Air Fryer Baked Potato Recipe

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/25/22
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 The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 2 potatoes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
350 Calories
7g Fat
64g Carbs
8g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 350
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2157mg 94%
Total Carbohydrate 64g 23%
Dietary Fiber 7g 25%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 25mg 124%
Calcium 55mg 4%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 1645mg 35%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Air fryer baked potatoes are incredibly fluffy on the inside and crispy and salty on the outside. They cook in less time than the oven, and you don’t need to heat up a large appliance.

Most potatoes take about 40 minutes in the air fryer instead of the usual hour in the oven. While the 20 minutes may not seem like that much, it can add up when you're trying to get dinner on the table quickly. The air fryer also crisps the skin so much better than the oven. We rubbed the outside with olive oil and salt for amazing flavor and crunch. You will want to eat the outside as much as the inside.

Serve the potatoes with some sour cream, chopped chives, or other herbs, butter, cheese, bacon bits—the possibilities are endless. Just make sure to add a generous pinch of salt and pepper no matter what you do.

This recipe isn’t so much a recipe as it is a method. It's one that you can use over and over again with different toppings and quantities. 

Ingredients

  • 2 large russet potatoes

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt

  • 1 tablespoon chopped scallions, optional garnish

  • 1 tablespoon butter, optional garnish

  • 2 tablespoons sour cream, optional garnish

  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives, optional garnish

  • 1 tablespoon choppedparsley, optional garnish

  • 1 ounce cheddar cheese, optional garnish

  • 2 slices bacon, crumbled, optional garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    air-fryer-baked-potato-4777826-01
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  2. Scrub the potatoes and wash them very thoroughly. Dry them well with paper towels. The dryer they are the better the skins will crisp since they are frying instead of steaming. 

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     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  3. Drizzle the potatoes with the oil and rub the oil all over. Sprinkle them with salt on all sides. 

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     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  4. Place them in the air fryer basket and air fry at 400 F for 35 to 40 minutes. 

  5. You will know they are done when the internal temperature reaches 205 F. You can test it with a meat thermometer. You can also just insert a fork, and if it goes in easily, it’s most likely done. The outside will be deep brown and crisp.

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     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  6. Carefully remove the potatoes from the air fryer. Slice them open and top with butter, sour cream, herbs, cheese, or bacon bits. 

Tips

  • Make sure to carefully scrub the skins of the potatoes to remove all dirt and residue. The potatoes are prepared in a way that you will want to eat the skins, so make sure they are super clean.
  • Dry the potatoes properly so that they crisp instead of steam.
  • Russet potatoes are the best baking potatoes due to their high starch content. They will be the fluffiest and lightest and are great at absorbing all of you favorite decadent toppings. 
  • Leftover baked potatoes can be used to make gnocchi, fill pierogi, or make potato pancakes. 

Recipe Variations

  • If you are cooking more potatoes at a time, they can take a few more minutes to cook. You can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature to make sure they are cooked through.