It’s So Fluffy
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 2 potatoes
Fluffy on the inside and crispy and salty on the outside, it’s hard to deny the delicious comfort of a good baked potato. But cooking one—in the oven, at least—requires a bit of planning and foresight since it can take up to an hour to do so the traditional way.
Enter: the air fryer. The popular appliance not only cooks an exceptional baked potato in less time than the oven, but you don’t need to heat up a large appliance.
Less Time, More Crunch
Most potatoes still take about 40 minutes in the air fryer, which is by no means «quick.» But 20 minutes adds up when you’re trying to get dinner on the table quickly. In addition to taking less time, the air fryer also crisps the skin so much better than the oven. This recipe calls for rubbing the skin with olive oil and salt for amazing flavor and crunch. You will want to eat the outside as much as the inside, trust us.
To Poke or Not to Poke
We typically pierce potatoes before baking them in the oven, which allows steam to escape, and you can do so here, but it's not necessary. The convection circulation helps evenly cook the potato and crisp up the skin even without any holes.
Tips for the Best Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- 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.
- 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.
Do I Need to Wrap the Potatoes in Foil?
No! Wrapping the potatoes in foil will actually prevent them from crisping up, which is the main point of air frying these spuds. If you're looking for crunchy skin, cook the potatoes unwrapped.
Baking Potato Toppings: The Possibilities Are Endless
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.
Serve the potatoes with a simple pat of butter or classic toppings like sour cream, chopped chives, cheese, and bacon bits—it all truly depends on what you like. Just make sure to add a generous pinch of salt and pepper no matter what you do.
«This recipe was so easy and resulted in perfect baked potatoes. I made sure to clean the skin thoroughly and rub each potato with an ample amount of oil and salt and they really did come out beautifully crisp. The inside was nice and fluffy too, making it a perfect canvas for toppings. I used shredded cheddar cheese, pancetta bits, scallions and sour cream since that’s what I had in the fridge and they were a huge hit with kids and adults alike.»—Patty Lee
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
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 chopped parsley, optional garnish
-
1 ounce cheddar cheese, optional garnish
-
2 slices bacon, crumbled, optional garnish
Steps to Make It
-
Gather the ingredients.
-
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.
-
Drizzle the potatoes with the oil and rub the oil all over. Sprinkle them with salt on all sides.
-
Place them in the air fryer basket and air fry at 400 F for 35 to 40 minutes.
-
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.
-
Carefully remove the potatoes from the air fryer. Slice them open and top with butter, sour cream, herbs, cheese, or bacon bits.
Tips
- 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.
| 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. | |
