Fakeaway Recipe}
• Ultimate Grilled Cheese Burger
• Crispy Pan-Fried Salmon Bites {without breading!}
• Easy Burger Bowls (with Meal Prep Instructions)
• Easy Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin (+Delicious Dry Rub!)

Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions

These reheat well, so frozen roast potatoes in air fryer are still worth doing even if you’ve got extras.

Refrigerator: To store leftover roasties, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Freezer: It is not recommended to refreeze any food that has already been frozen.

Reheat: Reheat the cold leftover potatoes by placing them in an airfryer that has been preheated to 350°F (177°C) for 3-5 minutes or until heated through for crispy frozen roast potatoes.

FAQs

If you love using the airfryer, try these ideas: How To Air Fry Thick Cut Back Bacon, Cooking Frozen Sausages in an Air Fryer and Airfryer Frozen Fries.