Air Fryer Bubble and Squeak recipe is an ideal way to use up all your Christmas dinner leftovers, especially leftover mashed potatoes and leftover vegetables.
I love making this dish all year round, not just for Boxing Day! It’s such a fantastic way to repurpose leftovers into something so delicious. This is my take on the British favourite baked bubble and squeak or fried bubble and squeak, made easier with an air fryer.
The whole idea of this dish is not just to make air fryer mashed potato patties from leftovers. It’s also a great way to use your cooked veggies in the tastiest, most satisfying way.
Serve them with vegan sausages and butter braised savoy cabbage for a quick, satisfying dinner.
Jump to:
- What is Bubble and Squeak?
- 👩🏻🍳Top Tips for Perfect Bubble and Squeak Patties
- 📋Ingredients
- 🥔🥬What Other Vegetables Can I Use?
- 🔪How to Make Air Fryer Bubble and Squeak
- 🔪How to Freeze Bubble and Squeak Patties for Cooking Later?
- 🔪How to Cook Frozen Bubble and Squeak in Air Fryer?
- 🍽 How to Serve Air Fryer Bubble and Squeak?
- 🧂Storing Leftover Cooked Air Fried Bubble and Squeak
- Recipe FAQ's
- Love this Easy Boxing Day Recipe, You Will Also Love
- Air Fryer Bubble and Squeak Patties
What is Bubble and Squeak?
The name comes from the “bubbling” and “squeaking” sounds made when the moisture from potatoes and veggies sizzles in a pan. For years, I made fried bubble and squeak, but now I love how air-frying makes these just as crispy, with less oil.
👩🏻🍳Top Tips for Perfect Bubble and Squeak Patties
- Use a large ice cream scoop to ensure even-sized patties that cook consistently.
- Make sure there’s 75% mashed potatoes and 25% veggies. This helps the patties hold their shape.
- If your patties are too soft, add mashed potato flakes for extra binding. They’re great for thickening any mashed potato dish, like Indian aloo tikki.
- You can also add an egg to help bind the mixture if you’re not a vegan.
- For a variation, try adding some grated cheddar for cheesy bubble and squeak!
📋Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below
- Potatoes: I prefer Leftover mashed potatoes. But you can also make with leftover roast potatoes and hasselback potatoes, mashed, or boiled.
- Vegetables: I love using cooked cabbage and carrots, but if I don’t have any on hand, I’ll use fresh carrots and green cabbage, especially Savoy. Any leftover roasted veggies from a Christmas traybake work beautifully too.
- Onion: Either white onion or chopped green onion.
- Garlic: I usually add 1 clove of minced garlic for extra flavour. Feel free to add more for a garlicky flavour.
- Milk - Only if you need to bind it together. (Optional)
🥔🥬What Other Vegetables Can I Use?
For making bubble and squeak with veggies, you can throw in any veggies you like. My go-to mix is 75% mashed potatoes with 25% of sautéed cabbage, carrots, onions, and garlic. Leftover roasted Christmas veggies in a traybake, roasted broccoli, air fryer brussels sprouts, or roasted carrots also work beautifully.
You can also get creative using different vegetables. Add in sweet corn, tenderstem broccoli, leeks, air fried turnips, or roasted parsnips! You can also mix in chopped fresh herbs or dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano, or mixed herbs.
🔪How to Make Air Fryer Bubble and Squeak
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, cabbage, carrot, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands to combine.
Tip: If you find it hard to combine, add a splash of milk.
Step 2: Use a large ice cream scoop to make a patty. Gently flatten to form a burger patty shape.
Step 3: Dust the patties with plain flour and arrange them in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Brush with oil on both sides or use sunflower oil spray.
Step 4: Preheat the air fryer to 380°F (190°C) for 3 minutes. Air fry for 18-20 minutes until golden and crispy.
Tip: My air fryer tells me when its preheated. But otherwise I suggest a time of 3 minutes for preheating.
🔪How to Freeze Bubble and Squeak Patties for Cooking Later?
After shaping the bubble and squeak into patties and dust them with plain flour. Place them in a freezer-safe container, label them, and store in the freezer.
It's almost as good as making them fresh, and super convenient for a quick meal or cooking for special occasions.
🔪How to Cook Frozen Bubble and Squeak in Air Fryer?
Preheat the air fryer at 190°C for 3 minutes and then place the frozen bubble and squeak in air fryer basket. Air fry for 22-25 minutes or until crispy and golden.
🍽 How to Serve Air Fryer Bubble and Squeak?
I love serving them with air fryer vegan sausages and buttered savoy cabbage for a quick weeknight meal.
For a Boxing Day meal, serve air fried bubble and squeak patties in many ways
- For me, it’s always tomato ketchup, but my family loves HP sauce—such a British classic!
- For brunch, pair with air-fried roasted tomatoes, air-fried mushrooms, baked beans, air fryer sausages, and fried eggs.
- You can also pair it with a dollop of sour cream and chives dip.
🧂Storing Leftover Cooked Air Fried Bubble and Squeak
- In the fridge: Store any leftover cooked bubble and squeak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a pan or air fryer to get them crispy again.
- In the freezer: For longer storage, them and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe FAQ's
If your bubble and squeak is falling apart, it’s likely because there isn’t enough mashed potato to hold everything together. The mashed potato acts as a glue, binding the vegetables into a firm cake.
You don’t have to line the air fryer basket with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Personally, I avoid using them because they can block air circulation, which causes the bubble and squeak to become soggy. I prefer placing the cakes directly in the basket and cleaning it afterwards.
And honestly, cleaning the air fryer basket isn’t that difficult!
My recipe is vegan if you are using dairy-free milk.
I like to use potatoes that are great for mashing. In my opinion, Yukon Golds are the best because they strike the perfect balance between starchy and waxy. If you’re in the UK, Rooster, Desiree, Maris Piper, and King Edward are excellent choices as well. I wouldn’t recommend Russet potatoes for this dish; they tend to get too waterlogged, resulting in a soggy and bland mash.
Absolutely, and it’s really simple too! Just boil and peel the potatoes, then mash them using a potato masher or ricer for a smooth texture. Combine with leftover vegetables, or quickly boil carrots and cabbage until soft. Sauté the onion with garlic, mix everything together, shape into patties, and air fry. It’s that easy!
While you can use the same recipe for both, pan-frying is great for smaller quantities, but it requires more butter or oil. Air-frying is healthier, uses less fat, is easier for making larger batches and doesn't require you to monitor while cooking.
Love this Easy Boxing Day Recipe, You Will Also Love
Ingredients
- 600 g leftover mashed potatoes
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 100 g white onion diced (1 medium onion)
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 130 g savoy cabbage cooked cold
- 70 g carrots cooked cold
- 45 ml milk optional
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Plain Flour for dusting
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over low heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, cooking for 4–5 minutes until translucent.2 tablespoon oil, 100 g white onion, 1 garlic clove
- In a mixing bowl, add mashed potatoes,cooked cabbage and carrots, onions, salt and pepper to the mixture. Combine. If needed add a splash of dairy free milk to combine.600 g leftover mashed potatoes, 100 g white onion, 1 garlic clove, 130 g savoy cabbage, 70 g carrots, 45 ml milk, Salt and Pepper to taste
- Using an ice cream scoop, shape the mixture into balls, then flatten into patties. Dust them lightly with flour and arrange on a baking tray.Plain Flour for dusting
- Preheat the air fryer to 190°C (380°F). Transfer the cakes to the air fryer basket. Brush with the remaining oil on both sides and air fry for 18-20 minutes or until crispy and golden.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Optional Ingredients
- Cheese (Optional): Any dairy-free cheese or grated cheddar to make an extra delicious cheesy bubble and squeak
- Butter(Optional) If you’re using already mashed potatoes, they may already be buttery, so feel free to skip this. But if you’re starting from scratch, a bit of butter adds a nice touch.
- Milk(Optional): I add a little to bind the ingredients together. Use dairy or nondairy - both work well.
Huck W says
This was so simple to prepare with leftovers - your recipes are always delightful! This is our new go to for quick filling veg and a lovely savoury side addition. Many thanks chef!
Sandhya Hariharan says
Thank you so much for your kind words. It genuinely makes my day to hear that the Air Fryer Bubble and Squeak was simple, comforting, and a new favourite at your table. I love creating easy recipes like this, so it means a lot to know it’s become your go-to veggie side. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience.
Amanda says
Wow... This was perfect. I used the leftover mashed potatoes from thanksgiving to make it. Came out really well. I'll be making again.