This Air Fryer Baked Potato recipe makes perfect baked potatoes with a crispy, salty outside, and fluffy, tender inside. They come out perfectly every time and are just waiting for your favorite toppings.
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Table of Contents
- The Best Way to Make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Why Cook Potatoes in the Air Fryer?
- Do I Need to Remove the Potato Skin?
- What You’ll Need
- What kind of potatoes are best for baked potatoes?
- What oil should I use in the air fryer?
- How to Make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Topping Ideas
- Can I Reheat Cooked Baked Potatoes in the Air Fryer?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storage
- Get the Recipe
The Best Way to Make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
A baked potato in an air fryer may seem counterproductive, but the air fryer takes the heavy grease and oils out of deep frying and leaves the best parts of a crispy-skinned baked potato! It is not only convenient, but it produces one of the best baked potatoes I have ever had!
I used to make baked potatoes in the instant pot, but I really missed the crispy outside skin on a true baked potato. Then I tried them in the air fryer and never looked back.
Cooking a baked potato in an air fryer is faster and creates a perfect baked potato every time. A crispy outside and soft fluffy inside, with no need to preheat the oven. Read below for all my best tips and tricks on how to make the best baked potatoes in an air fryer.
If you are looking for a traditional oven baked potato, try out this recipe for my favorite Outback style Baked Potato with crispy, salty outsides and fluffy insides!
Why Cook Potatoes in the Air Fryer?
The perfect baked potato has to have 3 things:
- A wonderful flavorful crispy skin!
- Soft fluffy interior!
- Less time than in an oven.
- The air fryer makes it super easy to stuff your potato (with cheese, butter, bacon, etc) and then quickly pop it back into the air fryer for a minute or two to melt everything together!
The air fryer method checked every one of these boxes. And, it does all that faster than the oven would. That’s a definite win in my book.
If you love cooking potatoes in the air fryer, make sure to check out these Air Fryer Potato Wedges!
Do I Need to Remove the Potato Skin?
Whether you are making baked potatoes for lunch or as a side to a juicy steak dinner, the most important question to ask yourself is, are you going to eat the potato skin? Or leave it?
I am pro eating that delicious crispy and salty potato skin! I recommend leaving it on and devouring it along with the rest of your potato. Plus, it’s easier to cook your potatoes with the skin on. No fuss is what I’m all about.
What You’ll Need
You only need 4 ingredients to make the perfect baked potato in an air fryer. While you only need simple ingredients, using high-quality ingredients will give you the best finished product.
- Potatoes – Cleaned and patted dry.
- Oil – Olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil all will work! You can even use vegetable oil.
- Salt – Larger kosher salt is great to give you that perfect salted skin like you would get on a baked potato at a steak house!
- Pepper – Freshly cracked gives you the best flavor.
What kind of potatoes are best for baked potatoes?
Russet potatoes, also known as white potatoes as well as sweet potatoes are great to use as they contain a lot of starch and are absorbent. Other types of potatoes may become creamy and mushy as they don’t hold their shape as well.
What oil should I use in the air fryer?
You can actually use most types of oils in an air fryer. Choosing a high-quality olive oil or avocado oil can actually up the nutrition level if that is what you are looking for. You can also use vegetable oil, canola oil or really whatever you have on hand.
How to Make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Alrighty, let’s get down to the method. Here’s how to make the best baked potatoes ever using your air fryer:
- Clean the potatoes. It’s important to scrub your potatoes well and then pat them dry before cooking to remove any dirt.
- Add oil and seasonings. Toss potatoes in enough oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the air fryer basket. You’ll want to make sure to give them enough room so that the air can easily circulate around each potato, so don’t overstuff the basket.
- Cook until tender. Turning approximately halfway through.
- Serve immediately with toppings of your choice. See below for some of the endless possibilities!
Topping Ideas
In addition to making the best baked potatoes ever, consider what you want to top them with when they’re done cooking. Here are some tasty ideas:
- Butter
- Chives – Finely chopped
- Sour Cream
- Bacon – Cooked until crispy, I like to cook my bacon in the oven!
- Broccoli – Steamed or baked.
- Chili – This Chunky Beef Chili is fantastic on baked potatoes. Or, go with a Mexican spin with this ultra flavorful Chili Colorado!
- Taco Meat – This Spicy Taco Meat is a must-try.
- Pico de Gallo – I love homemade Pico de Gallo the best with all it’s fresh flavors.
- Cheese – Cheddar, Monterey Jack, even mozzarella.
- Red Onion – Chopped
- Salad Dressing – Believe it or not, ranch dressing is phenomenal with baked potatoes.
- Pork – I love stuffing my potatoes with Pulled Pork!
Can I Reheat Cooked Baked Potatoes in the Air Fryer?
Yes! If you happen to have leftover potatoes and would like to crisp them back up toss them back into the air fryer for about 4 to 5 minutes, at 400°F, and enjoy all over again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every air fryer is different, so I recommend doing whatever the manufacture recommends for your particular air fryer. Some air fryers need preheating and some do not.
Absolutely! I do this often! Follow my directions for a Microwave Baked Potato and cook it 1 minute less than called for in the recipe. After cooking the potato in the microwave, transfer it to the air fryer to finish cooking, about 10 minutes of cooking time (until the center is cooked through). This will produce a baked potato with a crispy outside and soft inside in a fraction of the time!
I do not, however, I recommend that you don’t live life as a risk taker like me and you go ahead and poke a few holes in it. 😉
Storage
Leftover storage: Leftover baked potatoes store well in the fridge for about five days. Keep them in an airtight storage container or zip-top bag for maximum freshness.
Reheat: Reheat them right back in the air fryer, microwave, or in the oven at 350°F.
Can I freeze baked potatoes? I don’t actually recommend freezing baked potatoes, because the freezing and thawing process tends to make them watery. For the fluffiest baked potatoes, make them the day of.
Air Fryer Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- Add potatoes to large bowl. Toss well with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in Air Fryer basket.
- Cook at 400°F for 30 minutes.
- Turn potatoes and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Serve immediately with toppings of your choice!
Notes
Nutrition
Categories:
More Easy Potato Recipes
- Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Herb Roasted Potatoes
- Creamy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Best Sweet Potato Casserole
- Crockpot Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows
- Loaded Potato and Meatloaf Casserole
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
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Literally the only way I make baked potatoes anymore. This is a gamer changer.
Looks great, I always do mine in the oven , oiled and salted. I think the oil keeps them from exploding, we have them quite often. Can’t wait to try the air fryer, nice option when summer is here and you don’t want to heat up the kitchen.
I use 2 x medium sized tastes, score them around circumference (so it is easier to split in half when cooked …….. it’s the way my mum always did them). I microwave for 4.5 mins at 900watts, them brush with oil, season, put in air fry, at 185 deg C for 20 mins and flip them half way through. If one of them is a bit bigger then given it extra 5 mins.
Sorry I’m always confused about these recipes do you put your air fryer on air fry or on bake for these potatoes
On the air fry setting! To get those crispy edges!
What temperature do you set it to in the air fryer pls?
Hi Diana! It is in step #3 in the recipe – 400°F!
I always poke potatoes 6 or 7 times with a knife blade to let steam escape and keep them from being gummy in the regular oven.. Is there a reason not to poke holes in them for the air fryer? I hate gummy baked potatoes.
I have never needed to poke holes – have never had a potato explode in the air fryer! BUT if you want to poke holes, go ahead! It won’t hurt to poke holes in them!
I cooked four potato’s as suggested . They came out crispy skin & fluffy inners . Consumed the potato’s with sour cream , butter , chives & shredded cheese . Everyone enjoyed immensely with rotisserie pork & cheese topped cauliflower .
Sounds delicious! Glad you all enjoyed them!
I have had them explode in the oven,pleas poke them! Never say never.
I cook for a couple of minutes (depending on SIZE) in the microwave … SAVE’S 50% of the time needed in the air fryer … results are the same as this way.
GreT saved time Not much clean up.
Why use olive oil instead of avocado oil? Doesn’t the olive burn at high temperatures?
Exactly…only good cooks know that rule!
The smoke point of most olive oils is 425°F, so we are all good to use it in this recipe and in most roasted vegetables unless you are cooking them at an extreme temperature. However if you prefer, avocado oil also works great!
I’m new to air fryers. I don’t have the basket kind, mine has shelves. Is there a difference in cooking them on shelves?
Nope, it should cook in the same time frame!
New to air frying. My air fryer had an air fry button and a bake button. Which do I use for baked potatos?
I would use the air fryer button. I honestly don’t use any of the other buttons on my air fryer! I just use the standard air fryer button, which is what recipes are based off of. It will give you the most consistent results. 🙂
Just so you’ll know, potatoes WILL explode. I did it twice when I forgot to punch holes in the skin. Took about half an hour to clean up each time. I suppose it depends on how moist the potato is inside, how permeable and strong the skin is and how fast they cook. The moisture turns to steam which increases the pressure. If this happens faster than the steam can escape through the skin and if the skin is strong enough that it contains the steam for a while the pressure builds and it will find relief..sometimes by exploding.
The potatoes exploded in the air fryer?
When cooking baked potatoes in the air fryer , do I need to prick them with a fork first ?
No, I never have, but if it makes you feel safer, go ahead! Won’t hurt!
Mine took longer because I pulled them from the fridge instead of a potato box in the cupboard. The first round was just to get it to room temperature. After that the skin was crispy and the insides were hot, fluffy deliciousness!
I bought an air fryer for my daughter and her husband as my daughter sustained a brain injury a few years ago. They are thrilled with it. My daughter still has memory loss but sets the air fryer with help to do sweet potatoes or fish. She’s vegan so no meat ever goes near the air fryer. I’ll let them know about this receipt as they both love baked potatoes. Thanks
I love these potatoes!!
I always add garlic powder and onion powder along with the salt and pepper to the skins I love to eat the skins They have nutrients in them also.
The skin actually has more nutrients then the potato.
You can also give it a head start in the microwave and then coat with oil and move to the air fryer to finish cooking it. Still tastes great!
I tried this and it took an hour — which is how long it takes when I do them in the oven so this really didn’t save any time or labor for me
Yes, but…especially for about six months of the year, in the desert Southwest we don’t like to use our ovens – it just makes our A/C work harder. So Instant Pots (both pressure and air fryers) and slow cookers are our friends! Anything to avoid heating up the oven. 🙂
Kelly, I live in Ohio and feel the same way about the oven in the summer!
– Nancy
YES from Mississippian
Ah this is so handy! I was in the same boat, using the instantpot for potatoes UNTIL I had the best salted crispy potato ever at a steakhouse with friends.
I use the air fryer for everything now Just curious, how long will the potato last and stay crispy if I’m looking to make a few in advanced for the week ahead? Thanks!
Hi Zack! If you want to make them ahead, they will not stay crispy after cooling and being refrigerated. However, you can re-crisp them in the air fryer! Usually only takes about 8 to 10 minutes to reheat the potato from being in the fridge and re-crisp the skin!
Mine took about 45 minutes but,without a doubt,the best baked potato I have ever had!