Air fryer twice-baked potatoes turn a plain, boring baked potato into something worth serving on purpose, and they take only about 15 minutes once the potatoes are already cooked. The effort happens ahead of time, so dinner itself is just scooping, stuffing, and a short trip through the air fryer. The skins go crisp, the filling turns creamy, and nobody at the table needs to know how little effort it took.
We eat potatoes at my house three or four times a week, baked, mashed, salt potatoes, grilled red potatoes, potato salad, you name it. Potatoes are cheap, they fill everybody up, and they go with almost anything. When I’m already baking a batch for dinner, I bake a few extra on purpose and turn them into the next night’s side.
The air fryer is the shortcut here. It does in about ten minutes what the oven needs half an hour for, and it browns the tops and bubbles the cheese without heating the whole kitchen. And I love how crispy the potato skins get.
Reader Review
I’ve been on a potato kick lately and twice baked are my favorite. I love this recipe. I’ve added ranch seasoning to them as well it it really takes them over the top!!
— Kelly
This side dish feels like you went the extra mile, but it slots into a regular weeknight without any stress. You build it from stuff you probably already have; it comes together fast, and it makes a plain dinner feel a little more put-together and special.
Keep reading, and I’ll show you exactly how long to make these, how to reheat leftovers so they taste like they just came out of the oven, and a few filling variations. Once you’ve made a batch, you’ll want an excuse to bake extra potatoes every week.
Looking for more air fryer dinners? Try my air fryer baked potatoes, air fryer egg rolls, air fryer catfish with spicy tartar sauce, or air fryer chicken breast with prosciutto.
Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Cooked baked potatoes: These need to be baked and cooled.
- Sour cream
- Cheddar cheese: Or your favorite kind of cheese.
- Butter
- Cooked bacon
How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes
- This whole recipe starts with potatoes that are already baked and cooled. The second round of cooking is really just reheating and dressing them up, so the potatoes need to be done before you start.
- Cut each cooled potato in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Leave about a quarter inch of potato inside the skin so the shell holds together instead of collapsing.
- Mash the scooped potato with the butter, sour cream, and a quarter cup of the cheddar. Use a fork or a potato masher, not a mixer. A mixer works the potato too much and turns the filling gluey. A few small lumps left in the filling are normal, not a mistake.
- Spoon the filling back into the potato skins. It’s fine if it mounds up above the rim. That’s exactly what you want here.
- Cover the stuffed potatoes and refrigerate them until you’re ready to cook.
- When you are ready to bake the potatoes, set the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Arrange the stuffed potato halves in the basket in a single layer, three or four halves at a time so air can actually move around them. Air fry for 8 minutes to heat the shells and the filling all the way through.
- Pull the basket out, top each half with the remaining cheddar and the bacon, and slide it back in for 2 more minutes at 400°F.
Serving Ideas
Twice baked potatoes don’t need much else on the plate. They bring plenty of richness on their own. I like pairing them with something lighter, like turkey corn chowder or a main dish salad such as southwestern grilled chicken salad.
They’re filling enough to be the whole meal too. I’ll make a batch just for lunch some days. They reheat fast, and there’s no other cooking involved.
How to Store
Store any leftover potatoes in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, set the air fryer to 300°F to 350°F and heat them for 5 to 10 minutes, until they’re hot through and the cheese on top has re-melted.
Twice baked potatoes are one of my favorite make-ahead dishes, exactly the kind of thing I build on a slower afternoon so dinner is easier later in the week. Assemble the potatoes, then cover and refrigerate them for up to 2 days before you cook them.
They freeze well too. For the best texture, freeze the stuffed potatoes before that second round of cooking, unbaked, then thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before you air fry or bake them as directed above. You can freeze them fully cooked as well, but the potato holds its texture better when you freeze it before that final bake instead of after.
Variations
- You can skip the sour cream entirely and pack the potatoes with extra cheese and bacon instead.
- Stir a spoonful of ranch seasoning into the filling for extra flavor.
- Cream cheese in place of the sour cream works too, if that’s what you already have open in the fridge. It makes the filling a little richer.
- Swap the cheddar for gruyère, Swiss, white cheddar, or Colby Jack. Whatever you already have on hand works.
- For a lighter version, use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, cut back on the cheese, and skip the bacon.
Tips and Tricks
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- If you’ve got leftover baked potatoes, use those. That’s exactly what I do most weeks. If you’re starting from raw potatoes, you can bake them right in the air fryer too: scrub them, poke a few holes in each one with a fork, and air fry at 400°F for about 40 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
- Be careful not to touch the hot sides of the air fryer basket when you add the cheese and bacon.
- Russet potatoes are my first choice for this recipe. Their skins are sturdy enough to hold up as a shell on their own. Yukon gold potatoes work too, and give you a creamier filling if that’s what you’re after.
Reader Questions
Air fry the stuffed potato halves at 400°F for 8 minutes, then add the remaining cheese and bacon and air fry 2 more minutes at 400°F. That’s about 10 minutes total once they’re in the basket.
For store-bought frozen twice baked potatoes, air fry at around 350°F for about 15 to 20 minutes straight from frozen, until they’re hot all the way through. Brands vary, so check the package for its specific instructions before you start.
You probably scooped the shells too thin. Leave about a quarter inch of potato inside the skin when you hollow them out. That thin wall of potato is what keeps the shell sturdy enough to hold the filling.
Twice baked potatoes work in a regular oven too. Bake the stuffed potatoes at 350°F for 20 minutes, then add the remaining cheese and bacon and bake 5 more minutes, until the cheese melts. You’ll end up with the same result as the air fryer version. It just takes longer to get there.
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Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cooked baked potatoes
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ cup cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 slices bacon cooked
Instructions
- Cut the baked potatoes in half and scoop out the insides into a bowl.2 cooked baked potatoes
- Add the sour cream, ¼ cup of cheddar cheese and the butter to the bowl with the potatoes.2 tablespoons sour cream, ½ cup cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon butter
- Mash the potatoes and other ingredients together with a potato masher until they have reached your desired consistency.
- Spoon the filling back into the potato shells, mounding it to fit as necessary.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When you are ready to bake the potatoes put them in an air fryer basket. Cook at 400 F for 8 minutes.
- Top the potatoes with the remaining ¼ cup of cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Be careful not to touch the hot sides of the air fryer basket while you do this.2 slices bacon
- Return the potatoes to the air fryer and cook for 2 more minutes at 400 F to melt the cheese and crisp the bacon.
Video
Notes
- If you’ve got leftover baked potatoes, use those. That’s exactly what I do most weeks. If you’re starting from raw potatoes, you can bake them right in the air fryer too: scrub them, poke a few holes in each one with a fork, and air fry at 400°F for about 40 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
- Be careful not to touch the hot sides of the air fryer basket when you add the cheese and bacon.
- Russet potatoes are my first choice for this recipe. Their skins are sturdy enough to hold up as a shell on their own. Yukon gold potatoes work too, and give you a creamier filling if that’s what you’re after.
- These are easy to make ahead of time. Assemble the potatoes, then cover and refrigerate them for up to 2 days before you cook them.
- Swap the cheddar for gruyère, Swiss, white cheddar, or Colby Jack. Whatever you already have on hand works.
- For a lighter version, use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, cut back on the cheese, and skip the bacon.
- For a richer version swap the sour cream for cream cheese.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
This looks delicious. I am having an issue printing out the recipe.
I’ve made there’s a half dozen times and o obviously love eating them. I particularly enjoyed and appreciated this recipe over others who say to either keep the scooped out potato pulp or toss it. Such a waste. This this should be everyone’s go-to twice baked potato recipe. I bake russet potatoes first using your air fryer baked potato recipe. When they are cooled I scoop out the potatoes and mash them up. Excellent recipe. Thanks for posting.
Nice post
We always get twice-baked potatoes to accompany our entrees when we go out for a special evening. A soft and fluffy twice-baked potato provides the ideal side dish when you use an air fryer to prepare a succulent filet mignon steak, salmon, or poultry. We feel like we can have a nice side dish for any meal at home when we prepare these potatoes in the air fryer.
This recipe was flawless both times I made it. awesome guidelines So lovely, delicious, and substantial. Also a big fan is my mother.
Wow! This can be one particular of the most helpful blogs We have ever arrive across on this subject. Actually Great. I am also a specialist in this topic therefore I can understand your effort.
This sounds delish and I just bought big bakers this morning!!
Anne,
Have you ever cooked Frozen Chicken Cordon Blue in the Air Fryer? The package says, not to cook in the air fryer or Microwave. Just wondering.
I’ve made it from scratch, but not cooked a frozen one. I’d follow the package instructions there, it probably won’t get warm enough in the middle before the outside is burnt.
LOVE THE BAKED POTATOES, CAME OUT GREAT. NOT TOO KEEN ON SOUR CREAM , SO I JUST CHEESED UP THAT BABY WITH THE BACON AND CHIVES AND IT STILL CAME OUT GREAT. LOVE AIR FRYER RECIPES IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE. THANKS
Glad you liked it!
I’ve been on a potato kick lately and twice baked are my favorite. I love this recipe. I’ve added ranch seasoning to them as well it it really takes them over the top!!
Delish. I add diced cooked onions or green onions depending on what I have. So very very yummy