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Recipe

Serves

4 1×

Serves 4Prep 10 minCook 25 minTotal 45 min

Ingredients

  • 1 kg floury potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward)
  • 2 tbsp beef dripping, melted
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic granules
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • Rosemary sprigs, optional

Method

  1. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks about 5 cm across, keeping them roughly even.
  2. Put them in a pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and boil for 7 minutes.
  3. Drain well, then return to the pan off the heat, lid on, and shake vigorously for 10 seconds to rough up the surfaces.
  4. Leave to steam dry for 5 minutes.
  5. Toss the potatoes in the melted beef dripping, salt, garlic granules and pepper until every surface is coated.
  6. Preheat the air fryer to 200C for 3 minutes. Tip the potatoes in and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the basket every 8 minutes.
  7. They are done when deeply golden, crisp at the edges and fluffy when probed with a fork.
  8. Tuck a rosemary sprig among them for the last 5 minutes if using. Serve immediately.

Air Fryer Roast Potatoes with Beef Dripping

Deeply golden air fryer roast potatoes with crisp, craggy edges and rosemary in a cream stoneware bowl

Air fryer roast potatoes with beef dripping deliver the crunchiest edges and the fluffiest middles in a fraction of the oven time.

Parboiled, roughed up, then cooked in hot beef dripping, they come out shatteringly crisp and deeply savoury.

Sunday roast worthy any night of the week.

Recipe

JUMP TO RECIPE

Servings: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Tips

  • The roughed-up edges are what fry into extra crunch; do not skip the shake.
  • Cook in two batches if your basket is crowded; steam is the enemy of crisp.
  • Beef dripping can be replaced with duck fat or olive oil.

The shake after draining is a deliberate part of the method. It roughs up the potato surfaces, creating the uneven edges that crisp during cooking. Shake vigorously for the stated 10 seconds, then allow the potatoes to steam dry before adding the dripping and seasonings. Skipping either step changes the surface preparation described in this recipe.

Give each potato chunk an even coating of the melted dripping and seasonings before it goes into the basket. Keep the basket uncrowded so the potatoes have room to cook rather than steam against one another. If the quantity fills the basket too tightly, cook in two batches. The method calls for shaking the basket every 8 minutes to help the potatoes cook evenly.

Check doneness by appearance and texture, not colour alone: the edges should be crisp and deeply golden, while the centres should be fluffy when probed with a fork. Serve immediately after cooking. Rosemary is optional and is added only for the last 5 minutes, so its flavour does not replace the potato, dripping or seasoning.

Variations

  • Toss in 1 tsp smoked paprika for colour and warmth.
  • Finish with grated parmesan and chives.
  • Use goose fat for a festive version.

For a paprika variation, add the smoked paprika when tossing the potatoes with the melted fat and seasonings so it coats the pieces. For a cheese and chive finish, add the grated parmesan and chives after cooking. Goose fat can be used in place of beef dripping for the festive variation. These are optional changes; the core method remains the same.

The recipe also lists duck fat or olive oil as alternatives to beef dripping. The stated result will differ in flavour: beef dripping is the ingredient associated with the classic roast dinner flavour in this recipe. Whichever option is used, coat the potatoes evenly and avoid crowding the basket.

FAQ

Can I use oil instead of dripping?

Yes, but beef dripping gives the classic roast dinner flavour and the crispiest finish. Olive oil is one of the alternatives listed in the tips. Toss the potatoes thoroughly so the surfaces are coated before air frying.

Can I parboil ahead?

Yes, up to a day ahead; cool and refrigerate the roughed-up potatoes uncovered on a tray. The recipe calls for draining, shaking the potatoes to rough up their surfaces, and leaving them to steam dry. Complete those steps before refrigerating. When ready to cook, coat with the melted dripping and seasonings, then follow the air fryer method.

Why are mine not crispy?

Usually overcrowding or wet potatoes. Steam dry well and leave space in the basket. The method also relies on roughing up the surfaces after boiling; those edges are what fry into extra crunch. If the basket is crowded, cook in two batches and shake the basket every 8 minutes.

What temperature is best?

200C for most air fryers; reduce to 190C if yours runs hot. Preheat to the selected temperature for 3 minutes, as directed. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the basket every 8 minutes, and check that the potatoes are deeply golden, crisp at the edges and fluffy when probed with a fork.