These air fryer baked potatoes use minimal ingredients and have a perfectly crackly skin that’s crusted with salt, and a light and fluffy center that will blend well with your favorite toppings. They’re perfect every single time! It’s a quick method that won’t disappoint.

Why did I post a recipe for baked potatoes? First off, these air fryer baked potatoes are incredibly convenient and simply the best I’ve ever had.

And second, my life has been a disaster for the last two months, and this is what I could manage. ;)

If you’re ready to save time and keep cool, you have to try these air fryer baked potatoes.

Basic Ingredients:

Russet potatoes – they’re the best for baked potatoes!
Olive oil or – or whatever oil you’d like (butter isn’t recommended)
Kosher salt – or regular salt if that’s what you have
Garlic powder or granulated garlic – or whatever seasoning you’d like

What potatoes should I use?

To get the best results, you’re looking for the starchiest potato to ensure a crispy exterior with a soft and tender, flaky interior.

Russets are a great choice, and Yukon Gold potatoes would do well, but you want to stay away from red potatoes or thin fingerlings. They can become mushy rather than fluffy.

What oil should I use?

Adding oil to the exterior adds a lot of flavor. I like olive oil, but you can use any neutral-tasting oil suitable for use in an air fryer.

If you use high-quality olive oil or avocado oil, you have added to the nutritional value.

If what you have is vegetable oil or peanut oil, by all means, use what you have.

I wouldn’t use butter because the smoking point of butter is around 300 °F (150 °C), so save the butter to cream up the inside once it’s done.

Why use an air fryer?

Honestly, it makes cooking so much easier and quicker without heating the house. If you try it, I can almost guarantee you’ll never want to use a microwave or oven again for your baked potatoes.

It’s so convenient and energy-efficient that it only makes sense to use an air fryer, especially during the hot summer months.

If you don’t have an air fryer, just follow the same directions, but bake them in the oven.

They’re also great for making small-batch desserts like these Air Fryer Brownies and Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies.

What air fryer did you use?

The air fryer you see in the photos is the Ninja Max XL Air Fryer.

I also have a Ninja SP101 Foodi 8-in-1 Digital Air Fry, which I absolutely love, but it’s not ideal for fitting the really gigantic, often individually packaged baked potatoes.

Why use salt on the outside?

Supposedly, adding salt to the outside allows the salt to absorb the moisture from the potato while baking, resulting in a dry and fluffy potato. Plus, the salt seasons the potato with that amazing salty crunch.

Common mistakes to avoid

Buy the right potato. A big ol’ russet is perfect.

Don’t overcrowd the potatoes in the air fryer. The air needs to circulate around the potatoes for them to cook evenly. Like with any air fryer recipe, don’t stuff the basket.

Always use a fork to pierce the potato several times to prevent it from exploding and causing a huge mess that will be difficult to clean. Give yourself a break and poke them before baking them. Maybe it hasn’t happened to you yet, but you don’t want to push your luck.

If you have big potatoes, turn them over halfway to ensure they cook evenly.

You know the potatoes are done when the fork pierces all the way through. If not, continue to cook it for a few more minutes.

Don’t add cold toppings to a hot potato; it just kills the mood. Instead, prep your cheese, let the butter and sour cream stand at room temperature while you bake the potatoes. It will all melt so much nicer this way.

Should I eat the skin?

This isn’t so easy to answer. The russet potato skin has more nutrition than the interior of the potato. Plus, it has loads of fiber! And that salty, crunchy seasoning on the skin is just amazing.

However, from another perspective, potatoes contain certain anti-nutrients, such as lectins and glycoalkaloids, which are primarily concentrated in the skin. But it’s a small amount. If you’re interested in learning more, read Are Potatoes Paleo?

Health benefits

Potatoes:

Are high in fiber
Are rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants
Have a good amount of B6, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium

If you crave baked potatoes, your body might be telling you something. Or, if you’re like me, you may just be craving carbs and potatoes because they’re so delicious. ;)

Craving carbs could be a sign that the body is lacking tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is necessary to produce serotonin.

Serotonin helps digestion and sleep cycles. It also helps regulate moods.

So if you’re cranky and have a hankering for a potato, listen to your body, and get your air fryer ready.

Do I need aluminum foil?

Even though you can use aluminum foil in an air fryer (or at least, some air fryers), it doesn’t mean you should. In fact, we should reconsider the use of foil to bake potatoes altogether.

The potato is composed of approximately 80% water. Using foil traps the moisture around the potato, resulting in a soggy, wet potato.

Also, you can’t see the potato if it is wrapped in foil, so you could overcook the potato and have a slightly burnt taste to your spud.

Additionally, it’s an unnecessary extra step and expense that yields inferior results.

I want you to have the best baked potato, so I’m recommending you do away with the foil, even if you use a conventional oven.

Additionally, there’s some controversy over whether foil should be used in cooking and baking at all. “The recommendation is to avoid cooking things in or on aluminum foil at really high temperatures (400 °F / 205 °C or above) and to avoid wrapping acidic foods in aluminum foil for long periods of time.” (source: Verywell)

Do I have to poke holes in the potato?

Because potatoes are largely made of water, poking holes in the skin allows steam to escape. The skin of the potato acts as a pressure valve, and if you don’t let the vapor escape, pressure builds up and boom – you have an ugly mess on your hands.

Will it happen every time you forget to poke holes in the potato? No, but there’s no need to take the risk. Believe me, one potato explodes just one time, and you’ll never make that mistake again.

Although an explosion is most likely to happen in a microwave, it can also occur in the oven. To be safe, save your precious time for another deep cleaning project and give those potatoes a couple of jabs.

Can I make them ahead of time?

Baked potatoes are best served hot out of the ”oven,” but if you want to make some extra for a quick lunch during the week, you can store pre-cooked potatoes in the fridge.

The best way to get the crispiness back is to put them in the air fryer and reheat at 400℉ for a few minutes until warmed.

Let’s talk about toppings!

Traditionally simple: butter, salt and pepper with a little chopped chives is always a winner.

The potato bar: whether you’re having a gathering or a sit-down family dinner, putting a variety of toppings for everyone to build their own ensures everyone’s potato is a favorite.

Some common items in addition to the traditional toppings could be grated cheese, broccoli, crunchy bacon, black beans, spicy chili, sour cream, red onions, jalapenos or diced tomatoes.

Be bold, you never know when your kid will add that fabulously green broccoli to their potato and decide theirs is the best. ;)

For the meat lovers

This Kid-friendly Chili can top off a potato nicely. Plus, it has hidden vegetables that they will never notice! ;)

If you have a weekend gathering and end up with leftover Buffalo Chicken Dip, use it as an amazingly cheesy topping later in the week.

This Slow Cooked Pulled Pork would be terrific on top of a creamy potato or served as a side sandwich for an incredible meal.

Vegan

If you’re looking for an outstanding vegan option, this post has some strong suggestions → Three Favorite Spreads to use as Potato Toppings.

Vegetarian

This list of 14 vegetarian toppings is colorful → Vegetarian Toppings for Baked Potatoes.

I’m quite plain and go with cheese and sour cream / Greek yogurt and chives. Using Greek yogurt or sour cream as a topping makes these potatoes extra-creamy, tangy and super delicious.

Yogurt and sour cream are naturally gluten-free, but if you’re gluten-free, make sure there aren’t any funky additives.

Daisy brand sour cream is gluten-free and a popular choice in the United States. If you prefer Greek yogurt, Stonyfield Farm yogurt or Fage Greek yogurt are terrific options. It’s interesting to note that all flavors of Fage are certified gluten-free, as well as, Vokos yogurt.

What to serve with these baked potatoes?

These Turkey Burgers are a terrific option to serve alongside a baked potato.
These Chicken Leg Quarters are a terrifically tasty and fabulously easy dinner that pairs well with baked potatoes.
If you stoke up your smoker, this Smoked Corned Beef Brisket is great with a hot baked potato for a totally satisfying weekend meal.
These Swedish Meatballs use ricotta instead of breadcrumbs, so they’re gluten-free and just as delicious as you can imagine.
Need a fabulous dinner roll? These Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls are terrific and have a dairy-free option.
To get the most vibrant broccoli for that baked potato, here is a guide for everything you need to know about Blanched Broccoli.