PERFECT Baked Potatoes in Air Fryer

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Learning how to air fry baked potatoes is not only the fastest way to create that classic potato dish, but it's also a great way to not have to heat up your oven in the warm summer months. With a few minutes of prep time making baked potatoes in the air fryer, you are free to focus on your main dish and create a complete meal that has one of the best sides ever, in my opinion, of course. 😉

air fryer baked potato loaded with toppings

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Baked Potatoes in Air Fryer
Ingredient Notes
Step By Step Instructions
Recipe Tips
Common Questions

Baked Potatoes in Air Fryer

Most of us are familiar with making baked potatoes. Wash, pierce, and bake. Traditional methods are truly easy enough.

Yet, with the typical method, you have to pre-heat your oven and then bake for an hour, sometimes more. I don't know about you, but I don't always want to run my oven for 60-75 minutes - especially in the summer or on a particularly busy evening.

With my air fryer, I save time on both the pre-heat (just 3-5 minutes instead of 15!) and the cook-time is less as well. Not only that but to air fry baked potatoes makes them light and crispy on the outside yet super fluffy on the inside. Plus, cooking a baked potato in air fryer TRULY makes the BEST baked potato you could have. I'm hooked and feel pretty certain you will be too!

Plus, we know that we can serve our air fry baked potatoes with these air fryer bratwurst and air fryer roasted broccoli and have a complete dinner that easy to create, easy to clean up, and easy to enjoy!

Why You'll Love This!

Baked potatoes in air fryer are the fastest way to get perfect baked potatoes every time!
Cooking up in less time than baking, the air fry baked potatoes will be slightly crisp on the outside, yet super fluffy on the inside!
Serve your baked potatoes in air fryer with a variety of toppings, or use them to create twice-baked potatoes or potato skins!
While potatoes are not a low-carb food, they are a great source of potassium and vitamin C.
Air fried baked potatoes are great for gluten-free diets and Whole30 approved, as well as vegetarian eaters (just watch those toppings!). Baked potatoes are also allowed on some versions of the paleo lifestyle.

Are you looking for additional air fryer potato recipes? Look no further than our air fryer sweet potatoes, air fryer roasted potatoes, air fryer frozen french fries, or air fryer tater tots!

Do you want to become an air frying master?? Be sure to download our FREE air fryer cook times cheatsheet

Ingredient Notes

For learning how to air fry baked potatoes, the russet potato is king. A meaty, white potato, Russetts have that elongated shape and white inside that created the best flavor and texture. For a restaurant-quality potato, covering the outside with oil and salt is a must! Not only does it help crisp up the skin, but it also adds great flavor.

2-4 Russet potatoes
olive oil or avocado oil
sea salt
optional toppings - butter, sour cream, bacon, chives, or shredded cheese

Equipment

An Air Fryer- We have an Omni Plus oven style air fryer and a small 3.2L Farberware basket style air fryer.

Step By Step Instructions

Making the baked potatoes in air fryer recipe is quite similar to make traditional baked potatoes, but to ensure yours come out perfect every time, we have step-by-step instructions as well as some recipe tips!

Prep Ingredients

Before you start the air fry baked potatoes be sure to wash and lightly scrub the outsides, then pat them dry. For best results, opt for potatoes that are uniform in size.

For a crispier skin, be sure to coat the potatoes in a little bit of oil and salt. This step is optional but highly recommended.

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Temperature

Preheat your air fryer to 400F for 3-5 minutes. You can do this while you are preparing your potatoes.

Most air fryer units have a preheat feature, but if yours does not you can turn the until to 400F and allow it to run like you would to preheat an oven.

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Cooking Time

Just like with traditional baked potatoes, the size of your potatoes will ultimately determine how long to cook them.

We made one batch of baked potatoes in our Instant Pot Omni Plus air fryer and another batch in our smaller basket style Faberware air fryer and both turned out perfectly at a cook time of 400F.

You are going to want to leave some space between your potatoes, so for a smaller air fryer, you'll be able to cook 2 large baked potatoes or 3 medium-sized. Larger air fryers will accommodate 4-6 potatoes.

Flip your potatoes once when they start turning brown, about 20-25 minutes into cooking. Medium-sized potatoes take about 35-40+ minutes total, where large baked potatoes take about 40-45 mins to cook.

Serve with any toppings desired such as butter, sour cream, bacon, chives, or shredded cheese.

Recipe Tips

For best results, use potatoes that are uniform in size. This will help ensure even cooking.
Preheating your air fryer is recommended to ensure your air fryer baked potatoes begin cooking as soon as you place them in the unit.
Be sure to dry your potatoes fully before adding the oil and salt to ensure an extra crispy skin.
Russett potatoes are always your best choice for the perfect baked potato.
Leaving space between your potatoes allows the heat in the air fryer to circulate evenly around the potatoes.
We do recommend that you flip the potatoes after 20-25 minutes. Continue cooking until they are
Baked potatoes are the ultimate blank canvas - feel free to experiment with your choice of toppings.

Common Questions

Should I Pierce My Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Before Cooking?

Maybe this is nothing more than an old wives’ tale, or perhaps a habit handed down, but honestly most baked potatoes will not explode if you forget to pierce them.

However, that being said, I have heard that “every now and then” this could happen and it is more likely if you are using older potatoes.

So, for the sake of tradition and maybe a little bit out of habit, we do still pierce out air fryer baked potatoes. If anything, you are giving your potatoes some breathing room and allowing for the heat to get inside faster.

What Temperature Do I Cook My Baked Potatoes To?

The ideal internal temperature of baked potatoes is 205F, meaning if your air fried baked potato is not quite at that temperature, keep cooking it for just a little bit longer.

What Are The Best Toppings for a Baked Potato?

Air fry baked potatoes are the ultimate in customizable food. While you can top them with just about anything you'd like, here are some of our recommendations: Butter, Salt & Pepper, Sour Cream, Bacon, Cheese, Chives, Shredded chicken, Ham, Broccoli, Herbs & Spices including parsley, garlic, lemon pepper, and cayenne.

Can I Wrap Air Fryer Baked Potatoes in Foil?

You might be wondering if you can wrap your air fryer baked potato in foil and is that even ok to put foil in an air fryer? While some people love that crispy crust of an unwrapped potato, others prefer them soft.

If you'd rather air fry your potatoes with foil on, you can definitely do that. Unlike in a microwave where you absolutely cannot use aluminum foil, in an air fryer it is perfectly fine to wrap your potato in foil or lay your food on a sheet of foil. The only no-no with using foil in an air fryer is to not just lay a sheet at the bottom to catch grease drips….the loose sheet could possibly fly up and get sucked into the air fryer fan. As long as you keep food on the sheet or wrap your air fryer baked potato in foil, you can use it for air frying.

More Air Fryer Potato Recipes

Looking for more air fryer potato recipes?

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Air Fry Baked Potatoes

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Making air fry baked potatoes is the quickest and easiest way to get perfect potatoes every time.

Ingredients

2 Russet potatoes (up to 4)
2 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil
sprinkle of sea salt

Instructions

Preheat your air fryer on 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
You are going to want to leave some space between your potatoes, so for a smaller air fryer, you'll be able to cook 2 large baked potatoes or 3 medium-sized. Larger air fryers will accommodate 4-6 potatoes.
Flip your potatoes once when they start turning brown, about 20-25 minutes into cooking. Medium-sized potatoes take about 35-40+ minutes total, where large baked potatoes take about 40-45 mins to cook.
Serve with any toppings desired such as butter, sour cream, bacon, chives, or shredded cheese.

Notes

For best results, use potatoes that are uniform in size. This will help ensure even cooking.

Preheating your air fryer is recommended to ensure your air fryer baked potatoes begin cooking as soon as you place them in the unit.

Be sure to dry your potatoes fully before adding the oil and salt to ensure an extra crispy skin.

Russett potatoes are always your best choice for the perfect baked potato.

Leaving space between your potatoes allows the heat in the air fryer to circulate evenly around the potatoes.

We do recommend that you flip the potatoes after 20-25 minutes. Continue cooking until they are

Baked potatoes are the ultimate blank canvas - feel free to experiment with your choice of toppings.

How to Air Fry Baked Potatoes