Air Fryer Frozen Hash Browns (Patties & Shredded)

by Kayla Berman on June 13, 2024 0 comments

Once you air fry frozen hash browns, you will never prepare them a different way again! Cooking the delicious breakfast staple in the air fryer is quick, easy, and results in golden brown, crispy potato perfection. Whether you love the patties or the shredded variation, this is your one stop shop for air frying frozen hash browns!

You can air fry frozen french fries too – check out this detailed guide for all the times and temps for any style of fry.

Why You Need To Air Fry Hash Browns

Absolutely Delicious: First and foremost, air fried hash browns are so dang delicious. All they need is a bit of salt and pepper .. then they are crispy, golden brown, salty potato perfection. Chef’s kiss!
Minimal Mess: No matter what I’m preparing in my air fryer, one of my favorite things is very minimal mess and easy clean up. For this recipe especially … no cutting board, no knife, no mixing. Everything is contained in the one appliance!
Quick & Easy: Y’all this “recipe” is almost too good to be true. You literally dump the potatoes, set the cook time, and that’s it.
Super Crispy: The air fryer has worked its magic again with this breakfast star. The potatoes come out as crispy as can be without needing a frying pan or buckets of canola oil. AKA not only do these air fried hashbrowns come out super crispy, but they are also a healthier alternative to those made by deep frying.
Convenient: If you have a freezer stash of hash browns a simple breakfast side is never far away. Just pop those babies in the air fryer on a lazy weekend morning or busy school morning and everyone will be happy!
Crowd Pleasing: You, your kids, your husband, your girlfriend, your roommates … anybody and everybody will be pleased when you serve ’em up these golden brown patties. I mean have you ever seen anyone be angry about eating a hashbrown? Didn’t think so!

Ingredients

This “recipe” for hash browns in the air fryer is less of a recipe and more of a guide on how to do it just right! How to turn those convenient frozen potatoes, in patty or shredded form, into a golden brown breakfast wonder.

Thus, there is no complicated ingredient list. You will simply need 3 things: hash browns, oil, and seasoning.

Frozen Hash Browns: Frozen hash browns can be found in most grocery stores – whether you are in the mood for the patties or shredded versions.
Seasonings: The seasonings come into play more for the shredded potatoes version of this breakfast staple. They require a bit more to zhuzh them up! I think salt and black pepper is enough. However, you could get a bit adventurous with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, etc.
Oil: I recommend using avocado oil or olive oil spray here, especially for the shredded hash browns. They require more oil to help them crisp! If you don’t like using spray you could also coat the potatoes in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. For the frozen patties, all you really need is a little cooking spray on the bottom of the air fryer basket – or truly nothing at all!

bag of shredded frozen hash browns and olive oil

Equipment Needed

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Air Fryer – I use and love the Instant Slim 6QT Air Fryer Oven

How To Cook Frozen Hash Brown Patties In The Air Fryer

Step 1: Preheat the air fyrer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Add patties. Once preheated, add the frozen patties to the air fryer basket. You can spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or cooking oil, but it is not necessary.

Step 3: Air fry for 10-12 minutes.

frozen hash brown patties in the air fryer before cooking

frozen hash brown patties in the air fryer after cooking

How To Cook Frozen Shredded Hash Browns In The Air Fryer

Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Add oil. Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil spray.

Step 3: Add the shredded potatoes to the basket in a thin, even layer. Making sure to not overcrowd the basket.

Step 4: Season. Generously spray the frozen potatoes with more olive oil spray. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, or the seasonings of your choice.

Step 5: Air fry the shredded hash browns for 15-20 minutes. Gently flip or shake the hash browns every 5 minutes to cook them evenly. I recommend checking on your shredded potatoes at around 15 minutes to make sure there is no burning.

frozen shredded hash browns in the air fryer before cooking

frozen shredded hash browns in the air fryer after cooking

Expert Tips

Here are a few extra tips and tricks to help you make the most perfect crispy air fryer hash browns in your own kitchen!

Don’t Overcrowd The Basket: This tip is particularly relevant for the shredded version. I recommend adding the potatoes in a thin, single layer for the best results.
Check Throughout The Cooking Time: This is a tip I include in almost all of my air fryer recipes – whether it is s’mores, chicken sausage, or garlic bread. Every air fryer, depending on the brand and model, will cook differently. Therefore, I think it is so important to do almost a trial run of sorts every time you cook a new item or recipe in the appliance. A trial run just means checking on your food a bit more than you typically would – just to make sure no burning or overcooking occurs!
Gently Shake & Flip Shredded Potatoes: Air fryers cook food by circulating hot air throughout the appliance with a fan. There are also holes in air fryer baskets to allow this air flow, which in turn helps the food crisp and cook evenly. These necessary holes make air frying shredded frozen potatoes a bit tricky! When you are mixing or shaking them up throughout the cook time … some pieces can fall through the holes. I recommend just being aware of this and flipping carefully. However, if some potatoes fall through do not worry, they will still cook perfectly fine.
Extra Crispy Hash Browns: If you want the crispiest hash browns possible you can do a couple of things. First, you can air fry them for longer. This goes for either variation, but for the shredded version you will have to keep a closer eye. Second, you can use more oil. I love this method of preparing frozen hash browns because it does not require a lot of oil, and thus is healthier, but feel free to use however much you want. The more you use, the crispier those potatoes will be! Just don’t drown them in oil.

Air Fryer Hash Browns Serving Suggestions

Air fryer hashbrowns are a fabulous option for any occasion! This quick, easy, and golden brown carb can do so much more than just being a simple side dish.

Brunch Spread: These crispy potato shreds or golden patties would be a perfect addition to a beautiful brunch spread. Add bagels, breakfast sausage or bacon, and scrambled or soft boiled eggs for the other savory elements. For sweet, perhaps a pastry treat like cinnamon rolls or monkey bread. Then fresh fruit or yogurt and granola cups for healthier fare. Are you drooling yet!?!
Everyday Breakfast: While these delicious hash browns are so much more than just a quick breakfast side … they also are a great breakfast side. LOL. I personally love to pair them with eggs and cottage cheese for a high protein, well rounded, and satisfying meal. You could also serve with crispy feta eggs, fresh berries, chicken breakfast sausage, chia seed pudding … whatever you’d like.
Hash Brown Sandwich: Now if you really want to have some fun with these air fryer hash brown patties .. make them into a sandwich! Ditch that boring old sandwich bread and instead use salty, crispy potatoes as your base. YUM!! Pile on a runny egg, avocado, crispy bacon, hot sauce … whatever you want.
Lunch Or Dinner Side: Who says hash browns are only for breakfast!? Not me!! I mean they are essentially french fries. Why not serve them on the side of your chicken nuggets or burger??

Storing Suggestions

You can store leftover hash browns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

To reheat just pop them back into the air fryer at around 350 degrees until warmed or crisped to your liking, about 5-10 minutes.

FAQs

What are the different types of hash browns?

According to the internet, there are essentially 3 distinct types of hash browns. However, I don’t completely agree with this.

The styles are shredded, patties, or cubed. Hash browns seem to be one of those things that everyone could have a different idea of!

For me, when I think of hash browns the first thing that comes to mind is the golden brown square or circular patty. You know McDonald’s style!

I can also understand if people’s first thought is the shredded potatoes. That is perfectly acceptable! Thus this guide for air frying hash browns includes both variations.

Now where you will lose me is if you call diced potatoes hash browns. Those are simply breakfast potatoes … and there is a pretty significant difference! They often are mixed with peppers, onions, and seasonings. Plus they don’t have that signature crispy, salty, slightly oily perfect taste and texture!

Why are they called hash browns?

The popular breakfast item is known as the hash brown because they are potatoes that have been chopped and then fried, aka browned.

“Hash” implies chopped since it comes from the French word “hacher.” It is the verb for mincing or chopping finely.

Can you cook hashbrowns in the air fryer?

Absolutely! This post has all the exact ingredients, instructions, and expert tips needed for you to air fry hash browns perfectly.

How to prevent shredded hash browns from falling through the air fryer?

When air frying shredded hash browns some of the tiny pieces of potato can fall through the holes in the basket.

My first tip to prevent this is to just be gentle when tossing, flipping, or shaking the hash browns. You can also line the air fryer basket with parchment paper or a dedicated air fryer liner.

Lastly, you can just not worry about it! If the shredded potatoes fall through to the bottom of the air fryer it really is no big deal. They will still be perfectly cooked!

Can you cook shredded hashbrowns in an air fryer?

Yes! You can air fryer frozen shredded hash browns at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Read above for additional information on the simple steps and ingredients needed.

How long does it take to cook a frozen hash brown patty in an air fryer?

It takes 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees F to air fry a hash brown patty.

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