This easy recipe for Air Fryer Baked Potato allows you to make fresh baked potatoes any time of year without heating up your home so you can enjoy them with your grilled steak, chicken, or seafood.

Air Fryer Baked Potato with fork and cheese


 

One of our favorite things to make in the air fryer is definitely this air baked potato recipe. You only need 3 ingredients and you don’t have to heat up your whole house to make them. And unlike making a baked potato in the microwave, this recipe results in spuds with a soft, tender interior and a delightfully crispy exterior.

We both agree that this air fryer is one of the best purchases we ever made. We use it weekly when we’re cooking for our families and it makes so many awesome things from air fryer shrimp or air fryer pork chops to air fryer broccoli and air fryer asparagus.

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Air Fryer Baked Potato in air fryer basket

What You’ll Need

You don’t need much! Air baked potatoes use only three simple ingredients:

  • Russet Potatoes – We use russet potatoes for baking because their skins hold up well when baking. 
  • Olive oil – You can use regular olive oil or extra virgin olive oil. You could also use other oil you have on hand. It generally doesn’t change the taste of the potato much, but it does help to crisp the outside a bit.
  • Salt – just adds a bit of flavor. We use coarse sea salt, but table salt will work in a pinch. You can leave it out if you are on a low sodium diet.
Air Fryer Baked Potato with butter on plate

How to Make It

Prep the potatoes. Really wash and clean the outside of the potatoes well. When they are free of dirt and other debris, dry them off and rub them with the olive oil. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and rub it around so that all sides of the potato are covered.

Preheat and cook. Set your air fryer to 400 degrees and allow it to preheat. Once it is preheated, carefully place the potatoes in the inner basket side-by-side (tongs help with this or use your hands). Cook the potatoes for about 40 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender in the center.

crispy Air Fryer Baked Potato on plate with melted cheese on top
Should I Poke Holes in the Potato Before Baking?

The conventional wisdom is poke holes in your potatoes before you bake them. We decided to do a bit of experimenting here. We didn’t – <gasp> – poke holes in our potatoes with a fork before baking them.

And you know what? They cooked perfectly without piercing the outside. 

But if it makes you feel better to poke some holes, go right ahead. It doesn’t hurt to do it either.

Do Baked Potatoes Cook Faster Wrapped in Foil?

We don’t find that the potatoes cook much faster with foil on them. But we did find that placing them in foil keeps the steam in more as they cook. This results in a softer outer skin.

If you leave the foil off, the potato skin gets a bit crispier. We prefer the skin a bit crispier, but if you like a softer skin, then use foil.

Another advantage of wrapping the potatoes is that it does seem to keep them warmer for longer once they are done cooking. If you plan to have them sit for a period of time, like while your steak finishes cooking, cooking them in foil will keep them warmer longer.

cheesey Air Fryer Baked Potato

How to Store Them

You can store your baked potatoes for up to about 2 to 3 days in an airtight container or wrapped up tight in foil. 

Before storing, allow the potato to cool completely. Place the cool potato in an airtight container or fresh foil. If using foil, make sure to wrap the potato tightly. 

When you are ready to to reheat the potato, slice it open and place about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of butter inside. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes or bake at 350 for 7 to 10 minutes in a traditional oven or until warmed through.

Can You Freeze Baked Potatoes?

Yes! Let the potatoes cool completely. Tightly wrap the cool potato in fresh foil. This is an important step because potatoes have water in them and if they are frozen incorrectly they can get a gritty, watery texture when you reheat them. 

Once wrapped you’ve wrapped them in foil, place them inside a freezer bag and seal it tightly. You can freeze them for 1 to 2 months. 

To reheat the potatoes, you’ll need to let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once they are thawed, slice open the potato and add a small amount of butter. Place the potato microwave and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or in a traditional oven set to 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes or until the potatoes are warmed through.

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Servings: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Air Fryer Baked Potato

This easy recipe for Air Fryer Baked Potato allows you to make fresh baked potatoes any time of year without heating up your home so you can enjoy them with your grilled steak, chicken, or seafood.
Air Fryer Baked Potato with fork and cheese
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Ingredients

  • 2 Russet Potatoes, about 12 ounces each
  • ½ tablespoon Olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
  • Drizzle the oil over the two potatoes and rub it over the skin.
  • Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over each potato coating the outer skin.
  • Place the potatoes in the air fryer side-by-side. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until they are tender enough that a fork pressed into the middle goes in easily.

Nutrition

Serving: 1potato, Calories: 199kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 2336mg, Potassium: 888mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell
Course: Side
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fry baked potatoes, air fryer baked potato
Handwritten signature for Kat & Melinda