Name: How to Air Fry Baked Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 Russet potatoes (up to 4); 2 tsp olive oil or avocado oil; sprinkle of sea salt

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. 😉

A printable recipe card is at the bottom of the post

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While potatoes are not a low-carb food, they are a great source of potassium and vitamin C. They are great for gluten-free diets and Whole30 approved, as well as vegetarian eaters (just watch those toppings!). And some people following a paleo diet eat potatoes and others do not.

Complete your air fryer baked potatoes with these air fryer bratwurst and air fryer roasted broccoli.

More air fryer potato recipes– 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

AIR FRYER BAKED POTATO

Most of us are familiar with a baked potato. 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 an air fried baked potato is also 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!

INGREDIENTS FOR BAKED POTATOES IN THE AIR FRYER

For baked potatoes, the russet 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

COOKING AIR FRYER BAKED POTATOES

Before you start your air fryer 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.

AIR FRYER BAKED POTATO TIME AND TEMP

Preheat your air fryer to 400F. 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.

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.

MAKING YOUR AIR FRYER BAKED POTATOES

Wash and pat dry. Brush the potatoes with olive oil and give a generous sprinkling of course salt.

Place your potatoes in your preheated air fryer and cook for 30-45+minutes, flipping after 20-25 minutes.

Serve with your choice of toppings and garnishes (see the list below if you are looking for some new ideas!).

Internal Temperature of Baked Potato

Are you craving a perfectly cooked fluffy baked potato and you’re concerned maybe your potato is smaller or bigger than what’s being cooked in the recipe? Have no worries, you CAN still get the perfect baked potato!

The ideal internal temperature of baked potatoes is 205F, meaning if your air fried baked potato is yet at that temperature, keep cooking it for just a little bit longer.

RECIPE TIPS

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 that perfect baked potato.
Leftover baked potatoes can be stored in the fridge and reheated.
Baked potatoes are the ultimate blank canvas – feel free to experiment with your choice of toppings.

BAKED POTATO TOPPINGS

Butter
Salt & Pepper
Sour Cream
Bacon
Cheese
Chives
Shredded chicken
Ham
Broccoli
Herbs & Spices including parsley, garlic, lemon pepper, and cayenne

AIR FRYER BAKED POTATO 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

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