My best – and most innovative – recipes usually start from my dislike of food wastage, and this Airfryer Tuna Potato Pie with Crispy Potato Skin Crumble is a perfect example.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A delicious way to use up leftover boiled potatoes.
- Gives potato skins a second life instead of throwing them away.
- Pantry-friendly using canned tuna.
- Sneaks extra vegetables into an everyday meal.
- Crispy, cheesy topping that’s lighter than pastry.
- Perfect for the airfryer.
How I ended up using potato skins as a pie top
I really wanted to make this pie recipe from Everyday Gourmet. Then I ran into a problem: I only had one piece of roti left. Enough for the base, but then I wouldn’t have any pastry left for the top. And I didn’t want to leave the filling exposed because I knew it would dry out and burn in the air fryer.
Then I looked at the potato skins I’d just peeled off. Potato skins are high in starches and crisp up when browned.
“Eh… why not use those as the lid?”
Instead of throwing them away, I popped the potato skins into the air fryer for a few minutes to dry them out. Then I crushed them, mixed them with grated cheese and sesame seeds, and scattered the mixture generously over the pie. For good measure, I drizzled a little oil over the top.
The aroma when it came out of the airfryer was outstanding!!
The cheesy potato crumble had browned into a savoury crust, and the sesame seeds added little bursts of nuttiness that added loads of texture to every bite.
Key Ingredients
Frozen roti Instead of puff pastry, I used a frozen roti as the pie base. It crisps up beautifully in the air fryer and is something I almost always have in the freezer.
Canned tuna Choose tuna in spring water or oil. Drain well before using.
Boiled potatoes The potatoes make the filling creamy and satisfying, while the skins become the star of the crispy topping.
Dijon mustard Adds a gentle tang that brightens the filling.
Mayonnaise Keeps everything creamy and helps bind the filling together. You could also substitute a beaten egg if you prefer.
Olives Justine’s recipe originally called for capers, which I didn’t have. The olives pair beautifully with tuna.
Broccoli florets Dice them finely to add extra vegetables without overpowering the pie.
Spring onions They add freshness and a mild onion flavour.
Cheese Cheddar, mozzarella or a mixture of both all work well.
Potato skins Don’t throw them away! Dry them slightly in the air fryer first so they’ll crisp up beautifully.
Sesame seeds These add nuttiness and extra crunch to the crumble.
How to Make It
Boil the potatoes until tender. Peel them, keeping the skins.
Air fry the potato skins at 180°C for 4–5 minutes until they’re slightly dried out.
Shred the skins and mix with the grated cheese and sesame seeds.
Cut the potatoes into chunks.
Mix the potatoes with the tuna, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, olives, broccoli and spring onions.
Place a frozen roti into an air fryer-safe baking dish. Bake blind for 15 minutes, then let cool.
Spoon the filling over the roti.
Scatter the potato skin crumble evenly over the filling.
Drizzle a little oil over the crumble for an extra crispy, golden finish.
Air fry at 180°C for 12–15 minutes, or until the roti is crisp underneath and the topping is beautifully golden.
Allow the pie to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Airfryer Tuna Potato Pie with Crispy Potato Skin Crumble
Equipment
- Airfryer
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Pie
- 1 frozen roti
- 2 medium potatoes boiled
- 1 can tuna drained
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise or 1 beaten egg
- 2 tbsp diced olives
- 2 spring onions chopped
- ½ cup finely diced broccoli florets
Crispy Potato Skin Crumble
- Potato skins from the 2 potatoes
- 1/4 cup grated cheese
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes until tender. Peel them, keeping the skins.
- Air fry the potato skins at 180°C for 4–5 minutes until slightly dried.
- Shred the potato skins and mix with the grated cheese and sesame seeds.
- Cut the boiled potatoes into bite-sized chunks.
- Gently mix the potatoes with the tuna, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, olives, broccoli and spring onions.
- Place the frozen roti into an air fryer-safe baking dish and blind bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
- Spoon the filling evenly over the roti base.
- Scatter the potato skin crumble over the top.
- Drizzle lightly with the oil.
- Air fry at 180°C for 10-12 minutes, until the crumble is crisp and golden.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Absolutely. The original recipe uses puff pastry. I simply used frozen roti because that's what I had on hand. 2. Can I bake this in a conventional oven?
Yes. Bake at 190°C until the topping is golden and the base is crisp. 3. Can I substitute the tuna?
Certainly. Leftover cooked salmon or shredded chicken would both work well. 4. Can I prepare this ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble the pie, refrigerate it, then air fry just before serving.
Alexandra Wong is a Malaysian food writer, recipe developer and the author behind Cook With Ipohbunny. She shares practical family recipes, restaurant recreations and home-cooking tips inspired by Malaysian Chinese cuisine.