Easy Air Fryer Baked Potato

This quick and easy air fryer baked potato is a perfect baked potato every time. When you bake a potato in the air fryer it is crispy on the outside and light and fluffy inside in half the time it would take to bake in the oven.

Why Bake Potatoes in an Air Fryer?

I enjoy eating baked potatoes and they are one of my favorite side dishes to serve with dinner. I like to serve them because they are super easy to make and inexpensive.

But there is one problem with baked potatoes – to bake them in the oven I have to remember to start them at least an hour before dinner.

Most dinners I make during the week are quick dinners that I can make in 30 minutes, maybe 45 minutes if I am feeling fancy.

So it is inconvenient to make a side dish, like baked potatoes, that takes longer to make than the main dish. And in the summer time I certainly don’t want to heat up my entire house to bake a few potatoes.

I tried making baked potatoes in my microwave and my Instant Pot and I didn’t love the results. The pressure cooker makes amazing mashed potatoes.

But Instant Pot baked potatoes or microwaved baked potatoes seem kind of soggy, not crispy on the outside like baked potatoes should be.

Let’s face it, the skin is one of the best parts of baked potatoes. Soggy skin is not what I want to eat.

Air Fryer Baked Potato

The air fryer, on the other hand, is perfect for baked potatoes. It keeps the skin outside tasty and crispy, while the potato insides are light and fluffy. And when I use an air fryer my potatoes are done and ready to serve in 30-40 minutes.

What Kind of Potatoes are Best?

Russet potatoes make the best baked potatoes. You can red potatoes or yellow potatoes, but they just won’t be as big or taste as good.

Russet potatoes have more starch in them, which makes them perfect for absorbing all those tasty baked potato toppings, like butter, sour cream and chives.

When I buy a 5 or 10 pound bag of russet potatoes at my grocery store the potatoes are medium to large size. If I want really big baked potatoes I have to buy them separately, because I don’t get the extra large potatoes in the bags.

The potatoes I used for this post are extra large. But the recipe works the same with slightly small potatoes – and they would cook even faster.

Why Oil the Potatoes

In this recipe I rub olive oil onto the potatoes before putting them in the air fryer. Now this is an optional step and the potatoes will cook fine without it.

I like to add the olive oil because it makes the skin extra crispy and tasty. It also makes extra seasoning, like salt stick to the potatoes better.

But if you want to cut your fat intake down to a bare minimum you can leave the oil off.

How to Make an Air Fryer Baked Potato

Making baked potatoes in the air fryer is not very different from making them in the oven, just quicker! Here are the simple steps to follow:

Prepare the Potatoes

Wash the potatoes well under running water, scrubbing lightly with a brush or your hands to get the potatoes nice and clean. Then dry them off.

Add a little bit of oil to the potato skin so it gets nice and crispy. I prefer to do this by putting a little olive oil in a bowl and then adding the potatoes to the bowl and rubbing them all over to distribute the oil.

Unfortunately you can’t really get the potatoes oily without using your hands.

Sprinkle Kosher salt on the outside of the potatoes. You could use other herbs or spices if you like, such as rosemary, parsley or freshly ground black pepper. I usually just stick to salt.

Put the potatoes in the air fryer basket, making sure there is space between them for air to circulate. My Omorc air fryer can hold three extra large potatoes and 4 or 5 large ones.

How Long to Bake a Potato in the Air Fryer

Cook for 30 minutes at 400 F, turning the air fryer baked potatoes half way through if you remember. After 30 minutes check the potatoes.

You can test them seeing if a fork goes in easily or by squeezing the sides. If they are very squishy they are done.

I find that extra large potatoes, like the ones pictured, are going to take 40 minutes to cook in the air fryer.

Slightly smaller ones, like the ones I’d get in a 5 pound bag, will be done in about 30 minutes. So I determine what size potatoes I make based on how soon I want them to be ready.

I use an instant read thermometer all the time to make sure meat is done, and it turns out you can use it for checking potatoes too. Baked potatoes are perfectly cooked when the insides are at 200 F – 205 F.

Once they are done take them out and cut them down the middle. Serve your perfect air fryer baked potatoes topped with butter, sour cream and chives.

Tips for Perfect Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

There are few things you can do to ensure that your air fryer baked potato is perfect every time.

• Don’t overcrowd the potatoes in the air fryer basket. The air has to circulate to cook the potatoes.
• Dry them off well before you cook them. If the skin is wet they will steam instead of baking, which leads to soggy potatoes.
• Love potatoes? Make a baked potato bar for your next party!

Find More Air Fryer Recipes

• Air Fryer Catfish
• Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes
• Air Fryer Egg Rolls
• Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes