This Air Fryer Baked Potato recipe is incredibly crispy on the outside, fluffy and creamy on the inside, and couldn’t be easier! Simply seasoned and perfect for your favorite toppings.
New to the air fryer? Check out my Best Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners!
Table of Contents
All right, here’s the truth.
Baked potatoes aren’t really something I crave. Give me these Roasted Potatoes, give me a big bowl of these Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, give me the entire pan of these Scalloped Potatoes instead.
Baked potatoes?
They just never seemed very special, until I made them in the Air Fryer.
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes have a few things going for them: they are super easy and mostly hands off (no watching or flipping or stressing).
They have the crispiest skin of any baked potatoes I’ve ever eaten, with a perfectly fluffy interior to match.
Pop it open and drop a dollop of salted butter inside with some cheese and crispy bacon?
Heaven. Especially when they’re served with this JUICY Air Fryer Chicken Breast, topped with some Crockpot Shredded Chicken and barbecue sauce, or with a pile of this Instant Pot Whole Chicken.
Let me show you how to make them!
No Air Fryer? Check out my oven Baked Potato recipe.
How to make an Air Fryer Baked Potato:
- Start with russet potatoes — they are the must-have potato for classic baked potatoes, but other potatoes cooked in this fashion will still be delicious.
- Wash and dry potatoes thoroughly — potatoes need a good scrub before you consume them, but things that are wet don’t crisp up. So we need to wash them well and then dry them thoroughly with a towel.
- Oil and season — while water won’t brown, oil is going to give us that incredibly crispy golden skin that cracks when we slice it. Rub the potatoes all over with canola oil (it has a high smoke point) and season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Preheat your air fryer if needed — I always set mine to temperature for about 5-8 minutes before I want to put the food in so it goes in hot. We don’t want our food to sit in limbo while the air fryer heats up.
- Cook — put the potatoes in the basket, slide it in and cook for about 40 minutes. The exact cook time will depend on the size of your potatoes, but the great thing about the air fryer is that you can pull the basket out and check earlier if your potatoes are small, or you can turn it on for another 5-10 minutes if you find they’re not quite done.
Should I wrap my baked potatoes in foil?
No!
Wrapping potatoes creates a steamy environment and the best part of an Air Fryer Baked Potato is that crispy skin.
Skip the foil, and save yourself a few extra minutes of prep, too!
Do I need to prick my potatoes before air frying?
It’s up to you.
When the steam in the potatoes tries to escape, it can cause your potatoes to “explode” or burst a hole out the side.
I don’t, and I haven’t had issues with mine exploding.
That being said, it’s an easy thing to do and won’t change your finished results, so if you are worried about it, you can definitely poke a hole into each one.
Baked Potato Toppings:
- shredded cheddar cheese or another favorite cheese
- sliced green onions
- salted butter
- crispy cooked bacon
- sour cream
- Minced fresh onions
- Chives and other fresh, chopped herbs
- Prepared tomato salsa
- Queso
- Steamed broccoli
- Crispy fried onions
- Prepared chili
Other things to serve with Air Fryer Baked Potatoes:
If your air fryer potatoes are a side dish, here are a few ideas for a main:
- Perfect Roast Chicken — throw it in the oven while your potatoes cook!
- Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs — for a quick-prep meal
- Italian Beef — tender, juicy and full of flavor!
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin — cooked to perfection
Air Fryer Baked Potato
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 3 russet potatoes (mine were 300 grams)
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F according to manufacturer directions if required.
- Wash and dry potatoes thoroughly.
- Rub all over with oil and season well with salt and pepper.
- Place in the basket of the air fryer, place the basket into the air fryer and cook for 40 minutes (a little less if your potatoes are smaller than mine, a little more if your potatoes are larger than mine).
- Check doneness be inserting a knife into the center of the potatoes — if it goes in and comes out easily, they are done. If it seems to get stuck, give them 5-10 more minutes.
Nutrition Information
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Chris Binnington says
I microwave my potatoes first for 6 mins which reduces the Airfryer time to 20 mins and they come out just as crisp. Also put them into an Airfryer baking liner leaves the fryer clean and doesn’t affect the crispness although I do turn mine after 10 mins
ALEXA says
YES
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the feedback!
Valarie says
Will the recipe still work if the air fryer doesn’t have a basket? Mine has a shelf.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Valarie! Yes it should work!
Lori says
Hi – I’m brand new to air frying. My air fryer has a trat in the basket. I’m looking at your photos every which way to see if you have your potatoes on a tray in the basket or just on the bottom of the basket without the tray (or if it even matters!). Also, my hubby got me a silicone basket to go inside my basket for easier cleanup. Will that affect crispness of the skin if I put the potatoes straight in the basket? This newbie would appreciate any guidance.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lori! The ones you see here in the picture are sitting directly in the basket. I have not used any silicone pieces so can’t attest to how they work. I’m not sure if you have an air fryer like the one pictured so I would refer to manual to see what it says about the tray. Hope you enjoy it!
Barb says
Can you hold these in the oven after they are baked until it’s time to eat?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Barb! I’m sure you could.
Jenny says
If you have large bakers, you need to cook for 60-90 minutes, air fry, 400 degrees.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the tip Jenny!
E . Leitch says
You can pop them into microwave first for a couple of minutes to help soften before air frying. This knocks off some time in air fryer. 👍🏼
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the tip!
Elizabeth L says
No , pop then in microwave for roughly 8 minutes to reduce time in AF. AF then for 15 minutes at 200c
The Recipe Rebel says
I have a tutorial for that as well! https://www.thereciperebel.com/microwave-baked-potato/ Enjoy!
M says
I’m curious how you keep bacon from curling while cooking the air fryer .
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi! I do not have that problem when using thick cut (sometimes center cut) bacon. It has less fat.
Lovette Elkow says
I haven’t tried it yet, I’d like to know when you put your potatoes in the air fryer what setting do you use air fryer or bake
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lovette! All of the directions are in the recipe card, above the area where you commented. Also you can click the “jump to recipe” button to help navigate you there. Hope you enjoy it!
Natasha says
At wat temperature do u put it at or setting?
Natasha says
Ha ha just read further down and got my answer lol
priya singh says
There are lots of food blogger like this But the best food recipe ” Air Fryer Baked Potato” is yours. Thanks for giving me this wonderful blog. I will try to make it like you.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review, I really appreciate the kind words!
Sarah says
Do you poke the potatoes so they don’t explode
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah! I spoke a little about this in my blog post. I do not poke holes and have never had an issue before. Hope you enjoy them!
Jan says
I would poke them just to be on the safe side.
Janet says
I have made my potatoes in the air fryer for several years. I soak my potatoes for about 30 minutes after scrubbing them. The potatoes are fluffier. I started soaking when I microwave them because they dried out so bad.
Janet O says
I have an IP Duo Crisp 8qt with air fryer lid but I find it’s pretty small and have to do several air frys to get a decent amount of whatever I’m cooking. What standalone air fryer (and maybe combined with toaster oven) would you recommend? I don’t have a lot of counter space but I’m ready to get rid of my very old toaster oven. Thanks for all the great recipes.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Janet! I can only recommend the ones I have. I have two Chefman air fryers (a 3.7 quart and an 8 quart).
Kristina says
I absolutely love the Gourmina that I have it’s all digital and it come from Walmart or im sure target too. It’s so easy to use great size basket, and easy clean up