Looking for an easy side dish to add to your dinner plate this week? Well, don’t overlook these simple, no-fuss, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes. Baked potatoes are a classic comfort food that’s budget-friendly and easy to customize with your favorite toppings. And I absolutely love cooking them in the air fryer. The potato skins get nice and crispy thanks to the air fryer and the potato flesh on the inside is perfectly soft & fluffy. Keep things simple with a little bit of butter, salt, and pepper or try out some of our favorite topping ideas listed below!
Which is Faster: Oven or Air Fryer?
You may be wondering which cooking method is faster for baking potatoes, the oven or the air fryer? From my experience the air fryer is just a little bit faster than the oven, about 10 minutes faster, depending on how soft you like your potatoes to be. But here are some other great benefits to baking potatoes in the air fryer:
- Using the air fryer to bake potatoes keeps you from heating up your entire kitchen with a super hot oven.
- I also noticed the potato skin was crispier in the air fryer compared to the oven. And who doesn’t love a crispy potato skin!
- If you’re making multiple dishes for dinner, it frees up your oven to cook other things.
- And I was surprised to notice that the potato flesh on the inside was a lot fluffier and softer compared to the inside of an oven-baked potato.
Because of the super fluffy potato texture and the slightly shorter cook time, this is now my new favorite way to cook easy baked potatoes!😊
How Long To Cook Potatoes In The Air Fryer?
The cook times for air fryer baked potatoes will depend on the size of your potatoes and how tender you would like them to be. I like for my potatoes to be very tender and easily pierced with a fork or knife with no resistance. When air frying at 400°F, a ½ pound potato will take about 40-45 minutes for a soft inside texture. Larger potatoes will take slightly longer to cook.
Should I Wrap My Potato In Foil?
There’s actually no need to wrap your potatoes in foil when cooking them in the air fryer. You can simply air fry the potatoes uncovered, brushed with oil, and sprinkled with salt to get a nice crispy skin.
Baked Potato Topping Ideas
I was tempted to stuff these potatoes similar to my twice baked potatoes that I loveee, but I said to myself, “let me not get too carried away!” But just know if you wanted to take a few extra minutes to make some air fryer bacon while your potatoes are cooling off…you won’t regret it! Here are a few more great options to choose from:
- Sour cream
- Green onions or chives
- Cheddar cheese
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken
- Broccoli and Cheddar cheese
- Homemade Chili with shredded cheddar
- Shredded chicken and BBQ sauce
- Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Servings 4Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes (1/2 lb. each) ($2.96)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.12)
- 1 pinch of salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- Wash and dry the potatoes well, then use a fork to prick each potato several times.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes, then use your hands or a silicone brush to brush the oil over each potato until it is fully coated. Season the potatoes with a pinch of salt.
- Place the potatoes inside the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400°F for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork or knife. Total baking time will depend on the size of your potatoes.
- Once the potatoes are done air frying, remove them from the air fryer basket and allow them to cool slightly. Carefully cut the potatoes open, fluff the inside with a fork, and add your favorite toppings!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Nutrition
How to Make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes – Step by Step Photos
Wash and dry four 1/2 lb. russet potatoes well, then use a fork to prick each potato several times to allow steam to evaporate while they cook.
Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over the potatoes, then use your hands or a silicone brush to brush the oil over each potato until it is fully coated. Season the potatoes with a pinch of salt.
Place the potatoes inside the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400°F for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork or knife.
The fork should slide easily into the center of the potato with no resistance. Total baking time will depend on the size of your potatoes.
Once the potatoes are done air frying, remove them from the air fryer basket and allow them to cool slightly. Carefully cut the potatoes open, fluff the inside with a fork, and add your favorite toppings!
Enjoy as a simple side dish or load it up with some homemade chili, BBQ chicken, or your favorite protein. The combinations you can come up with are endless for baked potatoes, so get creative and have fun!
So perfect. Game-changer. Thank you Marsha!
Microwave them for 6 min and you’ll be able to airfry for only 20 instead of 45.
Bingo!
Beat me to it…also slice the whole potato length wise on top rather than just poke a fork etc.
20 minutes away from the softest, fluffy baked potato you’re ever going to eat 😁
Air fry recipes
I’ve been doing potatoes this way for a year now–absolutely wonderful use for an air fryer. And NEVER wrap in foil–steamed potatoes instead of baked. Another great article, Marsha. Thanks for your wonderful tips and recipes.