Crispy Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

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Making Baked Potatoes in an air fryer is so simple! The best part is that they come out perfectly light and flakey on the inside with extra crispy skin on the outside.

close up of two air fryed baked potatoes topped with vegan sour cream on white plate

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes are absolutely amazing, and I can’t believe it took me so long to hear about them. If you already have an air fryer, it’s time to give these a try. Consider this your wake up call. Seriously!

Most air fryer recipes call for you to rub the potatoes in oil before cooking, but we know that from a heart-healthy standpoint, oil is not good for you.

Thankfully, there are a few options for coating the potatoes before they are cooked that do not involve oil at all, and they help the potato to achieve a nice crispy skin.

close up of baked potatoes with forkful of potato

You’ll love air-fried baked potatoes because they’re

  • Tender & flakey on the outside
  • Crispy on the outside
  • Super simple to make
  • Filling and delicious
two baked potatoes topped with salt, spices, and fresh parsley

How to make baked potatoes in an air fryer

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

You’ll want to start by choosing a couple of potatoes approximately the same size so the cooking time should be similar for both.

Wash and scrub the potatoes, and then poke a few holes in them with a fork or knife to allow the steam to escape.

large russett potatoes coated with vegan mayo

Coating the potatoes

Most recipes require you to rub the potatoes in oil, but we want to avoid oil. I have found that coating them with my 5-Minute Low-Fat Mayo is a terrific option.

Another great option would be to rub them with avocado. Not avocado oil but rather the actual avocado.

The coating will help crisp up the skin while cooking, and it will also allow the salt to stick to the outside. You don’t have to salt yours, but I do love that salty crispy potato skin flavor.

The skin of a potato is loaded with fiber and other nutrients, so I love to get that added nutritional advantage with my baked potatoes.

baking potatoes in air fryer basket

Place the potatoes in your air fryer basket and set the temperature to 400°F for 30 minutes. My air fryer only goes up to 30-minutes, so at the end of that, I check them and if they are not soft enough for a fork to pierce easily, I add an additional 10 minutes.

Once they are cooked, allow them to cool for a few minutes. When they can be safely handled with an oven mitt or dishtowel, slice them open.

persons hand wrapped around sliced baked potato

Many years ago, a friend that worked at a restaurant showed me how to press in on the ends of freshly baked potatoes to cause the flesh to break up and soften.

Season them and serve warm.

two air fryed baked potatoes topped with vegan sour cream and parsley

Baked Potato Topping Ideas

The toppings are where people usually go wrong with potatoes because the potatoes themselves are actually very healthy. These are some of my favorite toppings.

Your Air Fryer Baked Potato Questions Answered

  • Q: Do I need to soak the potatoes before cooking? No, I never soak my potatoes.
  • Q: What kind of potatoes should I use? I like to use russet potatoes, but you could probably use any type preferred.
  • Q: Are air fryer potatoes healthy? Absolutely! It’s the toppings people traditionally put on them like butter, regular sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits that turn this healthy food into something unhealthy.
  • Q: Do I have to poke holes in my potatoes before cooking? I highly recommend it to keep them from possibly exploding.
overhead shot of 2 baked potatoes in colorful blue and green plates with fork

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

close up of two air fryed baked potatoes topped with vegan sour cream on white plate
4.70 from 10 votes

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

Making baked potatoes in an air fryer is so simple!! The best part is that they come out perfectly light and flakey on the inside with extra crispy skin on the outside.
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 32 minutes
Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients 

Instructions

  • You’ll want to start by choosing a couple of potatoes approximately the same size so the cooking time should be similar for both.
  • Wash and scrub the potatoes, and then poke a few holes in them with a fork or knife to allow the steam to escape.
  • Most recipes require you to rub the potatoes in oil, but we want to avoid oil. I have found that coating them with my 5-Minute Low-Fat Mayo is a terrific option. Another great option would be to rub them with avocado. Not avocado oil but rather the actual avocado.
  • Place the potatoes in your air fryer basket and set the temperature to 400°F for 30 minutes. My air fryer only goes up to 30-minutes, so at the end of that, I check them and if they are not soft enough for a fork to pierce easily, I add an additional 10 minutes.
  • Once they are cooked, allow them to cool for a few minutes. When they can be safely handled with an oven mitt or dishtowel, slice them open.
  • Season them and serve warm. I’ve included lots of topping options in the article above.

Video

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
Your Air Fryer Baked Potato Questions Answered
  1. Q: Do I need to soak the potatoes before cooking? No, I never soak my potatoes.
  2. Q: What kind of potatoes should I use? I like to use russet potatoes, but you could probably use any type preferred.
  3. Q: Are air fryer potatoes healthy? Absolutely! It’s the toppings people traditionally put on them like butter, regular sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits that turn this healthy food into something unhealthy.
  4. Q: Do I have to poke holes in my potatoes before cooking? I highly recommend it to keep them from possibly exploding.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 4g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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2 Comments

  1. It took this baked potato post to finally tip me over to getting an air fryer!
    Very good, baked 35 min., perfect fluffy inside; skin not as crisp as I had hoped but I’ll play with that. Yours is the first recipe I’ve seen for air-fryer baked potatoes – well done!!
    Made vegan sour cream, vegan cheez sauce, and fat-free brown gravy.
    Great toppings! This will be dinner frequently – we are Idahoans and LOVE our big fluffy russets!
    I’m a long time follower of yours, from your beginning – thank you for many years of delicious plant-based eating!!

    1. Candice- What an awesome comment to wake up to this morning! Thank you for the great feedback, and I love that you have tried so many of my recipes. LOVE this more than I can express! ♥♥

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