Air Fryer Baked Potatoes are crispy on the outside, fluffy and tender in the middle, and incredibly easy to make. With just a few simple ingredients and less cooking time than traditional oven baking, these potatoes make the perfect side dish or a satisfying meal topped with your favourite toppings.
Why I Love These Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
There are so many reasons to love making baked potatoes in the air fryer.
First, the air fryer creates a beautifully crisp skin while keeping the inside soft, fluffy, and perfectly cooked. You get that classic baked-potato texture without waiting as long for the oven to heat and cook.
The preparation is also incredibly simple. You only need potatoes, oil, salt, and your favourite toppings.
Air fryer baked potatoes are also versatile. Serve them alongside steak, chicken, burgers, or grilled vegetables, or turn them into a complete meal with cheese, sour cream, bacon, and green onions.
Another reason I love this recipe is that the air fryer doesn’t require much attention. Once the potatoes are prepared and placed in the basket, you can let the air fryer do most of the work.
Recipe Ingredients
Russet potatoes: Russet potatoes are ideal because their starchy interior becomes light and fluffy while the skin gets wonderfully crisp.
Olive oil: A small amount of olive oil helps the potato skin become golden and crispy.
Salt: Salt seasons the skin and enhances the natural flavour of the potatoes.
That’s all you need for the basic recipe.
For serving, you can prepare toppings such as:
- Butter
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Crispy bacon
- Green onions
- Chives
- Chopped parsley
- Black pepper
- Ranch dressing
- Chilli
- Broccoli
- Pulled chicken
- Shredded beef
Topping Ideas
The best part about baked potatoes is choosing the toppings.
Classic Loaded Potato
Top your potato with butter, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, crispy bacon, and chopped green onions.
Cheesy Broccoli Potato
Add steamed broccoli and plenty of shredded cheddar cheese. Place the potato back in the warm air fryer for a couple of minutes if you want the cheese melted.
BBQ Chicken Potato
Top with shredded cooked chicken, your favourite BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, and green onions.
Chilli Cheese Potato
Spoon warm chilli over the potato and finish with shredded cheese, sour cream, and sliced green onions.
Garlic Herb Potato
Add butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, black pepper, and a little Parmesan cheese.
Simple Butter and Salt
Sometimes the simplest option is the best. Split the potato open and add plenty of butter, salt, and black pepper.
How To Make Baked Potatoes In The Air Fryer
Step 1: Prepare the Potatoes
Start by washing the potatoes thoroughly under cool running water.
Scrub the skins to remove any dirt, then pat the potatoes completely dry.
Drying the potatoes is important because it helps the skin become crisp during cooking.
Step 2: Pierce the Potatoes
Use a fork to prick each potato several times around the surface.
This allows steam to escape while the potatoes cook.
Step 3: Add Oil and Salt
Rub each potato lightly with olive oil.
Sprinkle the skins generously with salt.
Make sure the potatoes are evenly coated so the entire skin becomes seasoned and crisp.
Step 4: Preheat the Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer if your particular model recommends preheating.
A hot air fryer helps the potato skin begin crisping immediately.
Step 5: Air Fry the Potatoes
Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
Air fry at around 400°F (200°C) until the skins are crisp and the centres are completely tender.
The cooking time will depend on the size of your potatoes and the air fryer model. Medium potatoes generally take less time than very large potatoes.
Turn the potatoes halfway through cooking if your air fryer cooks unevenly.
Step 6: Check for Doneness
Insert a fork or thin knife into the centre of the largest potato.
It should slide in easily with very little resistance.
If the centre is still firm, continue cooking for a few more minutes and check again.
Step 7: Serve
Carefully remove the potatoes from the air fryer.
Let them rest for a minute or two, then use a knife to make a slit down the centre.
Gently squeeze the ends to open the potato and fluff the inside with a fork.
Add butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon, or any other toppings you love.
Serve immediately while the potato is hot and fluffy.
Tips & Variations
Choose similarly sized potatoes: Using potatoes that are roughly the same size helps them finish cooking at approximately the same time.
Dry the potatoes well: Moisture on the skin can prevent it from becoming properly crisp.
Don’t overcrowd the basket: Leave enough space around the potatoes for hot air to circulate.
Use enough oil: You don’t need much, but a light coating helps create crispy skin.
Season the skin: Salt makes a big difference to the final flavour.
Check the centre: Cooking times can vary significantly between air fryer models and potato sizes, so use a fork to check for tenderness.
Try different potatoes: Russets are ideal for fluffy baked potatoes, but Yukon Gold potatoes can also be delicious if you prefer a creamier texture.
Make them extra crispy: If the potatoes are tender but you want even crispier skins, continue air frying for a few additional minutes.
Add seasoning: Try garlic powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, or Cajun seasoning on the potato skins.
Serving Suggestions
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes are incredibly versatile and can be served with almost anything.
For dinner, pair them with grilled steak, roasted chicken, pork chops, burgers, or grilled fish.
They also make a great side dish for BBQ meals. Serve them alongside grilled chicken, sausages, burgers, corn on the cob, and a fresh salad.
For a meat-free meal, load the potato with broccoli, cheese, beans, sweetcorn, avocado, or sautéed vegetables.
You can also create a baked potato bar for parties or family dinners. Prepare several toppings and let everyone build their own loaded potato.
How To Store Leftovers
If you have leftover baked potatoes, allow them to cool before storing them.
Place the potatoes in an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the best quality, enjoy refrigerated leftovers within a few days.
How To Reheat Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
The air fryer is one of the best ways to reheat leftover baked potatoes because it helps restore the crispy skin.
Place the refrigerated potato in the air fryer and heat until the centre is hot and the outside is crisp again.
You can also reheat potatoes in the oven, although it may take longer.
The microwave is the fastest option, but the skin will usually become softer rather than crispy.
If you’re reheating a loaded potato, toppings such as sour cream, fresh herbs, or green onions are best added after reheating.
PrintAir Fryer Baked Potato Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes medium
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Scrub the russet potatoes clean.
- Cover the potatoes with the oil and seasonings.
- Massage the seasonings into the potato – you can also pierce them with a fork.
- Place the potatoes onto the air fryer basket and air fryer the potatoes at 350 degrees F in an oven style and 400 degrees F in a bucket style.
- Cook the potatoes for 20 minutes and then flip the potatoes and cook another 10-15 minutes at 375 degrees F.
- Allow the potatoes to cool about 5 minutes before cutting open.
- Slice the potatoes open and then push the bottoms of the potatoes in with your fingers to “fluff the potato”.
- Serve as desired with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket – you want to allow the air to circulate around the food to “fry it” with the hot air.
- Adjust the time and temperature if your potatoes are smaller cook less if they’re larger cook longer and possibly reduce the temperature if much larger.
- Bucket style air fryers may not need to flip the potatoes, with oven style flipping helps it evenly crisp the food.
- Cook at 350 degrees F for toaster oven style and 400 degrees F for bucket style.
