Cooked entirely in the air fryer and perfectly crispy, these air fryer mashed potato cakes come together in minutes and are the perfect use for leftover mashed potatoes!
Here’s your PSA to set aside some mashed potatoes so you can later transform them into these crispy little bites of heaven!
Honestly, we may love these mashed potato cakes more than the real thing and we’re pretty confident you’ll agree.
It’s pretty hard to argue with a crispy + cheesy potato cake that you get to schmear with sour cream and green onions, ya know?
Yep, we’re employing the air fryer to pull off this magic today and naturally it does the job to absolute perfection.
These Mashed Potato Cakes feature…
- A perfectly light and crispy texture
- Hearty mashed potatoes and gooey cheddar cheese
- Minutes to make and only a handful of ingredients needed
Making the Potato Cakes
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Mashed potatoes
- Garlic
- Eggs
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- All-purpose flour
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Unsalted butter
- Sour cream
- Green onions
Choosing Your Mashed Potatoes
This recipe works great with a variety of mashed potatoes. We’ve made it successfully with both boxed and homemade with great results.
No need to do anything special to the mashed potatoes, just prepare them like you would any other recipe with milk, butter, etc.
Tips for Perfect Potato Cakes
- Use cold mashed potatoes – we found that the dough holds up better using cold mashed potatoes.
- Add enough flour to form a thick dough – start with 2 cups flour and add more by the tablespoon until dough is thick.
- Preheat air fryer – you want the air fryer piping hot when you go to add the potato cakes.
- Brush potato cakes with melted butter – this helps the exteriors brown and adds a lovely buttery flavor.
- Air fry potato cakes in batches – it’s important not to overcrowd the potato cakes otherwise they will not cook up as crispy.
- Flip potato cakes halfway through cooking – this helps ensure that both sides cook up crispy.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these potato cakes.
- Add grated onion – try adding 1/2 cup grated yellow onion to the dough.
- Try a different cheese – replace the cheddar with shredded mozzarella, Monterey jack, or Parmesan.
- Make them spicy – try adding a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes to the dough.
Stovetop Instructions
Don’t have an air fryer? You can still make this recipe using a skillet on the stovetop. They won’t turn out quite as crispy but they will still be delicious!
Working in batches, heat a little bit of butter in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add potato cakes and cook several minutes on each side until cakes are golden brown and crispy.
These potato cakes truly are the ultimate way to use up any leftover potatoes you have on hand! The air fryer really works its magic here and transforms them into crispy little pockets of heaven.
Trust me, you’ll want to set aside some extra mashed potatoes for these!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch these potato cakes made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More potato favorites to try next!
Air Fryer Mashed Potato Cakes
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Ingredients
- 3 cups cold mashed potatoes
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 2 to 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Nonstick cooking spray for air frying
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Sour cream and sliced green onions for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, garlic, beaten eggs, cheddar, and 2 cups flour until a thick dough forms, adding additional flour by the tablespoon if dough seems a bit too wet. Season dough with salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat a 4-qt air fryer to 400F for 3 minutes. Spray air fryer basket well with pan spray.
- Working in batches of 3, drop batter by heaping 1/4 cupfuls into preheated air fryer. Flatten dough slightly to form patties. Brush patties with a little bit of melted butter.
- Air fry mashed potato cakes at 400F 8-10 minutes, carefully flipping once halfway through cooking until potato cakes are golden brown and crispy. Repeat cooking with remaining dough and melted butter.
- Serve mashed potato cakes warm with sour cream and green onions on top. Enjoy!
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