Air Fryer Baked Potatoes – PERFECT potatoes!

At a glance

What stands out: Air fryer baked potatoes turn out beautifully: creamy and fluffy white on the inside, with crisp golden skin, in less time than it takes to bake them in the oven.

How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: air fryer
Servings: as many as you want (that will fit inside your air fryer)

Perhaps you already know that your air fryer does a superb job making potatoes. You’ve probably already tried French fries, tater tots, or maybe even sweet potato fries in your air fryer. We love to make those cute little baby potatoes in our air fryer too.

But maybe you haven’t thought of making baked potatoes in your air fryer. We mean, they’re baked, right? Not fried?

Well, we all have caught on to the fact that air fryers don’t fry. They’re little mini ovens with a fan that circulates a lot of hot air. Turns out that is just exactly what you need to make a great baked potato, and in just forty minutes.

Give it a try! We're pretty sure you’re going to be eating a lot of baked potatoes from now on.

air fryer baked potatoes

• Familiar. Making air fryer baked potatoes is almost exactly like making oven baked potatoes. Really, the only difference is that they take less time and you don’t have turn your oven on. (Have you tried Instant Pot baked potatoes yet? That’s a great way to go, too.)
• Reliable texture. What blew us away the most about this method of cooking a baked potato was the reliable crispy skin and the fluffy interior.
• Speedy. Air fryer baked potatoes cook in much less time than an oven baked potato (and you don’t have to wait for your oven to preheat). In just forty minutes, you can have a reliable baked potato. Really, a reliable baked potato. Maybe a standby baked potato you’ve ever had!
• Make it a meal! Make an air fryer baked potato dinner tonight. It’s hearty and satisfying. Top your potato with all the fixings and dig in. (Keep reading for lots of topping ideas.)

How To Store Potatoes

Never store your uncooked potatoes in the fridge, where the starch will turn to sugar. Store potatoes (unwashed) in a paper sack, mesh bag, or box in a cool dark place. Avoid using plastic bags which may trap moisture. Moist conditions will cause the potatoes to sprout or rot more quickly.

How it comes together

Prep the potatoes. Give the potatoes a good scrubbing, dry them off, and poke them lightly a few times with a fork or small sharp knife (to let the steam escape). Coat them lightly with oil, sprinkle on a little salt and pepper and stick them in the air fryer.

Air fry. They’ll need about forty minutes to air fry/bake. The baking time depends on your air fryer and the size of the potatoes you’re cooking (see recipe notes). While baked potatoes don’t have to be carefully timed (a little extra time doesn’t hurt them), you don’t want to air fry them until they’re hard and dry.

Serve. When your air fryer baked potatoes are done, make a lengthwise slit in the top with a sharp knife, and gently squeeze the potato from the bottom to open it up a bit. The potatoes are hot, of course, so protect your hand with a clean oven mitt or dish towel.

Baked Potato Topping Ideas

• Butter: Use real butter and let it come to room temperature while the potato is baking. When you top your potato, the butter will quickly and deliciously melt down into all the nooks and crannies of your baked potato. You won’t need anything else except maybe a little more salt and pepper. So good!
• Sour cream or a creamy dressing: While sour cream is a classic topping for baked potatoes, creamy ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, or Parmesan peppercorn dressing adds pizzazz!
• Cheese or cheese sauce: Try shredded sharp cheddar, smoked Gouda, sharp Swiss cheese, crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola. Cheese sauce is reliable, too, or from-scratch beer cheese.
• Crispy bacon: For no mess bacon, you’ll love this straightforward oven baked bacon recipe. Don’t want to turn on the oven? Try air fryer bacon.
• Cooked diced ham or sausage: Whatever kind you like best!
• Sautéed mushrooms: Make a standby sauteed mushrooms; it’s straightforward and they taste great on baked potatoes.
• Chili: This slow cooker Texas chili is so good on a baked potato.
• Green onions (scallions), chives, parsley, or cilantro: Chop fresh herbs up and sprinkle them on for a dash of fresh flavor and color.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Scrub the potatoes and dry them. You can do this well in advance of baking. Don’t poke holes in them until you’re ready to bake them. Cut potatoes oxidize, that is, when the starch is exposed to air, it turns an unappetizing gray.

Keeping leftovers

Storage: Baked potatoes, wrapped well, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. Baked potatoes don’t freeze well.

Reheating: While baked potatoes are at their best when you eat them right away, they can be reheated. For best results, let them come to room temperature first, then place them right on the rack of a preheated oven (350°F) for ten to fifteen minutes or until heated through. You can also reheat them in the air fryer at 350°F for five minutes or so.

• Yield: 3 servings
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 40 minutes
• Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 medium russet potatoes (about 10 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil (you can also use olive oil or avocado oil spray)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Method

1. Scrub potatoes clean and pat dry. Pierce the skin of each potato a few times with a sharp knife or fork. Coat the outside of each potato with oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Air fry the potatoes at 400°F for 25 minutes, flip them over, and continue to air fry for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. To test if a baked potato is done, poke a fork into the potato. You shouldn't feel a lot of resistance; the fork should go in easily. Another way is to squeeze the potato gently. If it still feels rock-like, it's not ready yet. It should feel sort of squishy.
3. Serve immediately with desired toppings.

Notes

Potatoes: For a classic baked potato, buy large russet potatoes or Idaho potatoes. Russets have a fluffy texture and mild taste that are reliable for baking. You can also bake Yukon gold potatoes but cooking time and texture will vary.

Cooking tip: If your potatoes are much larger than 10 ounces, you’ll need to add cooking time. Plan to add 2 to 3 minutes for every ounce that your potato is over 10 ounces.

Foil-wrapped: Wrapping potatoes with foil traps the moisture inside. The steamed skin will be softer. We prefer a seasoned crisp skin; however, if you prefer, the potatoes can be wrapped in foil when you air fry them.

Storage: Baked potatoes, wrapped well, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. Baked potatoes don’t freeze well. Never store uncooked potatoes in the fridge, where the starch will turn to sugar. Store potatoes in a paper sack (not plastic), mesh bag, or box in a cool dark place.

Reheating: For best results, let the refrigerated potatoes come to room temperature first, then place them right on the rack of a preheated oven (350°F) for ten to fifteen minutes or until heated through. They can also be reheated in the air fryer.