Baked potatoes are one of the simplest comfort foods, but the wait can test anyone’s patience. An hour in the oven just to get crisp skin and a fluffy center isn’t always realistic on a busy night. And sometimes you don’t have time to invest in cooking a hot meal that takes so long. That’s where the air fryer steps in.
With the right prep, the air fryer can deliver steakhouse-quality baked potatoes in a fraction of the time. The skins come out crisp, the insides stay light and soft and you don’t have to heat up the entire kitchen to get there. It’s a reliable side dish that works just as well for weeknight dinners as it does for cookouts or holiday dinners.
Some cooks even combine methods, using a microwave to jump-start the cooking process and then finishing things off in the air fryer for that perfect crunch. Once you try it, you’ll see why more people are ditching the old-fashioned oven method.
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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.
