CRISPY Air Fryer Baked Potato - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

Last updated on March 7, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

This Air Fryer Baked Potato recipe is incredibly crispy on the outside, fluffy and creamy on the inside, and couldn’t be easier! Simply seasoned and perfect for your favorite toppings.

New to the air fryer? Check out my Best Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners!

All right, here’s the truth.

Baked potatoes aren’t really something I crave. Give me these Roasted Potatoes, give me a big bowl of these Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, give me the entire pan of these Scalloped Potatoes instead.

Baked potatoes?

They just never seemed very special, until I made them in the Air Fryer.

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes have a few things going for them: they are super easy and mostly hands off (no watching or flipping or stressing).

They have the crispiest skin of any baked potatoes I’ve ever eaten, with a perfectly fluffy interior to match.

See Also

Chocolate Cherry Espresso Pots (Gluten Free) | Rebel RecipesRoast tomato, Crushed Potato and Pesto Salad | Rebel RecipesCreamy Celeriac, Roast Garlic and Mushroom Carbonara | Rebel RecipesApple Crisp Blondies - The Recipe Rebel

Pop it open and drop a dollop of salted butter inside with some cheese and crispy bacon?

Heaven. Especially when they’re served with this JUICY Air Fryer Chicken Breast, topped with some Crockpot Shredded Chicken and barbecue sauce, or with a pile of this Instant Pot Whole Chicken.

Let me show you how to make them!

No Air Fryer? Check out my oven Baked Potato recipe.

How to make an Air Fryer Baked Potato:

1. Start with russet potatoes — they are the must-have potato for classic baked potatoes, but other potatoes cooked in this fashion will still be delicious.
2. Wash and dry potatoes thoroughly — potatoes need a good scrub before you consume them, but things that are wet don’t crisp up. So we need to wash them well and then dry them thoroughly with a towel.
3. Oil and season — while water won’t brown, oil is going to give us that incredibly crispy golden skin that cracks when we slice it. Rub the potatoes all over with canola oil (it has a high smoke point) or olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat your air fryer if needed — I always set mine to temperature for about 5-8 minutes before I want to put the food in so it goes in hot. We don’t want our food to sit in limbo while the air fryer heats up.
5. Cook — put the potatoes in the air fryer basket, slide it in and cook for about 40 minutes. The exact cook time will depend on the size of your potatoes, but the great thing about the air fryer is that you can pull the basket out and check earlier if your potatoes are small, or you can turn it on for another 5-10 minutes if you find they’re not quite done.

Should I wrap my baked potatoes in foil?

No!

Wrapping potatoes creates a steamy environment and the best part of an Air Fryer Baked Potato is that crispy skin.

Skip the foil, and save yourself a few extra minutes of prep, too!

Do I need to prick my potatoes before air frying?

It’s up to you.

When the steam in the potatoes tries to escape, it can cause your potatoes to “explode” or burst a hole out the side.

I don’t, and I haven’t had issues with mine exploding.

That being said, it’s an easy thing to do and won’t change your finished results, so if you are worried about it, you can definitely grab a fork and poke a hole into each one.

Is it faster to bake a potato in the oven or air fryer?

The air fryer is much faster! This is one thing I love about my air fryer — it’s quicker to preheat and it cooks much more quickly, too!

While making a baked potato in the oven can take an hour or longer, these air fryer baked potatoes take just about 40-45 minutes.

How to reheat Air Fryer Baked Potatoes:

I prefer reheating these air fryer potatoes the same way I cooked them — in the air fryer!

This will only take about 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees F, depending on how hot and crispy you want them. I recommend drying any condensation on a paper towel before reheating.

How do I know when a baked potato is cooked through?

The easiest way to check is with a sharp knife — it should slide in and out smoothly and pretty easily if it is cooked.

What can I do with leftover baked potatoes?

There are so many things! Use them to make this Breakfast Potatoes for a weekend breakfast, or chop them up and use them in this Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole.

You can also stir them into this easy Potato Soup recipe, Ham and Potato Soup or Crockpot Potato Soup — simply leave out the potatoes until the end.

Baked Potato Toppings:

• shredded cheddar cheese or another favorite cheese
• sliced green onions
• salted butter
• crispy cooked bacon
• sour cream
• Minced fresh onions
• Chives and other fresh, chopped herbs
• Prepared tomato salsa
• Queso
• Steamed broccoli
• Crispy fried onions
• Prepared chili

Other things to serve with Air Fryer Baked Potatoes:

If your air fryer potatoes are a side dish, here are a few ideas for a main:

• Perfect Roast Chicken — throw it in the oven while your potatoes cook!
• Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs — for a quick-prep meal
• Italian Beef — tender, juicy and full of flavor!
• Roasted Pork Tenderloin — cooked to perfection