• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe

Mindy's Cooking Obsession

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About Me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Air Fryer

    Air Fryer Baked Potato

    by Mindy Boyd · Published: Sep 6, 2023 · Updated: Oct 14, 2024

    Share by text, email, or on social!
    89Pinterest14FacebookEmailRedditXSMSFlipboardBluesky
    103
    SHARES
    Pinterest Hidden Image
    ⏲️ 37 minutes mins
    Jump to Recipe

    You are going to absolutely love air fryer baked potatoes! Cooking potatoes in the air fryer is going to be your new favorite way to make them. The end result is a perfect baked potato with crispy skin and fluffy insides. All in a fraction of the time it takes to bake them in the conventional oven. 

    The best part is that you (and I) can actually make baked potatoes on a week night if we are air frying them. You just start them first thing and then make a meaty main dish and healthy vegetable side dish while they cook. Or you can use a large potatoes and have them as a meal, they will cook in the amount of time it takes to get your other ingredients prepared.

    A baked potato topped with butter, sour cream and green onions with the recipe title is at the top in text.
    Jump to:
    • What you will love about this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How many baked potatoes can be air fried at one time?
    • How long does it take for a potato to get soft in the air fryer?
    • Do you have to pierce a potato before baking it in the air fryer?
    • How to make air fryer potatoes
    • Tips
    • How do you know when potatoes are done in an air fryer?
    • Popular potato toppings
    • Delicious toppings for a baked potato main dish
    • More air fryer recipes
    • Air Fryer Baked Potato
    A plate with one baked potato, a dish with a stick of butter, salt and pepper shakers on a table.

    What you will love about this recipe

    • Baked potatoes make the perfect side dish or entree. 
    • Air frying is the best way to make baked potatoes in less time. 
    • No aluminum foil is needed.

    Ingredients

    See recipe card for the amounts we use.

    Four potatoes, a small bowl of canola oil and a small bowl of kosher salt on a white background.

    Ingredient Notes

    Just 3 simple ingredients are all you need to make this great side dish or main dish.  

    Potatoes – Russet potatoes make the best baked potatoes. We haven’t used any other type of potato for this. Other kinds of potatoes can be air fried (like sweet potatoes and red potatoes), and depending on their size will have a similar cooking time.

    Canola Oil –  you can use avocado oil, light olive oil, vegetable oil or peanut oil. Just make sure the oil has a smoke point of at least 400°. Health Stand Nutrition has a great chart you can look at to see if the type of oil you want to use has a high smoke point. 

    Salt – we like coarse kosher salt, you can use sea salt or regular table salt. 

    A plain baked potato cut in half lengthwise.

    How many baked potatoes can be air fried at one time?

    This depends on how big the basket is in your particular air fryer model. For best results you don’t want the potatoes too close together. We can easily fit 4, even 5 or 6 in ours and it is a La Gourmet 7.2 quart air fryer. 

    How long does it take for a potato to get soft in the air fryer?

    This depends on the size of the potatoes, generally it takes between 30 and 50 minutes. 

    Do you have to pierce a potato before baking it in the air fryer?

    It depends on who you listen to. Poking holes in the potato does allow the steam to escape. I have forgotten to pierce the potatoes when I baked them in the regular oven and they didn’t explode like I have read they will. From what I could find researching this it is possible that the skin will pop or on rare occasions it will explode. But like I said, I have never had that happen. 

    A baked potato topped with butter and sour cream on a white plate.

    How to make air fryer potatoes

    1. Scrub potatoes under cold water and dry with a paper towel. 
    2. Pierce each potato several times with a fork. I usually poke them on all 4 sides and on each end. 
    3. Brush each potato with a little oil and sprinkle with salt.
    4. Place potatoes in the air fryer basket in a single layer making sure that there is a little room in between each potato.
    5. Air fry at 400° for 30-40 minutes or until a fork goes into the potato easily. 
    6. Top potatoes with your favorite toppings. 
    Side by side images of four potatoes in the air fryer basket, before and after being air fried.

    Tips

    • Use tongs to get the potatoes out of the air fryer basket. 
    • We use small to medium potatoes for a side dish and large potatoes for a main course. 
    • Potato size makes a difference in the cooking time. Start checking potatoes for doneness at around 30 minutes for smaller potatoes and 40 minutes for larger potatoes. 

    How do you know when potatoes are done in an air fryer?

    A fork should go into the potato easily with no resistance. If potatoes still seem hard when you poke them with a fork then cook them in 3-5 minute intervals, depending on how easily the fork goes in. Because different sized potatoes have slightly different cook times you will have to do this every single time you make them. 

    Overhead shot of a baked potato topped with butter, sour cream and green onions on a white plate.

    Popular potato toppings

    • Butter (of course!)
    • Sour Cream
    • Cheddar Cheese
    • Chives
    • Green Onions 
    • Bacon Bits
    • Ranch Dressing

    Did I leave out your favorite topping? If I did let me know in the comments.

    Delicious toppings for a baked potato main dish

    • Chili and cheese 
    • Smoked meat, cheese, and barbecue sauce
    • Diced chicken, broccoli and cheese
    • Taco meat and toppings
    • Buffalo chicken and ranch dressing
    Side view of an air fryer baked potato topped with butter, sour cream and green onions.

    More air fryer recipes

    Three Ingredient Cube Steak

    Country Style Ribs

    Sliced Potatoes

    Brats

    Seasoned Potatoes & Onions

    Very close up overhead angle of a baked potato topped with butter, sour cream and green onions.

    Air Fryer Baked Potato

    Mindy Boyd
    Quick and Easy Air Fryer Baked Potatoes make the perfect easy side dish or entree in a fraction of the time as making them in the conventional oven. All you need are three basic ingredients.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print – Email Required Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 2 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 37 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 baked potatoes

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 Russet potatoes about 7-9 ounces each
    • 2 tsp canola oil
    • 1 tsp coarse salt or to taste
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    I earn a small commission from Instacart for qualifying purchases.

    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Scrub potatoes under cold water and dry with a paper towel. 
    • Pierce each potato several times with a fork. I usually poke them on all 4 sides and on each end. 
      4 Russet potatoes
    • Brush each potato with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and put in the air fryer basket in a single layer making sure that there is a little room in between each potato.
      2 tsp canola oil, 1 tsp coarse salt
    • Air fry at 400° for 30-40 minutes or until a fork goes into the potato easily. 
    • Top potatoes with your favorite toppings. 

    Notes

    Did you make this recipe? We would love it if you would leave us a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
    Nutritional information is approximate and does not include any toppings.  
    See tips, notes, and suggestions in the post above.
     
    Bookmark this page to find it quickly when you are ready to make this recipe!

    Nutrition Facts

    Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 592mg | Potassium: 888mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was with a comment below.
    Share by text, email, or on social!
    89Pinterest14FacebookEmailRedditXSMSFlipboardBluesky
    103
    SHARES

    More Air Fryer

    • Eight sausage patties in the air fryer basket after being cooked.
      Air Fryer Sausage Patties
    • Feature image of the vegetables in the air fryer basket after they have been air fried.
      Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables
    • Feature image of five cooked boneless chicken thighs in the air fryer basket.
      Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
    • Feature image of a plate with roasted pumpkin seeds in front of the air fryer.
      Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds (+ oven option)

    Reader Interactions

    5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of me sitting at my dining room table.
    Hi, I’m Mindy! Whether I’m cooking for friends and family or sharing recipes with you, I love feeding people. And it doesn’t have to be complicated! Here, you’ll find quick and easy recipes that don’t require a long list of ingredients or take too much time.

    More about me →


    Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Reader Favorites

    • Four cooked cube steaks in the air fryer basket.
      Air Fryer Cube Steak
    • Three potatoes on a sheet pan after they have been baked in the oven without foil.
      Baked Potato Without Foil
    • Several air fried biscuits in a cloth lined basket.
      Air Fryer Canned Biscuits
    • one piece of cake on a white plate.
      Tornado (Do Nothing) Cake
    • Homemade Arby’s Chicken Salad
    • Overhead view of several fried squash rounds on a white plate.
      Southern Fried Yellow Squash

    Popular Pasta Dishes

    • Homemade Tuna Helper Creamy Pasta
    • Feature image showing the skillet full of cooked cheesy chili mac.
      One-Pot Chili Mac
    • Overhead close up shot of a bronze colored pot full of alfredo chicken broccoli pasta.
      Alfredo Chicken Pasta & Broccoli (with jar sauce)
    • Overhead close up of one serving of lemon pasta with peas and ricotta on a white plate.
      Lemon Pasta with Peas & Ricotta
    • A white plate with one serving of hamburger helper on it.
      Hamburger Helper Italian Shells
    • A serving of Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Orzo on a white plate.
      Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Orzo
    • close up view of one pot meaty marinara pasta on a white plate.
      One Pot Meaty Marinara Pasta
    • Cheesy Beef Taco Noodles - ground beef, onion, cheese soup, salsa, corn and Light 'n Fluffy Noodles. Easy to make and on the table in about 25 minutes!
      Cheesy Beef Taco Noodles
    • Overhead view of plate with one serving of homemade hamburger helper cheeseburger macaroni.
      Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni

    Recent Posts

    • Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
    • Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana
    • Pasta with Tuna & Peas
    • Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Brownies
    • Vodka Sauce Baked Ziti
    • Blended Baked Oats (no banana)

    Footer

    Featured on

    The websites I have been featured in, parade, purewow, msn, mashed and brit+co.

    ↑ back to top

    Every recipe on this blog is tested in my own kitchen and written by me, Mindy. I occasionally use AI tools to help with things like editing or brainstorming, but the cooking, photography, and storytelling are all mine.

    Newsletter

    SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EMAIL UPDATES

    CONNECT WITH US!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    FIND IT HERE

    Privacy Policy | Contact

    Copyright © 2025 Mindy's Cooking Obsession

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.