Vegan · Air fryer adaptation

3 Ingredient Vegan Air Fryer Hash Browns (Better Than McDonald's)

Forget the frozen bags, homemade hash browns beat McDonald's when you ditch the flour and egg nonsense. Just three ingredients and a smarter cooking method means crispy golden edges with proper seasoning right through, no bland potato disappointment.

R By Richard · Adapted from Adam Garratt · Published 10 June 2026
👁 20.5k source views ❤️ 994 source likes
⏱Prep 25 min
🌡Temp 200°C
⏲Air fry 14 min
🍽Serves 4
3 ingredient VEGAN hash browns, better than McDonald's | Homemade hash browns

Source video by Adam Garratt on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

Adam Garratt's homemade hash browns skip the flour and egg, relying on the natural starch from par-boiled grated potato to bind everything together. The potatoes are boiled until just shy of done, cooled, grated with the skins on, seasoned simply and shaped into triangles. The original video shallow-chips the hash browns in a pan; this version adapts the finish for the air fryer so you get crisp edges with much less oil.

Air fryer notes: Source method shallow-chips the formed hash browns in oil in a pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes per side. Adapted for the air fryer: lightly oil the hash browns instead of frying in oil, cook at 200°C for around 14 minutes total with one flip. The potatoes are already par-cooked, so the air fryer only needs to crisp the outside and finish the centre. Cook in a single layer and do not overcrowd the basket.

Ingredients

Main
  • 1 kgKing Edward potatoes (or other roasting potatoes), skins on, similar sizes
  • salt
  • black pepper, freshly ground
  • garlic granules
  • 1 tbspvegetable oil, for spraying or brushing

Method

  1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the whole potatoes, skins on. Try to use potatoes of similar size so they cook evenly.

    ~5 min

  2. Par-boil the potatoes for around 15-20 minutes. Test with a knife: it should slide in with a bit of resistance, not all the way through. You want them part-cooked, not fully soft.

    ~18 min

  3. Drain the potatoes and rinse under cold running water for about 5 minutes until cool enough to handle.

    ~5 min

  4. Check the potatoes over and remove any grey or rotten spots. Keep the skins on for flavour, or peel if you prefer.

    ~2 min

  5. Coarsely grate the potatoes on a box grater into a bowl. The mixture will be very sticky from the natural starch; that is what binds the hash browns.

    ~5 min

  6. Spread the grated potato out and season with salt, black pepper and garlic granules. Mix through with a fork until evenly seasoned.

    ~3 min

  7. Take handfuls of the mixture and press firmly into hash brown shapes (triangular wedges, about 1.5 cm thick). Aim for roughly even sizes so they cook at the same rate.

    ~8 min

  8. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C for 2-3 minutes. Lightly brush or spray both sides of each hash brown with oil.

    ~3 min

  9. Place the hash browns in the air fryer basket in a single layer with space between them. Cook at 200°C for 7 minutes.

    ~7 min

  10. Carefully flip each hash brown with a spatula and cook for a further 6-7 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp.

    ~7 min

Frequently asked

Do I need to preheat my air fryer?
Yes, preheating to 200°C for 2-3 minutes helps the hash browns start crisping the moment they go in, which gives the best golden crust.
Can I cook these from frozen in the air fryer?
Yes. Freeze the shaped hash browns in a single layer first, then bag them up. Cook from frozen at 200°C for around 15-17 minutes, flipping halfway.
Why par-boil the potatoes instead of grating them raw?
Par-boiling removes the raw potato flavour and releases enough starch to bind the hash browns naturally, so you do not need flour or egg. The texture stays distinct, not mashed.
Do I need to add oil if I am using an air fryer?
A light brush or spray of oil on both sides is enough. It helps the surface crisp and brown. You use far less than in the original pan-fried version.
Can I use a different potato variety?
Yes. Any good roasting potato works, such as Maris Piper or Desiree. You want a floury or all-rounder variety, not a waxy salad potato.
Extraction notes (transparency): Transcript does not specify potato quantity, exact salt/pepper/garlic granule amounts, or oil quantity. Defaults estimated for 4 servings. Air fryer temp and time are adapted (source uses a pan), so timings should be verified on first cook. | Second-pass critique flagged 9 fabricated and 1 quantified issues. See critique.issues for detail.