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These Air Fryer Mashed Potato Balls are super creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside! This is the perfect way to use up those mashed potatoes for a delicious snack or appetizer. Impress your guests at potlucks, parties and holiday dinners!
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Check out my Sausage And Potato Casserole and my Cajun Mac And Cheese for more comforting meals.
If you’re looking for something to use up mashed potatoes, this is it! The savory ingredients provide the perfect taste for these delicious potato bites, and the crispy outside gives them the perfect texture. It is always fun taking leftovers and creating something completely different from them!
You can also grab pre-made mashed potatoes at the grocery store.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cooked in the air fryer to keep the oil to a minimum.
- Mashed potato balls are a good way of using your leftover mashed potatoes.
- They’re great plain or with a dipping sauce on the side.
- Crunchy outside, stuffed with a creamy inside.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mashed Potatoes: You can’t make mashed potato balls without mashed potatoes!
- Cheddar Cheese: I normally use mild cheddar cheese, but you can use whatever cheese you like.
- Green Onions: Gives a mild oniony flavor to the potato balls.
- Cooked Bacon: The chopped bits of fried bacon add flavor and crunch.
- Eggs: Gives extra moisture to the potato balls and works as a binding agent to hold ingredients together.
- Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs: Panko is what makes the potato bites crunchy!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1:
Mix the potatoes, cheese, green onions & bacon in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2:
Shape potato mixture into balls using an ice cream scoop or your hands.
Step 3:
Lay the mashed potato balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes.
Step 4:
Whisk the eggs in one bowl and pour the panko crumbs into another shallow bowl. Dip the balls into the egg mixture and then the panko. Lay back on baking sheet.
Step 5:
Spray cooking oil in the air fryer basket. Add as many mashed potato balls into the air fryer basket as you can fit without overcrowding and not touching (you have to cook in batches).
Step 6:
Cook at 375 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, checking frequently and shaking up to avoid sticking. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Use chilled mashed potatoes. Cold leftover mashed potatoes tend to be a little denser and easier to handle.
- You'll want to do a quick freeze before air frying to help the mashed potato balls hold their shape.
- You can use leftover mashed potatoes or make mashed potatoes just for this.
- Use a spatula to take your potato balls out of the air fryer, otherwise they will fall apart since they are so hot.
- Don't crowd the air fryer. You need to space the potato balls out to allow the hot air to circulate around the potato to perfectly crisp them out.
Variations
- Finely diced bell pepper is a great addition to the mashed potatoes.
- You can stuff potatoes with a mix of cheese, mozzarella cheese, cooked chicken, browned ground beef or a mix of veggies.
- Try chives or parsley instead of green onion.
- Add jalapeño or red pepper flakes to the mixture to make it spicy.
- Place a cube of mozzarella cheese in the center of each potato ball to make them extremely cheesy.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Lay the potato balls in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer safe zip top bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F and reheat potato balls for about 5 minutes, or until warm. If frozen, increase the time by 3-4 minutes.
Recipe FAQ's
Sour cream, marinara sauce, gravy, ranch salad dressing, ketchup, and hot sauce are all great with these potato balls.
No, sorry. Instant mashed potatoes will be too loose and too smooth, so these mashed potato balls will fall apart when you go to air fry them.
If you want to use your oven to make potato balls, you can easily bake them for 12 to 15 minutes, at 400 degrees F. Flip them halfway, so both sides get crunchy.
The mashed potatoes might have too much moisture. Add a couple tablespoons of flour to the potato mixture.
More Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love
Air Fryer Mashed Potato Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups mashed potatoes cold is best so they keep shape
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 green onions. diced
- 6 slices of cooked bacon diced
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups seasoned Panko
Instructions
- Mix the potatoes, cheese, green onions & bacon in a large mixing bowl.
- Shape potato mixture into balls using an ice cream scoop or your hands.
- Lay the mashed potato balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs in one bowl and pour the panko into another shallow bowl. Dip the balls into the egg mixture and then the panko and lay back on backing sheet.
- Spray cooking oil in the air fryer basket. Add as many mashed potato balls into the air fryer basket as you can fit without overcrowding and not touching (you have to cook in batches).
- Cook at 375°F for 15-18 minutes, checking frequently and shaking up to avoid sticking. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
Notes
- Use chilled mashed potatoes. Cold leftover mashed potatoes tend to be a little denser and easier to handle.
- You'll want to do a quick freeze before air frying to help the mashed potato balls hold their shape.
- You can use leftover mashed potatoes or make mashed potatoes just for this.
- Use a spatula to take your potato balls out of the air fryer, otherwise they will fall apart since they are so hot.
- Don't crowd the air fryer. You need to space the potato balls out to allow the hot air to circulate around the potato to perfectly crisp them out.
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Lay the potato balls in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer safe zip top bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F and reheat potato balls for about 5 minutes, or until warm. If frozen, increase the time by 3-4 minutes.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Enjoy!
Marg
Looks like a good recipe. Except, you omitted the panko in the directions.
Erika
I just fixed it. Thanks for letting me know!