When cooler weather arrives, it’s time to swap grilling for heartier fare. Baked potatoes are a cold-season favorite; uncomplicated, filling and reliably delicious. The downside? The lengthy oven time required. Enter your air fryer.
This appliance produces beautifully crispy skins and tender, fluffy centers in far less time, all without heating up your entire kitchen. Whether you’re preparing a quick Tuesday night meal or tackling a festive holiday dinner, these air fryer baked potatoes consistently deliver.
Some cooks — including this one — jump-start the process in the microwave before transferring potatoes to the air fryer for a hybrid approach that combines speed with texture. Once you’ve tried this method, traditional oven-baking will feel like ancient history.
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My 12-Minute Baked Potato Recipe
A microwave and an air fryer will give you the best baked potato of your life.
What you need
- One russet potato
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
- A microwave
- An air fryer
- Kosher salt for serving
Directions
- Step 1: Poke 10 to 12 air holes in the potato using a fork and salt liberally.
- Step 2: Microwave the potato on high for 8 to 10 minutes or until it’s fork-tender and cooked through.
- Step 3: Slice the potato halfway through and toss with melted butter or olive oil. You can also stuff the potato with cheese or bacon bits.
- Step 4: Air fry on high, skin side up, for 2 minutes.
- Step 5: Flip and cook for another two minutes until desired crispiness is achieved. (If topping with cheese, veggies or bacon, cook skin side down only.)
Feel free to stuff or top the potato to your heart’s content.
For more tips, see my list of the seven foods I’ll only air fry from now on, and learn the best way to reheat every kind of leftovers.
