These air fryer baked potatoes are so perfect as they’re fluffy and buttery from the inside, with crispy golden skin. Make them in the air fryer, and you’ll never want to make them in the oven again!

A close up image of air fryer sliced open and fluffed baked potato on a white plate and a fork.

When baked potatoes are done right, they can make the best lunch or dinner that the whole family can enjoy. I always baked my potatoes in the oven, until about a year ago when I thought why not try and make them in the air fryer. They turned out so perfect that I never made them in the oven again!

Here’s why I love air fryer baked potatoes:

The skin turns out golden, crispy and just perfect!
The potatoes turn out so tender, fluffy and buttery.
Making baked potatoes in the air fryer means that I won’t need to wrap in foil, or wash any baking trays. The only thing that I’ll need to clean is the air fryer basket!
You won’t need to preheat the oven, and the air fryer is much more energy-efficient.
The potatoes take less time in the Air Fryer to bake than in the oven.
Using an air fryer is much more convenient than using an oven!

Table of Contents

Which Potato Variety Is Best for Baking?

The best potatoes for baking are sweet and starchy potatoes such as Russets, King Edwards and Maris Piper. They turn out so fluffy and the skin crisps very well. All-purpose potatoes are also starchy and suitable for baking, such as Yukon golds and Roosters.

How to Make Baked Potatoes in the Air Fryer?

Wash and scrub your potatoes, and pat them dry.
Then either use cooking spray and lightly spray the potatoes from all sides. Or, rub some oil all over the potatoes and place them in the frying basket.

Four raw potatoes in an air fryer basket.

Make sure that your air fryer basket is not too crowded. My air fryer is quite big and could fit about 4-5 medium potatoes at once.
Set the air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for 30 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the potatoes, if the skin is browned and crispy then using tongs or a fork carefully flip them on the other side and continue cooking.
After 30 minutes, using a knife or a fork to check if the potatoes are baked and soft. If not, then set the timer to 10 more minutes to cook further.

Four golden baked potatoes in the air fryer basket.

When the air frying is done, the potatoes will be quite hot so allow them to cool down for 5 minutes or so before taking them out.
Once the baked potatoes are cooled down, take them out and enjoy with a piece of butter (I use sunflower butter) or with your favorite filling!

Sliced open air fryer baked potato with its inside fluffed and seasoned with sea salt served on a white plate with a fork. Along with another golden backed potato.

Pro Tips to Get the Perfectly Baked Potatoes in the Air Fryer

Don’t forget the oil! This will help the skin crisp up, and make sure that you’re using oil with high smoking point such as canola oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and avocado oil.
If you overcrowd your air fryer, then your potatoes might not crisp well. So always make sure that there’s at least 1 inch between the potatoes.
If your potatoes are quite large, then you might need more time for them to be perfectly baked. After 30 minutes of air frying, check the potatoes with a fork or a knife and see if you need to cook them for longer.
If you like eating crispy potato skins (I do!), you can add flavorings after spraying the oil. Season with sea salt flakes, ground black pepper, dried garlic, dried onion, smoked paprika, you name it!

Baked Potato Topping Ideas

You can either enjoy your air fryer baked potatoes plain with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes (these are my absolute favorite!), and a small piece of butter.
OR, you can load your baked potatoes with your favorite toppings! Such as sauted mushrooms, butter, mayo, cheese, beans…
In the picture below, I topped mine with a cherry tomato pico de gallo and smashed avocado.

Air Fryer baked potato topped with tomato salad and smashed avocado on a white plate and a wooden cutting board.

What to Serve These Air Fryer Baked Potatoes With?

If you’re looking for more potato recipes, then try these Air Fryer roasted potatoes, and these smothered potatoes are absolutely AMAZING!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 4 votes

(Click stars to rate!)