Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

Air fryer baked potatoes have flavorful crispy skins, tender fluffy middles, and are so easy to make. Whether you’re using a drawer-style air fryer or a toaster oven air fryer, we’ve got you covered! 

Baked potato topped with Greek yogurt and fresh chives.

If you’re anything like us, you love potatoes. From classic toaster oven baked potatoes to roasted sweet potato rounds, we want to eat them all. 

Today we’re sharing how to make baked potatoes in an air fryer because having more ways to cook up some tasty spuds is never a bad thing!

Russet potatoes, bottle of oil, and ramekin of salt on a cutting board.

Ingredient Notes

Potatoes: Russet potatoes make the best baked potatoes. They have a higher starch content which is why their dry flesh turns delightfully fluffy once baked. 

Oil: Rubbing the skins of the potatoes with a little oil helps them to crisp up. We like to use olive oil or avocado oil but any vegetable oil (that you like the flavor of) will work.

Salt: Kosher salt, sea salt, table salt…use what you’ve got on hand to season those skins. And feel free to sprinkle on a little pepper too!  

Step By Step Instructions 

1. First, preheat the air fryer at 400°F for about 5 minutes while you get the potatoes ready.

Overhead view of oiled potatoes in an air fryer basket.

2. Scrub and dry the potatoes well, then pierce each one a few times all over with a fork. This will let some of the moisture and steam escape during cooking. Then, rub them with a light coating of oil and season generously with salt.

3. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket so they are spaced out and not touching (otherwise the skins won’t crisp up).  

4. Cook for 20 minutes. Then, remove the basket and carefully flip the hot potatoes using tongs.  

Seasoned potatoes cooking inside an air fryer toaster oven.

5. Continue cooking until the potatoes feel soft when squeezed in the middle and a paring knife or fork can easily be inserted into the center. About 10 to 25 minutes more depending on the size of the potatoes. 

Potato Cooking Times

For us, smaller 6-ounce potatoes took about 30 to 35 minutes to cook through while larger 9-ounce potatoes took about 45 to 50 minutes total. *If you have an instant-read thermometer, 205°F is the ideal internal temperature according to America’s Test Kitchen. 

Cooked potatoes on pan with text for weights and cooking times.

6. Once ready, transfer the hot potatoes to a plate and slice each one lengthwise down the center (watch out for steam). Fluff the flesh with a fork, season with more salt and pepper, and add your favorite toppings.

Reviving Soggy Skins 

As the potatoes sit the skins will soften. To quickly re-crisp them before serving, press the split potato halves back together (it’s okay if the potato is not entirely closed) and air fry again at 400°F for 4 to 5 minutes. 

Toaster Oven Air Fryer Tips

While cooking a whole potato in an air fryer toaster oven takes about the same amount of time there are a few adjustments you might want to make.

Baked potatoes cooking on a rack inside a toaster oven.

Lower The Temperature. For our ovens, lowering the temperature to 375°F helped to keep the potatoes from over-browning before they could cook through the center. If your oven runs hot or the air fry setting is really intense, you may have better results with an even lower temperature like 350°F. 

Use a Pan To Catch Drips. The little holes in an air fry basket make it great for circulating heated air around the food and crisping it up. But if you’re cooking something that might drip (like oily potatoes) and don’t have a pan underneath the basket there is the potential for things to get messy. 

One of our air fryers is designed in a way that makes it difficult to use a pan with the basket. To bake potatoes, I like to swap the basket for my trusty quarter sheet pan/wire rack combo. The potatoes bake up nicely without leaving a mess behind to clean up!

Closeup up of a fluffy baked potato on a blue plate.

More Tasty Reasons to Love Potatoes 

Baked potato topped with Greek yogurt and fresh chives.

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

Yield: 2 Baked Potatoes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

The steady convection heating of an air fryer results in baked potatoes with crisped flavorful skins and tender fluffy middles every time. We like to top ours with Greek yogurt and chives but feel free to use your favorite fixins!

Ingredients

  • 2 (7-ounce) Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and dried well
  • 1 teaspoon Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, or Vegetable Oil
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes.
  2. Pierce each potato a few times all over with a fork to release steam during cooking. Rub with a light coating of oil and season generously with salt.
  3. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket so they are spaced out and not touching.
  4. Add the basket to the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes.
  5. Carefully flip the hot potatoes using tongs.
  6. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, can easily be pierced in the middle with a paring knife or fork, and reach between 200 to 210°F. About 15 to 25 minutes or more depending on the size of the potatoes. (see notes)
  7. Cut each potato open lengthwise down the middle (watch out for steam). Fluff the insides with a fork, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Notes

Air Fryer Toaster Oven Instructions: Use the AIR FRY setting and reduce the temperature to 375°F. The cooking time should remain the same but every oven is different so adjust the time as needed.

Estimated Potato Cooking Times
6-ounce: 30 to 35 minutes
7-ounce: 35 to 40 minutes
8-ounce: 40 to 45 minutes
9-ounce: 45 to 50 minutes

Crispier Skins: The potato skins will soften as they cool. For really crispy skins, put the cooled and fluffed potatoes back in the air fryer at 400°F for 4 to 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 Baked Potato (7 ounces)
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 2.5gSaturated Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 159mgCarbohydrates: 31.2gFiber: 4.8gSugar: 2.3gProtein: 3.3g
which ONE is better?

Air Fryer vs Air Fryer Toaster Oven

We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to find the right style for you!

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2 Comments

  1. Greetings! I live where I park, in a camper, (ok; wherever my high voltage lineman’s next job is) and got an Emeril 360XL last April. I’ve been adjusting my recipes, using it more, & save on propane. I’ve Googled enough for air fryer pot types, & wing it from there. THANK YOU for adding the oven-type instructions! My picky husband LOVED the “to the recipe” potatoes. Crispy skins were perfect, with delicious insides. Amazingly, he didn’t bury it with sour cream. Tonight, they’re topped with leftover broccoli & cheese sauce. I’ll definitely check in periodically, for guidance. Thanks again!

    1. Ooh, that is fantastic to hear, Happy Camper! love your name btw 🙂

      Sometimes you wonder if the extra info is helpful, so thank you for taking the time to comment. For any air fryer recipe, we’ll always test it in both types of appliances and include notes. Though it sounds like you’ve been doing great winging it!

      Happy Cooking,
      ~ Brie