Air fryer bread pakora or potato stuffed bread rolls are delicious and addictive. They are stuffed with spicy mashed potatoes and air fried to achieve desired crunchiness with little oil.

Bread pakoras are a famous Indian snack. Traditionally, bread is stuffed with spicy mashed potato mixture and deep-fried.

So, when you first bite into it, you get the perfect combination of crunchy outside and soft, spicy inside. They are the ideal snack for lunch boxes (minus spice) and after-school snacks.

There are many versions of bread pakoras. For example, some recipe calls for dipping bread pakoras in chickpea flour (besan), or some are bread pakora without besan. But all recipe calls for deep frying pakoras.

Air Fryer Bread Pakora (Potato stuffed Bread Roll) in brown tray with dipping sauce in white bowl

But if you want a healthy version of these deep-fried bread pakora, try these tried and tested recipes. These air fryer bread pakora or potato stuffed bread rolls are equally delicious minus the deep frying.

Since the day I tried this recipe, I have been totally hooked. This recipe is my go-to for after-school snacks or weekend brunch.

I also make them when I have leftover messed potatoes. I usually make bread pakora when I have unused or leftover bread over the weekend. No one will eat bread for breakfast over the weekend, so I spice them up with potato mixture, and it is gone in no time in our house.

So, do try this recipe and if you enjoy it, let me know in the comment section below.

Ingredients to make Air Fryer Bread Pakora

Bread pakora is an Indian snack. So, lots of fragrant spices are used in this recipe. For authentic Indian flavor, I highly suggest adding all the spices listed. But if you don’t have them on hand, I have suggested an alternative below.

Potatoes – For this recipe, I have used Yukon gold potatoes. These potatoes are great when you want to mash them.

Bread – For this recipe, I have used whole wheat bread. But you can use white bread as well. Bread Pakora from white bread tastes better but if you want a healthy alternative, use whole wheat bread.

Spices – Coriander Powder, Garam masala, and Chili powder. If you don’t have coriander powder on hand, you can skip it. But coriander powder brings a nice flavor to the mashed potatoes in this recipe. You can add paprika instead of chili powder if you make them for your kids.

Ginger – Ginger paste or freshly grated ginger work best for this recipe

Green Chilli – Add or omit the green chili depending on your spice level.

Lemon or lime – Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice.

Salt – Salt to taste

Oil – Olive oil or avocado oil for brushing bread rolls

Coriander leaves – Freshly chopped coriander leaves add flavor to mashed potatoes.

Water-Water in a bowl to wet the bread.

And an air fryer! You can use any model of air fryer – basket model, tray model, or Instant pot lid for this recipe.

How to make Air Fryer Bread Pakora without Besan (chickpea flour)?

Boil the potatoes and remove the skin. Then mash the potato using a potato masher.

Add salt to taste, garam masala, coriander powder, and chili powder.

Then add grated ginger and crushed or chopped green chili. You can skip the green chili if you want.

Add lemon or lime juice and freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Mix everything and try the mixture. If you need anything to adjust the taste, add it and mix again.

stuffing in a while bowl and bread core removed, bread in water, bread in a palm

Now take slices of bread and cut the crust off.

Take one slice of bread and dip it in a bowl of water to get it wet. Do this step quickly. Dip the bread in water and take it out immediately.

Then take the wet bread between your two palms and gently press the bread to squeeze extra water out of the bread.

bread on a chopping board, stuffing on a bread, bread roll, bread roll in black basket

Take 1-2 tablespoons of potato mixture and place it in the middle of wet bread.

Gently roll the bread to make a stuffed bread roll.

Finish making bread rolls.

Preheat the air fryer to 370°F for 5 minutes.

Place the bread rolls in an air fryer basket.

Brush the Bread rolls with oil. You can also use cooking spray to coat them with oil.

Air fry them at 370°F for 8-10 minutes and flip them halfway through while cooking.

Once cooked, serve Bread Pakora with ketchup or green coriander chutney.

Tips for success

Add all the spices suggested in the recipe to achieve the authentic Indian flavor.
Adding crushed green chili is optional. But bread pakora tastes better if it has some kick in it. But keep in mind that bread covering dilutes the flavor of the potato mixture.
If you want to skip the green chili, increase the red chili powder.
Dipping the bread in water makes it pliable to make bread rolls. Also, wet bread seals the potato mixture well while rolling.
Do not overcrowd the air fryer with Bread rolls. Leave a space between them when placing them in an air fryer basket to allow them to cook evenly.

Serving suggestions

Freshly cooked bread pakora can be served with ketchup, ranch dip, green coriander chutney, or tamarind chutney.

They also taste great as is. So, you can serve them as a side dish or appetizer for your next get-together. Arrange them on a big platter with dipping sauce or chutney in the middle. So, guests can grab the bread pakora, dip them in a sauce, and enjoy.

Bread pakora also tastes excellent with a cup of tea or coffee. It also makes a great game night snack.

Recipe Variations

If you make bread pakora for your kids, you can mix shredded panner, salt, lemon juice, paprika, and coriander powder with mashed potatoes to make them protein-rich and kid-friendly.
You can also add frozen peas to mashed potatoes.
You can also spray water on bread instead of dipping it into water. If you spray water on bread, roll the bread with a rolling pin and then fill them with potato mixture. Make sure to seal the edges with water to keep them the shape while cooking.
Other recipe variation also calls for dipping stuffed bread pakora in a thin chickpea flour paste before air frying. Add salt, chili powder and water to chickpea flour for this version and make a thin paste. Then dip stuffed bread roll in a paste and then air fry them.

Storage Tips

Air fryer Bread Pakora tastes excellent when eaten fresh. But you can refrigerate them if you have leftovers. Keep them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.

When you are ready to serve the next day, take them out, and air fry them at 350°F for 5 minutes. It won’t be as crispy as freshly made, but it retains the firmness after re-air frying.

Can you make ahead Bread Pakora?

You can make potato mixture in advance and refrigerate it for 2-3 days. So, when you are ready to assemble, please take out the potato mixture, warm it in the microwave and assemble bread pakora.

I do not recommend freezing bread pakora. This recipe is so easy to make that you do not need to freeze them. However, you can make potato mixture in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Other Air Fryer Recipes

Keto Air Fryer Eggplant fries

Keto Vegan Rice paper Dumplings

Potato cheese balls without breading (Gluten-free)

Cassava Fries (not keto)

Air Fryer Veggie Stuffed Zucchini Boats (Vegan, Keto)

Air Fryer Zucchini Pizza boats (Gluten-free)