Home » Blog » Course » Side Dish » Crispy Air Fryer Baked PotatoesCrispy Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Pin RecipeRate RecipePublished: Mar 10, 2022 · Modified: Jan 10, 2023 by Andrea + Stef · This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details. Classic Oven Baked Potatoes Made Easy Jump to Recipe If you love piping hot baked potatoes with crispy skins and fluffy interiors but don’t have the time for traditional oven baking, why not air fry? You get the same excellent oven baked results but in a fraction of the time. Simply finish air fryer baked potatoes with your favorite toppings and you’ve got an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love. Table of Contents Why You’ll Love This Ingredients Baked Potato Toppings Recommended ToolsInstructionsOther Ways To Make Baked PotatoesAndrea says…. Recipe Tips What To Serve With Air Fryer Baked PotatoesMore Potato Side Dish RecipesStef says….How To StoreHow To ReheatCommon QuestionsCrispy Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Air fryer baked potatoes also make excellent appetizers for game day gatherings. Whether it’s a baked potato bar with toppings or Stef’s Buffalo Chicken Fries, potatoes are always a hit. Plus, they are gluten free! Why You’ll Love This Notable: crispy jacket potato with soft and fluffy insides, and the best part, you can garnish them with all your favorite toppings Main Ingredients: potatoes, vegetable oil, coarse sea salt Cooking Method: air fryer Nutritional Information: excellent source of potassium and vitamin C Cooking Time: 5 minutes prep time and 45 minutes cook time Pairs well with: grilled meats, fish and seafood, chili Diets: gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan Special Equipment Needed: fork, pastry brush, air fryer, kitchen tongs, sharp knife and cutting board Ingredients You may have all of these ingredients for these air fry baked potatoes in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this crispy skin baked potato in air fryer recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients. Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Ingredients 3 large or 4 medium potatoes 2 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 tablespoon coarse salt Optional Garnish butter, dollop of sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon bits, fresh chives, green onions Variations and Substitutions Potatoes: Russet potatoes (or Idaho potatoes) are the best for these air fryer potatoes because of their thicker skin and high moisture. Be sure all your potatoes are similar in size for even cooking. Oil: Use oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil, canola oil or avocado oil, for example. Alternately, you can use cooking spray. Salt: Coarse salt like kosher salt or sea salt are great options or use what you have on hand. Just don’t skip the salt. WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you loved this air fryer baked potatoes recipe, try our Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes. You’ll love them because they come out with slightly crispy skin and amazingly tender and fluffy centers. Baked Potato Toppings Some of our favorite baked potato topping combos are: Loaded Classic – Cheddar cheese, dollop of sour cream, green onions and bacon bits (optional). Loaded Chili – Easy chili, cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions and/or avocado. Vegetable Medley – Top with your favorite roasted vegetables and olive oil for a delicious vegetarian dinner. Broccoli Cheddar – Parmesan roasted broccoli and melted cheddar cheese. Southwestern – Pico de gallo (or salsa), corn, black beans, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado (or guacamole). Lox – Smoked salmon, chives, cream cheese Fajita – Fajita chicken (or steak), bell peppers, onion, cilantro lime sour cream and shredded cheese Goat Cheese and Herbs – Top with goat cheese, olive oil, parsley, shallots and lemon zest for another flavorful vegetarian dish. Recommended Tools Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale. Air Fryer – This recipe requires an air fryer. We have both this Cosori air fryer, which is wonderful, and this Cuisinart Air Fryer, which we also love. The Cuisinart also has convection oven and toaster oven capacity. You can buy an air fryer with a basket with high sides that food goes into or a tray type of machine. The trays are shallow but are usually longer and can accomodate more food in a single layer. Instructions This section shows how to cook crispy skin baked potatoes in the air fryer, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. PREP YOUR SPUDS: Firstly, scrub potatoes to get all dirt off the potato skins. Then pat dry with a paper towel. Afterwards poke holes into potatoes with a fork (6-8 times) for ventilation and to prevent them from bursting. Brush a little oil on the outside of each potato. SEASON: Sprinkle the potato with salt for a flavorful, crispy skin. PLACE IN BASKET: Then place potatoes in the air fryer basket. Make sure not to overcrowd your potatoes so that air can circulate evenly around the potatoes as they cook. Use air fryer parchment paper if you prefer. COOK AND FLIP: Close the air fryer and cook at 400°F for 30-40 minutes. Use tongs to flip air fryer potatoes over and cook for another 5-15 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. CHECK DONENESS: Remove potatoes from the air fryer and poke with a fork to see if they’re cooked through. If your fork pushes easily into the center of the potato, it is cooked. If there’s resistance the potatoes need more cooking. FLUFF AND STUFF: Once cooked, make a large slice down the center of the potato and fluff up the center a little. Finally, add toppings that melt first, like butter or cheese. (If you want, you can briefly pop your potatoes back in the oven to melt the butter or cheese.) Then add more toppings like sour cream, chives, bacon or any of your other favorite toppings. Enjoy! WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love easy air fryer recipes for potatoes then you’ll love our Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes. They taste amazing and have the perfect balance of smooth and crispy texture. Other Ways To Make Baked Potatoes If you don’t have an air fryer, there are many other ways to make the perfect baked potato. Each varies slightly depending on the cooking process–conventional oven, convection oven, on the grill, toaster oven, microwave, Instant Pot or crock pot. However, all methods produce the best baked potatoes. Andrea says…. I love potatoes. A lot. I will eat them any way they’re prepared. While mashed is generally my favorite, I would never pass up a yummy baked potato, fries or crispy on the outside and tender in the middle Smashed Roasted Potatoes. Recipe Tips Follow these tips to make the best air fryer baked potato recipe. Tip: Choose potatoes that are equal in size to ensure even cooking. Medium sized potatoes are preferable since they are done a lot quicker than overly large ones. Tip: Poke holes into the potatoes, so they don’t burst during cooking. Tip: Don’t skip the oil and salt, because they ensure crispier skins. What To Serve With Air Fryer Baked Potatoes We love to eat loaded baked potatoes all by themselves. But sometimes you need to serve them as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes: Main Dish: Serve crispy air fryer baked potatoes with Easy Chili, Baked Salmon, or Instant Pot Country Style Ribs. Salad: Pair air fry baked potatoes with a fresh salad. A green salad like our amazing Italian Salad or Strawberry Avocado Salad. Or even a Caprese Salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil or Antipasto Salad. Sides: Air fryer oven-baked potatoes would also taste great with Roasted Vegetables, Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus or Air Fryer Broccoli. Strawberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing Easy Chili Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables Instant Pot Country Style Ribs More Potato Side Dish Recipes Potatoes make great side dishes that go with almost every main course. Her are some of our other favorite potato recipes: Creamy Mashed Potatoes Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes Air Fryer Potato Wedges Stef says…. If you love potato sides that are both crispy and fluffy, then you’ll love Duchess Potatoes. They look totally elegant and are perfect for showing off at Thanksgiving or a Christmas dinner. How To Store These potatoes are so yummy we doubt you’ll have leftovers, but if you do here’s how to store them: Refrigerate: Baked potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. While the skin may not be as crispy, they will still taste just as good. Freeze: You can freeze this perfect side dish for up to a month. Before freezing, make sure your potatoes are fully cooled and don’t contain any toppings. Wrap them in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, ensuring no part of the potato is exposed to air. Place in a sealed freezer bag without any excess air. Defrosting: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or, for faster results, thaw in the microwave. How To Reheat You can reheat potatoes in your air fryer at 400 until heated or in a microwave. Common Questions What type of potato is best for baking? As a matter of fact, Russet (also called Idaho) potatoes are the best potatoes for baking because they are starchy potatoes that are low in moisture. Avoid waxier, thin-skinned varieties such as red-skinned potatoes because they won’t have a fluffy center when baked. However, in case you prefer a more buttery and less fluffy baked potato, try using Yukon Gold potatoes. What temperature should a baked potato be cooked at? We recommend baking potatoes in your air fryer at 400° degrees F. For Russet potatoes, the internal temperature should reach 210°F. How long does it take to cook easy air fryer baked potatoes? Cooking time will in fact vary depending on the size of your potatoes and your air fryer model. Start with 35 minutes at 400°F and check the softness by poking the potatoes with a fork. Smaller potatoes are usually done quicker. If your larger potatoes are still firm, continue baking until a fork will insert easily into the center of the potato. Is it better to bake potatoes in foil or not? For best results, skip the foil! Wrapping potatoes in foil traps steam, which creates soggy potatoes, instead of crispy ones. We recommend air frying them unwrapped with enough space between them for hot air to circulate, allowing them to cook evenly. Is it better to bake a potato in the oven or microwave? Baking potatoes in the oven is the best way for getting crispy potato skin and a hot, pillowy center. Using an air fryer will give you the same results but in a fraction of the time. What do you put inside a baked potato? Baked potatoes are the perfect blank canvas for any of your favorite toppings. The classic loaded baked potato usually includes butter, cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon bits and green onions. However, you can add meat (chicken or chili, for example) or go totally vegetarian or vegan with vegetable-based toppings. potato, roasted vegetables 5 from 19 votes Crispy Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Author Andrea + Stef Course Appetizer, Main Dish, Side Dish Cuisine American Prep Time 5 minutes minutes Cook Time 45 minutes minutes Print Pin Rate 3 potatoes Classic Oven Baked Potatoes Made Easy Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Equipment1 Air Fryer1 paring knife1 fork1 basting brush1 cutting board Ingredients 1x2x3x▢ 3 large potatoes▢ 2 tablespoon vegetable oil▢ 2 tablespoon coarse salt InstructionsClean potatoes by scrubbing them under running water. Then pat dry.Poke potatoes 6-8 times with a fork to vent the potatoes. Brush oil on the outside of each potato. Sprinkle the potato with salt. Place potatoes in an air fryer basket. Close the air fryer and cook at 400°F for 30 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another 5-15 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. Remove potatoes from the air fryer. Poke the potato with a fork to check if they are cooked through. If your fork pushes easily into the potato center, the potato is cooked. If there's resistance, it needs to be cooked longer. Notes You can buy specialty air fryer parchmentThese potatoes do not make a big mess but you could use the air fryer parchment paper with holes in it to make cleanup easier. Once cooked, make a large slice down the center of the potato and fluff up the center of the potato a little. Add toppings that melt first, like butter or cheese. Then add more toppings like sour cream, chives, bacon or any of your other favorite toppings. If you want, put your butter and cheese on the potato then pop them back into the air fryer for another minute to melt your cheese. NutritionServing: 1potato | Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4662mg | Potassium: 889mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg Did you create this? Share it on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest for more cleverly simply recipes. Email Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe PinShareTweet
Cam says June 6, 2022June 06, 2022 at 8:34 pm I always get so excited to try new air fryer recipes and these crispy baked potatoes look to die for!! I already have this planned out to make tonight for dinner! Reply
Vanessa says June 6, 2022June 06, 2022 at 8:54 pm I didn’t want to heat up the house with the oven so this was perfect! Loved all the topping ideas too! Reply
LaLa says August 28, 2022August 28, 2022 at 6:06 pm I am 31 and could never get a baked potato to come out perfectly. You have solved my issue. Thanks so much! Reply
Colleen says June 6, 2022June 06, 2022 at 9:31 pm Baked potatoes are so quick and easy in the air fryer! It’s the only way we make them now. Thanks for all the topping ideas! Reply
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says June 6, 2022June 06, 2022 at 9:43 pm My family is going to love this! Thank you for this amazing recipe. Reply
Emily says June 6, 2022June 06, 2022 at 10:24 pm These air fryer baked potatoes were the perfect side dish to accompany your Lemon Dill Baked Salmon! Thanks for another amazing recipe! So good! Reply
Gina Abernathy says June 13, 2022June 13, 2022 at 8:58 pm Great recipe for the air-fryer. Potatoes are a popular dish in my home. Reply