Air Fryer Baked Potatoes are tender and fluffy on the inside with super crispy skin on the outside. They’re the best, most perfect baked potatoes ever (and they cook faster than in the oven)!
I’ve been cooking for a long time now, and I thought I had baked potatoes mastered…until I got my air fryer, that is. Baked potatoes in the air fryer are now my hands-down favorite, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to using the oven again!
Have I told you lately how much I love my air fryer? Well, just in case you missed it: I love, love, love my air fryer and am having so much fun with it!
Sure, it’s great for making all the fried standards like French fries, tater tots, onion rings, and chicken wings. BUT, it’s also superb at making not-fried foods like these baked potatoes.
Baked potatoes are probably one of the most popular and most-often-made side dishes of all time. And why not? They go with just about anything, they’re very easy to make, and they’re absolutely delicious.
And these, my friends, are – yep, I’m going to say it – the best baked potatoes ever!
In fact, air-fried baked potatoes are so good with their wonderfully fluffy interior and crispy skin, I’m willing to bet that you’ve never had better, either. If you have an air fryer and haven’t made them…do it now!
It’s actually perfect on these hot summer days because you don’t have to heat up the kitchen by turning the oven on, and you don’t have to use up valuable space on your grill.
And besides being incredibly delicious, thanks to the air fryer circulating the heat all around the potatoes, they’re done in less time (about 40 minutes for medium-sized potatoes versus an hour in the oven)!
Ingredients you need:
- Russet potatoes (7 to 8 ounces each)
- Olive oil (vegetable or avocado oil will work too)
- Kosher salt
Here’s a look at how to make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes:
Tips & Tidbits:
- Russet potatoes are best for making baked potatoes. The higher starch content and thicker skin will give you that nice fluffy interior and crispy skin.
- Use potatoes that are all about the same size so that they will cook at the same rate and be done at the same time.
- Scrub your potatoes well, ’cause you’re definitely going to want to eat that yummy crispy skin!
- Be sure to dry your potatoes well after washing to help ensure said yummy crispy skin.
- Poke holes in your potatoes before cooking. Exploded potatoes = dinner ruined + nasty mess to clean.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. You want at least an inch between the potatoes for good air circulation.
- I use an Instant Vortex 6-quart air fryer, which has a square basket, and I can fit four 7 to 8-ounce potatoes in there with adequate space between them, 2 to 3 if the potatoes are a little larger.
- All air fryers are different, so the cooking time will depend on your air fryer and the size of your potatoes. I like to use potatoes that are around 7 to 8 ounces each for a side dish. If your potatoes are larger or smaller, adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Plan for a cooking time of about 4 to 5 minutes per ounce (the weight of one potato, not the total weight of all the potatoes). For example, 12-ounce potatoes usually take about 50 minutes to cook.
- How do you tell when they’re done?
- Poke ’em with a knife or a fork. It should go in and come out easily without resistance.
- I also like to give them a quick, gentle squeeze; they should give when you squeeze them and not be hard (careful…they’re hot; use oven mitts if needed).
- You can also check the internal temperature; it should be 210°F.
- Baked potatoes are always best when you eat them immediately. Once they’ve cooled down, even after reheating, they never get that wonderful fluffy texture back.
I really love the simplicity of a baked potato with butter, salt and pepper, but feel free to add your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, chives, cheese, bacon, and more.
And can I just say again how good those crispy skins are? That sprinkling of salt on the outside of the potatoes makes them so tasty. Don’t leave them behind!
If you have any leftover potatoes, check out my recipe for Leftover Baked Potato Home Fries (it’ll also tell you how to bake potatoes in the oven, in case you don’t have an air fryer). They’re so good with some eggs for breakfast!
I hope you try this recipe for Air Fryer Baked Potatoes and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
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Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 (7 to 8 ounces each) russet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (regular or light), divided (vegetable or avocado oil will work too)
- kosher salt, to taste
- toppings of your choice, such as butter, salt, pepper, sour cream, chives, cheese, etc.
Special Equipment
- Air Fryer (I used a 6-quart air fryer with a square basket for this recipe)
Instructions
- Wash and dry the potatoes (dry potatoes will help ensure crispy skins).
- Rub each potato with ½ teaspoon of the olive oil, making sure it is evenly coated.
- Sprinkle the potatoes on all sides with salt.
- Using a fork, poke several holes in each potato (this will allow steam to escape so the potatoes don't explode).
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.Note: If your air fryer doesn't do a preheat cycle, just set it to cook at 400°F and let it heat up for about 5 minutes, and then move on to the next step.
- Add the potatoes to the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure to leave at least one inch between the potatoes to allow the air to circulate.
- Cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through, flipping them over halfway through the cooking time. Start checking them for doneness at 30 minutes. The potatoes are done when a fork or knife will pierce them easily without resistance and come out easily. I also like to give mine a quick, gentle squeeze; they should give when you squeeze them and not be hard (be careful and use an oven mitt, as the potatoes will be very hot). If you'd like to take the temperature, the inside should be 210°F.
- Remove the potatoes from the air fryer using tongs or an oven mitt. Slice them open and use a fork to fluff up the inside.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Use potatoes that are approximately the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Since all air fryers are different, the cooking time will depend on your air fryer and the size of your potatoes.
- The size of your air fryer, your potatoes, and the shape of your basket will also determine how many potatoes you can fit and cook at one time.
- If you want to use larger or smaller potatoes, adjust the time accordingly. A cooking time of 4 to 5 minutes per ounce (the weight of one potato, not the total weight of all of them) usually works well for me. As an example, 12-ounce potatoes take about 50 minutes in my air fryer.
- Estimated calories are for one 8-ounce baked potato and do not include butter or any other toppings.
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