These spicy air fryer potatoes are one of the recipes from our YouTube channel, and they are about as simple as a side dish gets. Thin potato slices go into the air fryer with a block of hot pot seasoning on top. The seasoning melts, you toss everything together, and 15 minutes later the slices are crispy at the edges, soft in the middle and coated in red, spicy oil. A handful of scallions and sesame seeds finishes them.
Hot pot seasoning is the solid block of spicy hot pot soup base sold in Asian grocery stores and online. It is mostly fat, chili and spices, so in the heat of the air fryer it melts into a sauce all by itself. That is the whole trick: no oil to measure and no spice mix to make. One block does the work.
The method has two short bakes. The first 5 minutes at 360°F just melt the seasoning. Then you mix well, so every slice gets coated, and give it 15 more minutes to crisp up. Rinsing the slices first matters too: it washes off the loose starch, so the potatoes don’t stick together.
Our video calls them a late night snack, and they are, but they also work next to grilled meat, rice or eggs. If you like spicy food and you own an air fryer, this is a 20-minute side you can make with almost nothing in the house.
What you need
- Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced. Enough to cover the bottom of your air fryer basket.
- Hot pot seasoning, 1 block (the spicy hot pot soup base).
- Scallions, chopped, for the top.
- Sesame seeds, for the top.
- Baking paper to line the basket, and an air fryer.
Our video doesn’t give a number of potatoes or exact amounts for the toppings. In the footage, one layer of slices fills the basket and one block of seasoning goes on top.
Spicy Air Fryer Potatoes
Ingredients
Method
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin, even slices.
- Rinse the slices in a bowl of water to wash off the excess starch, then drain them.
- Line the air fryer basket with baking paper and lay the slices in, overlapping a little.
- Put the block of hot pot seasoning in the middle, on top of the potatoes.
- Air fry at 360°F for 5 minutes, until the seasoning melts.
- Mix well so the melted seasoning coats every slice.
- Air fry for 15 more minutes, until the edges are golden and crisp.
- Top with chopped scallions and sesame seeds and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Tips
- Slice thin and even. Slices of the same thickness cook at the same speed.
- Don’t skip the rinse. Washing off the starch keeps the slices from gluing together.
- Line the basket. The baking paper holds the melted seasoning in, so it coats the potatoes instead of dripping away.
- Mix after the first 5 minutes. That is when the seasoning has melted and can coat every slice.
- Mind the heat level. Hot pot bases come in different spice levels; pick a mild one if you don’t like it very hot.
Questions people ask
What is hot pot seasoning?
It is the base used to make spicy Chinese hot pot broth, sold as a solid block. Because it is mostly fat with chili and spices, it melts in the air fryer and turns into a ready-made spicy sauce for the potatoes.
How long do sliced potatoes take in the air fryer?
In this recipe, 20 minutes in total at 360°F: 5 minutes to melt the seasoning, then 15 more minutes after mixing.
Do I need to add oil?
No. Our video adds no oil, because the hot pot seasoning melts into oil on its own.
You might also like
- Air fryer sweet potato chunks, another potato side from our channel.
- Super crispy roasted potatoes, if you want them from the oven.
- Quick and easy air fryer recipes, more ideas for your air fryer.
