Air Fryer Baked Potato

Once you learn how to make a baked potato in the air fryer, you’ll never go back to cooking them in a microwave oven or, gasp, a regular oven. You won’t believe how great they taste.

Air Fryer Baked Potato

When I cook most things in the air fryer, they come out quickly. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with baked potatoes. In fact, cooking whole potatoes this way takes about as long as a traditional oven does.

But here’s where it’s worth it to use your air fryer: if you’re cooking for a crowd at the holidays or a family get together, oven space might be at a premium. If your menu includes baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes, you can cook the spuds in the air fryer and not have to worry about juggling dishes coming in and out of the microwave or traditional oven.

For fast potatoes overall, go with my homemade air fryer French fries recipe or the sweet potato fries in the air fryer recipe. In those instances, they cook in 25 and 20 minutes respectively.

Ingredients Overview

Step-by-Step Instructions

Scrub the potatoes clean under running water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Pierce each potato several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during cooking.

Rub each potato with olive oil or spray liberally with spray oil.

After the oil, sprinkle the potatoes generously with salt.

Preheat your air fryer to 385 F for about 3-5 minutes. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching each other.

Cook the potatoes in the air fryer at 385 F for 60 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Halfway through the cooking time, flip the potatoes to ensure even cooking.

Once the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork, remove them from the air fryer. Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes before slicing them open.

Notes

You’re using russet potatoes for this recipe, because they are the best potato variety to make baked potatoes. However, you can choose other kinds of potatoes to bake in their skins. Just keep in mind that with smaller potatoes, they may require less cooking time.

While you can wrap the potatoes in foil, it will result in a softer skin. If you prefer a crispy skin, it’s best to cook the potatoes without foil. You may have been raised believing that baked potatoes have to bake in aluminum foil. Well, when you’re using an air fryer, you don’t have to use any foil at all. This article explains when it makes sense to use aluminum foil in the air fryer.

Of course, you’re free to use whatever kind of topping you desire on baked potatoes. Some popular options include sour cream, shredded cheese and chives. However, feel free to top baked potatoes with bacon bits, salsa, diced vegetables or chili for a hearty meal.

For many years whenever I ordered food at the fast-food restaurant Wendy’s, I would get a cup of their chili and a baked potato. It’s such a delicious combination.