Crispy Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

Looking to make the perfect baked potatoes? Air fryer baked potatoes are simple to make and turn out amazing!

With crispy, seasoned skin on the outside and a soft potato inside, these baked potatoes in the air fryer can be topped how you like them and eaten as a meal on their own – or as a side for a larger dinner!

Recipe Tips/Substitutions

Before you make a baked potato in the air fryer, read through these recipe tips so that you achieve the best potatoey results:

• We use russet potatoes for this recipe because their skin gets crispy in the air fryer while the inside stays deliciously soft.
• Much like when you make air fryer baked sweet potatoes, try to use potatoes that are similar in size. This way the potatoes will finish cooking around the same time.
• There is no need to pierce the raw potatoes with a fork first.
• It’s important to completely cover the outside of the raw potato with oil. We use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point and is good to use in the air fryer.
• As for seasonings, we like putting a bit of salt and garlic powder on the potato skins. Garlic powder can get bitter as it cooks in the air fryer so if you aren’t sure you’ll like this taste (we enjoy it) you can always skip the garlic powder. (Psst – you can also make air fryer frozen potato skins as a great appetizer!)
• If you can’t fit four potatoes in your air fryer and still have some space around them, better not make them all in one batch – overcrowding the air fryer is not recommended.

We use this air fryer for our recipes and it has been great.

Step by Step Instructions

If you’d like to see the baked potato recipe photos, you can find them in this section. This way you can see exactly how we made ours.

If you’re confident in your baked potato making abilities, skip to the bottom of this post for the detailed recipe card.

First, scrub the potatoes under running water, then pat them dry.

Preheat the air fryer to 385 degrees Fahrenheit.

While you wait for the air fryer to preheat, coat the potatoes in oil (approximately 1/2 teaspoon per potato). Make sure to cover the entire outside of the potato.

Then, rub salt all over the skin. You can also add some garlic powder if you like – just keep in mind that it could darken in the air fryer and taste slightly bitter (We really like garlic, that’s why we usually add some anyways).

Place the oiled and salted whole raw potatoes into the air fryer tray once heated. No need to pierce them with a fork first!

Remember – if you can’t fit all the potatoes in your air fryer comfortably, don’t force it. They need air circulation to get crispy.

Cook the potatoes for approximately 45 minutes or until the insides are soft and the skin is crispy. Test this by inserting a fork into the center of one potato – if it goes through easily, they are done.

The size of the potatoes and your air fryer size can influence cooking time, so this time might vary for you.

Once done, remove the potatoes from the air fryer, cut them open lengthwise (be careful, they are hot), and garnish with butter, sour cream, sliced green onions, chopped chives or parsley, salt/pepper, or other garnishes as desired (e.g. bacon bits).

Storage Tips

The nice thing about air fryer baked potatoes is that you can actually plan to have leftovers.

This is because uneaten baked potatoes store well in a sealed container in the fridge and can be heated again easily (like in the microwave or back in the air fryer).

Just keep in mind that if you reheat the baked potato in the microwave, the skin will not be crispy anymore. If you want crispy skin, we’d recommend reheating it in the air fryer.

What to Serve Air Fryer Baked Potatoes With

You can serve baked potatoes hot with any toppings you want. Common toppings are sour cream, butter, chives, or sliced green onions.

You can take your air fryer baked potato to another level by adding shredded cheese, bacon bits, and even sliced jalapeno peppers!

Keep in mind, air-fried baked potatoes can be a meal on their own… but you can also serve baked potatoes with a form of protein such as beef, pork, tofu, tempeh, and a nice green side salad!

Related Recipes

For more air fryer vegetable recipes, check out these tasty creations for something to try out tonight!

• Air Fryer Mushrooms
• Air Fried Breaded Zucchini Fries
• Air Fryer Eggplant