How to Cook Perfect Baked Potatoes in the Air Fryer
Skip the oven and make air fryer baked potatoes instead! They come out with perfectly crispy, golden skin on the outside and a light, fluffy center on the inside. They also take less time to cook than traditional oven-baked potatoes, making them a great option when you want a quick and easy side dish.
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
In our house, we love just about any meal that involves potatoes. It doesn’t matter if they’re boiled, mashed, fried, or baked; we devour them every time. Especially my husband, who could happily eat potatoes every single day of the week!
And since it’s usually just the two of us at home, this recipe comes in handy whenever we’re craving baked potatoes for dinner. They come out perfectly cooked with crispy skin and a fluffy center, and you can easily make just one or two at a time without having to heat up the entire oven.
Once they’re baked, we top them with butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, or any of our favorite baked potato toppings. They make such a simple, satisfying side dish that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or whenever you’re cooking for just a couple of people.
The Ingredients You Will Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to see the complete list of ingredients.
- Potatoes. Russet potatoes are my first choice for baked potatoes because they’re high in starch, which gives you a light and fluffy interior. They also have a thicker skin that gets wonderfully crisp in the air fryer. Yukon Gold potatoes are another good option, although the texture will be a little creamier and less fluffy.
- Oil. Coat the potatoes with a little oil before air frying to help the skin become crispy and flavorful. I love using olive oil, but you can use any neutral-flavored cooking oil you have on hand.
- Salt. Salt seasons the skin and helps draw out some of the surface moisture, which helps the potato skin get nice and crispy. Coarse salt, such as kosher salt or coarse sea salt, works best. Table salt has much smaller crystals, so it can dissolve more quickly and make it easier to over-salt the potatoes.
How to Make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Scroll down to the recipe card to see detailed step-by-step instructions.
- Scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a brush under cold running water, then pat them completely dry with a paper towel.
- Pierce each potato several times with a fork on all sides.
- Rub each potato with the oil, then sprinkle generously with salt.
- Air fry at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 40–45 minutes, flipping them halfway through, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Let the potatoes rest for a few minutes, then cut each potato lengthwise and gently push the ends toward the center.
- Fluff the inside with a fork, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with your favorite toppings.
Diana’s Tips For Making The Best Potatoes in the Air Fryer
- Choose potatoes that are similar in size. This helps them cook at the same rate, so you don’t end up with one potato that’s done while another still needs more time.
- After scrubbing the potatoes, make sure to pat them completely dry. Removing excess moisture helps the skin get crispier as it cooks.
- Leave some space between the potatoes so the hot air can circulate around them. This helps the skin brown and crisp evenly.
- Cooking times can vary depending on the size of the potatoes and your air fryer. They’re ready when a fork or knife slides easily into the center. For larger potatoes, you may need to add a few extra minutes.
Baked Potato Topping Ideas
Baked potatoes don’t have to be boring! Give them a fun twist by adding different toppings and ingredients, or set up a baked potato bar with a variety of options so everyone can build their own. It’s an easy and fun way to serve them for a family dinner or casual gathering.
- Classic Loaded Baked Potato: Served with butter, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and chives or green onions.
- Loaded with Chili: Top them with your favorite chili, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions.
- Mexican-Style: You can use seasoned ground beef or shredded chicken, Mexican cheese, pico de gallo, avocado or guacamole, jalapeños, and crema.
- BBQ: Use pulled pork or shredded chicken, BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, and green onions.
- Italian: All you need is mozzarella, Parmesan, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and fresh basil. You could also add cooked Italian sausage or pepperoni. Yumm!
- Breakfast: For an easy breakfast, serve them with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon or sausage, and green onions.
- Vegetarian Loaded: Skip the meat and serve them with black beans, roasted corn, avocado, salsa, cheese, and green onions.
The Tools You’ll Need
- Vegetable scrubber – for cleaning the potatoes.
- Air fryer – for cooking the potatoes.
- Mixing bowl – optional, if you prefer to mix or pour the oil before rubbing it onto the potatoes.
- Oil spray bottle – for evenly coating the potatoes with oil. This refillable oil sprayer makes it easy to lightly coat the potatoes without using too much oil.
- Salt cellar – optional, for seasoning the potatoes.
More Delicious Potato Recipes
- Easy Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
- Basic Mashed Potatoes
- Loaded Baked Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Oven Baked Potato Wedges
- Papas Chorreadas (Potatoes With a Creamy Tomato Sauce)
- Papa Salada (Salted Potatoes)
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Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized russet potatoes (about 7 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon oil or cooking spray (I use olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt (like kosher or coarse sea salt)
Instructions
- Prepare the potatoes. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a brush under cold running water, then pat them completely dry with a paper towel. Pierce each potato several times with a fork on all sides to help release steam during cooking.
- Season the potatoes. Rub each potato all over with the oil, then sprinkle generously with coarse salt, making sure the skin is well coated.
- Air fry. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket, making sure not to overcrowd them. Air fry at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 40–45 minutes, flipping them halfway through, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork or knife.*
- Serve. Let the potatoes rest for a few minutes before serving. Cut each potato lengthwise, then gently push the ends toward the center to open it up. Fluff the inside with a fork, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- *Cooking times can vary depending on the size of the potatoes and the type of air fryer you use. Larger potatoes may need additional cooking time. The potatoes are ready when a fork or knife slides easily into the center.
- Store leftover baked potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Let them cool completely before storing. You can also wrap them and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Reheat baked potatoes in the air fryer at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 5–10 minutes, or until heated through. For larger potatoes, you may need a few extra minutes. Reheating them in the air fryer will help the skin crisp up again.
Nutritional values are approximate and calculated per serving.
Nutrition
