Hot Potato, Hot Potato! Who’s got the Hot Potato? Foolproof Air Fryer Baked Potatoes deliver the same homestyle goodness you crave (from pillowy insides and a to-die-for skin) with less time and effort. Bare naked or fully loaded, side or main dish, your air fryer’s got these hot potatoes on lock.
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Like most people in my age bracket, I got on “the clock app” out of curiosity and stayed for the endless hours of entertainment. Dogs, Dances, DIY and… DAMN – What’s this joint in Nashville serving the most glorious, gluttonous looking baked potatoes slathered in the most glorious, gluttonous toppings!?!? The magic you find on the internet, I swear.
Forget other sensory soothing videos of paint swirls and ASMR. Give me butter melting on a split potato any day. Being highly suggestable, I needed one as soon as possible.
But I also knew my insides would revolt if I got on Maps to search out the Mid-Atlantic equivalent of these smothered potatoes. I needed an easy, clean, healthy solution to satisfy this particular craving. Something that wouldn’t send me into a shame spiral.
Enter the air fryer. Look, we already know that air fryer potatoes are magic. Air fryer potato wedges are beyond crispy and tender, and even sweet potatoes in the air fryer feel more like a treat, and less like a healthy side.
So it’s with little surprise that air fryer baked potatoes came out steamy, fluffy and so satisfying with the most magnificent potato skin I’ve ever had. Frankly, I didn’t even miss the sour cream and bacon, much less wonder if it’d taste better with roadside-stand liquid cheese on top. But fear not, I grated some cheddar for the second round and can confirm, as the kids say, these are a total “snack.”
Why the Air Fryer?
If there’s one thing that will let you let go of being a kitchen “purist” real fast, it’s an instant pot or air fryer. I mean, an air fryer really is just a (convection) oven plus marketing, so technically, these potatoes are still baked. Persnickety snobbery aside, the air fryer was built for this process:
- It’s hands-down faster – at worst, you get back 10-15 minutes, but at best, you’ve cut cook time in half.
- This machine is the modern equivalent of the outdoor “summer kitchen.” You don’t need to own a renovated 19th century farmhouse in order to not sweat off 32oz. while cooking.
- You. Cannot. Screw. This. Up. That’s it. That’s the tweet.
- And on a recipe related note, yeah, you still get soft, fluffy tender potato on the inside, but the skin… sweet… just… wait until you try it. *chefs kiss*
How to Make Baked Potatoes in the Air Fryer
It’s hard to believe these speedy spuds go from pantry to plate so quickly, but prepare to be amazed! All these ovens-off, worry-free Air Fryer Baked Potatoes need is just a little TLC (a.k.a. olive oil and salt) and one quick rotation before *poof*, they’re “baked” to perfection and ready for endless toppings!
For a condensed post, click here to view the web story for this recipe!
- Prep potatoes: scrub, dry, poke with a fork.
- Coat lightly with olive oil and salt.
- Place in air fryer in an even, single layer with room between each potato.
- Set air fryer to 400°F. Cook 35 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Chef’s Tips!
- Choose potatoes that are roughly the same size – they’ll “bake” at the same rate.
- Poke with holes first (the tines of a fork work well!), which will allow the steam to escape as the potatoes cook.
- Russet potatoes are the BEST potatoes for baked potatoes because they’re so starchy, but sweet potatoes are great too.
- Don’t pack the basket too tightly – the air needs to circulate around the potatoes for the skin to crisp up.
- If you’re a potato perfectionist, the ideal temperature for a baked potato is 210°F.
Top It Up
- Simple: honestly, just add butter and let it melt! Need a bit more kick? Sprinkle on your favorite herb(s) and a dash of seasoning (seasoned salt and Old Bay are fun choices).
- Classic: mix and match sour cream, crumbled bacon, green onion or chive, and cheddar cheese
- Chili: top with my Instant Pot Chili and add complementary toppings like sour cream, cheese, cilantro, jalapenos, or green onion
- Buffalo: pull from this recipe – feel free to swap for sweet potatoes too!
- Salsa: a hit of super fresh – but scoopable – veggies are just the trick for a “lighter” potato. Try roasted corn salsa, avocado salsa, or even black bean with crab and mango (fancy!).
Scaling Up Air Fryer Baked Potatoes for a Crowd
Okay, I lied maybe just a little bit. If you’d like to cook more than 4 baked potatoes in your air fryer, you’ll either need a larger model, or you’ll need to turn on your oven – but just to 200°F! Keep cooked baked potatoes tented with foil in a warm oven while you prepare multiple batches. Easy peasy!
Reheating
Honestly, one of things I love most about my air fryer is the ability to reheat crispy foods PERFECTLY! Pop leftover potatoes into the air fryer at 400°F for 3-4 minutes for a perfectly fluffy-on-the-inside and crispy-on-the-outside reheated baked potato.
Did you make try baked potatoes in the air fryer? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Baked Potato
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes, 6-8 oz each
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Toppings
- Sour Cream
- Butter
- Chives
- Shredded Cheese
- Chopped Bacon
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes, then pat dry. Poke the potatoes all over with a fork. Rub each potato with a light drizzle of olive oil, then sprinkle with salt.
- Arrange the potatoes in the air fryer basket in an even layer, leaving a bit of room in between each potato.
- Program the air fryer to 400°F for 35 minutes. Turn the potatoes once halfway through.
Dana Anne
This recipe is a sanity saver! I’m sick at home with a small appetite, and using the air fryer helped to keep my kitchen from getting even more overheated on an 85+ degree day.
We only have red potatoes, which cooked in just 40 minutes and yielded a crispy skin with a soft, creamy-yet-fluffy interior.
Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes when I’m feeling better