If you’ve ever wished for the perfect baked potato with crispy skin and fluffy insides, your air fryer is the ultimate solution! This Air Fryer Baked Potato recipe delivers restaurant-quality results in half the time of the oven, without sacrificing texture or flavor.
For extra crispy skins, don’t skip drying the potatoes thoroughly before air frying! This removes excess moisture, helping them crisp up beautifully.
Table of Contents
I’m typically a fan of boursin mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, or cheesy scalloped potatoes, but cooking potatoes in the air fryer makes them SO GOOD.
You’ll have a classic side dish to go with cast iron chicken thighs, Boursin chicken, or baked pesto chicken in under an hour.
Ingredients You Need
- Russet potatoes (4 large, 8 oz each): The best variety for fluffy, starchy centers.
- Cooking spray: Avocado oil or coconut oil spray for a light, even coating. You can also rub them with olive oil.
- Kosher salt & black pepper: Enhances flavor and helps crisp up the skin.
- Toppings: Butter, vegan butter, sour cream, chives, crispy bacon, and cheddar cheese.
How to Make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this air fryer baked potato recipe. Jump to the recipe card for full instructions.
Step 1. Dry and Prep Potatoes. Prep the Potatoes. Wash, scrub, and thoroughly dry your potatoes. Poke 6-8 holes in each one using a fork or knife to release steam.
Step 2. Oil and Season. Spray them evenly with cooking spray, then sprinkle all over with salt and black pepper.
Step 3. Air Fry Until Tender. Arrange the potatoes in the air fryer basket without touching to allow air circulation. Cook at 400°F for 40 minutes. Check for doneness by piercing them with a fork. If they’re not tender, continue cooking in 5-minute increments until fully cooked.
Step 4. Serve & Enjoy! Remove from the air fryer, slice open, and fluff the insides with a fork. Load them up with butter, a dollop of sour cream, crispy bacon, or your favorite toppings.
How Do I Make Them Twice-Baked?
Follow the instructions to cook potatoes in the air fryer. When they’re done, allow them to cool slightly slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh of the potato.
Add the fluffy inside to a large bowl with a butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash with a fork. Place the mixture back into the potato skins and top with shredded cheese and bacon. Air fry again for 7-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Recipe FAQs
It takes 40 minutes to air fry a baked potato at 400°F compared to an hour or more in the oven. This may vary depending on the potato size, but even large potatoes should be done by 50 minutes.
Potatoes contain a good amount of moisture so, poking holes in them allows steam to escape. It doesn’t happen often, but potatoes can explode if that steam doesn’t have somewhere to go. I’ve made potatoes many times without poking holes without this happening, so it’s up to you!
The benefit of the air fryer is the crispy skin and wrapping them in foil creates a steamy environment. Save prep time and don’t wrap them in foil.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Here are a few main dishes to serve your baked potatoes as a side dish!
- Chicken: air fryer bacon wrapped chicken breast, cast iron skillet chicken thighs, Boursin chicken, or French onion chicken.
- Seafood: blackened salmon, herb grilled salmon, or creamy coconut shrimp.
- Beef: Grilled ribeye, balsamic flank steak, or air fryer meatballs.
- Loaded Potatoes: top them with sweet and spicy chili or slow cooker bbq pulled pork and all the toppings.
Storage and Reheating
To store: Keep leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat: Pop them back in the air fryer at 350°F for 5 minutes to restore crispiness.
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Air Fryer Baked Potato
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Ingredients
- 4 (8-ounce) large russet potatoes
- Cooking spray Olive oil works too
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Toppings: butter, salt, pepper, chives, sour cream, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. While it’s preheating, prep your potatoes.
- Wash and scrub the potatoes then pat them dry with a paper towel. Poke 6-8 holes in each potato with a fork. Spray each potato with cooking spray then top each evenly with salt and pepper.4 (8-ounce) large russet potatoes, Cooking spray, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Arrange the potatoes in your air fryer, being careful not to let them touch. Close the drawer and air fry at 400°F for 40 minutes. Test to make sure the potatoes are fork tender. If your fork doesn’t easily pierce the potato, cook for another 5 minutes until they are cooked all the way. Repeat this process until the potatoes are tender. This time may vary based on the size of your potatoes.
- Remove them from the air fryer and carefully slice them open down the middle. Serve them with butter, vegan butter, salt, pepper, sour cream and/or chives. See notes for twice baked potatoes.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made these last night and I feel like we finally found our go-to baked potato recipe! They had the perfect crispy outside skin and soft fluffy perfectly cooked inside! I air fried 2 very large russet potatoes and because they were so big I added another 10 minutes to the cook time. Thank you Milly for an awesome recipe!!!
Love to hear that! Thank you for sharing!
THANK YOU!! Love this!