Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe

Name: Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 Russet potatoes; olive oil; Kosher salt

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These quick and easy air fryer baked potatoes take about 35 minutes and have perfectly crispy skin on the outside while staying fluffy and tender on the inside. You can easily add them to any weeknight meal as a simple side, or load them up with your favorite toppings to make it a meal all on its own!

White plate filled with air fryer baked potatoes topped with cheese and sour cream

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Russet Potatoes – Russets are well known as the go-to for baked potatoes. I’ve not tried any other type of potato, but feel free to experiment, though expect different cooking times and textures. I like to use medium potatoes of uniform size so that they all cook evenly.
Olive Oil – Olive oil is my favorite for this baked potato recipe, but you can substitute with avocado oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, or olive oil cooking spray. Any oil with a high smoke point will work for these potatoes.
Kosher Salt – I love kosher salt for its flavor, but you can sprinkle with sea salt or even table salt, just make sure you season the potatoes well!

White marble counter top with ingredients to make air fryer baked potatoes

How to Make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

Scrub potatoes thoroughly and dry them well. Poke holes all over the potatoes with a fork. Coat each potato in olive oil and sprinkle all over with Kosher salt.

4 potatoes on a white plate that are seasoned with olive oil and Kosher salt

Place in the air fryer basket or on the trays and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.

Baked potatoes on a black air fryer tray

Use tongs to remove potatoes from the air fryer and carefully slice them open. Season with salt and pepper, add your favorite toppings – like a pat of butter, sliced chives, cheddar cheese, and sour cream – and enjoy!

Why You Will Love This Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe

There are only three ingredients needed to make baked potatoes in the air fryer! Unless you want to upgrade them with extra toppings! These potatoes are the perfect quick and easy side dish for any weeknight dinner.
The air fryer gives these baked potatoes the best texture. The skin is crispy and salty on the outside and the inside is perfectly fluffy and tender.
If you loved this air fryer baked potato recipe, be sure to check out some of my other air fryer recipes like my Air Fryer Grilled Cheese, Air Fryer Green Beans, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, and Air Fryer Asparagus.

Baked Potato Toppings

The best part about baked potatoes in the air fryer – other than the super crispy potato skins – is that you can top them with anything you want. Here are some of our family’s favorites:

crispy bacon bits
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
sliced chives
sliced green onions or scallions
homemade smoked queso sauce
crock pot cheese sauce
three bean chili
Pico de Gallo
roasted broccoli
diced ham
pickled jalapenos
grilled corn

Tips

Don’t forget to poke holes in the potatoes! This is incredibly important as it releases built up steam inside the potato as it cooks. Not poking holes can result in exploding potatoes which is unfortunate and messy.
Try to keep all the potatoes the same size so that they cook evenly. If you end up with different size potatoes, just test each of them and pull the smaller potatoes as soon as they’re fork tender and let the larger potatoes cook for longer.
You’ll know the potatoes are fully baked when you can easily pierce them all the way to the middle with a fork.
If you’d like to cook more than 4 potatoes, you’ll want to cook them in batches. Don’t overcrowd the air fryer as this will result in potatoes that don’t cook through in a timely fashion and the skin won’t get crisp on the outside.

Small white plate with air fryer baked potato topped with cheese and sour cream

FAQ

How long does it take a potato in the air fryer?

At 400 degrees, potatoes typically take roughly 30 minutes but test the potato with a fork to see if it’s tender and add more time if it’s not quite done.

What temp should you air fry potatoes?

Potatoes should be cooked at 400 degrees in the air fryer for best results and shortest cooking times.

Do you have to poke a potato before air frying?

While it’s not strictly necessary, there is always the risk of them exploding while baking, so it’s safest to poke holes.

Can you bake a potato in an air fryer?

Yes! The air fryer is one of the easiest ways to bake a potato! With the air fryer you’ll get a perfectly cooked baked potato – crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I love that you don’t have to heat up the oven and how quickly you can cook a potato in the air fryer.

Are potatoes and foods cooked in an air fryer really healthier?

I don’t classify foods as healthy or unhealthy but one of the perks of using an air fryer is that it gives you crispy, perfectly cooked foods without the use of excess oil.

What is the difference between air frying and baking?

The air fryer is a compact, counter top kitchen appliance that uses convection heat to cook the food. While the oven is a large kitchen appliance that uses a heating element on the top and bottom to heat the air in the oven which bakes the food. Air fryers typically cook food more quickly than an air fryer making them a great short cut for easy weeknight dinners!

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

Make-Ahead: These air fryer baked potatoes are best served warm and fresh from the air fryer. However, you can always make them a day or so ahead and reheat.
Storage: Store baked potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Reheating: Reheat the baked potatoes either in the air fryer or in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through. You can also zap them in the microwave in 30-60 second increments until warmed through.

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