Gorgeously crispy skin, and a fork-tender fluffy inside that is just begging to be slathered in butter and devoured. These air fryer baked potatoes are so good, you won’t believe how quick and easy they are to make. (plus check out my cheat’s method for when you are really short on time!)
Why you’ll love this recipe
In my book, baked potatoes (aka jacket potatoes) are the perfect comfort food. Warming, hearty and so delicious! But, I always thought they were a bit of a pain to make because they take soooooo long to cook in the oven. But making baked potatoes in the air fryer is much quicker – and you can halve the cooking time if you give them a quick zap in the microwave first!
What potatoes to use?
The ideal variety of potatoes for baking are those with a high starch content. This gives them the soft fluffy texture that is so perfect in a baked potato. Choose a variety labelled for baking, or an all-purpose variety.
Any of the following are good options:
- US: Russet, Idaho
- UK: Maris Piper or King Edwards
- Aus/NZ: Sebago, agria
What else do you need?
- Oil or butter: Air frying does a good job of crisping up food on its own, but with baked potatoes, if you want that skin really crispy then it is best to add a little oil or butter to help it along.
- Salt: Salt adds flavor to the potatoes, but feel free to skip this ingredient if you are trying to cut the sodium in your diet.
How to cook baked potatoes in the air fryer
1
Prepare.
Scrub the potatoes clean. Prick the potato skin all over with a fork or a sharp knife. Then rub the potatoes with oil (or melted butter) and sprinkle with salt.
2
Pop potatoes in the air fryer.
Place the potato in the air fryer basket. If you are cooking more than one baked potato, try not to overcrowd the basket. If the potatoes are too jammed in, they will steam rather than bake, preventing the skins from achieving, max crispiness.
3
Air fry baked potatoes.
Cook the baked potatoes in air fryer at 180°C/ 360°F for 30-40 minutes, until crispy and golden brown on the outside, and fork tender in the center.
If you have extra-large potatoes cook time may need to be adjusted. If required, air fry for additional 5-minute intervals until it is done.
Quick method
Air-fried baked potatoes still take a while to cook through if you just use the air fryer.
If you are really short on time, you can speed things up by starting the cooking process in the microwave, followed by a blast in the air fryer to crisp the potato up:
- Prepare the potatoes as above, but before adding the oil and salt, microwave the potato on High for 5 minutes.
- When it is finished, the potato should feel soft on the outside. If you have a really large potato and it is still hard you will need to adjust the cooking time – turn the potato over and microwave for another 3-4 minutes until it starts to feel soft.
- Then remove the potato from the microwave (use oven mitts – it will be hot!), carefully add oil and salt as in the method above, and place the potato in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry baked potato at 180°C/ 360°F for 15 minutes, until crispy on the outside and fork-tender in the center.
How long to air fry baked potatoes
The exact cook times will depend on how large your potatoes are and how powerful your air fryer is. Medium-sized potatoes should take around 30 minutes to air fry (15 minutes if you blasted them in the microwave for 5 minutes first).
Larger potatoes will take 40 minutes or even longer to cook in the air fryer (or around 20-25 minutes if you zap them first).
Serving ideas
- Simple butter, sea salt and black pepper (tip: use lots of butter!).
- Top your potato with a generous dollop of sour cream, crispy bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped spring onions.
- Spoon some homemade or canned chili over your baked potato and top with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
- Scoop out some of the potato flesh, mix it with canned tuna and mayo, then stuff it back into the potato skin. Top with shredded cheese and return to the air fryer for a melty, delicious tuna melt.
- Keep it simple and classic with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of freshly chopped chives, and maybe some bacon bits.
- Spoon some warm baked beans over your potato, and top with grated cheese.
Air Fryer Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 1 large potato (Idaho, Russet, King Edward or Maris Piper)
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- Your toppings of choice
Directions
- Scrub the potato and prick with a fork to pierce the skin all over [Note 1].
- Drizzle the potato with oil and sprinkle with salt, and rub the salt and oil to cover the potato.
- Place potato in air fryer basket. If you are cooking more than one, ensure they are not touching.
- Bake potato in the air fryer at 180°C/ 360°F for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside, and fork-tender in the center [Note 2].
- Enjoy with your favorite toppings!
Notes
- If you are short on time you can blast the potato in the microwave for five minutes first until tender [Note 2], then halve the air frying time.
- Cook times may need to be adjusted for extra large potatoes. If needed, cook for additional 5 minute intervals until done.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
