Air Fryer Baked Potato

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Skip heating the oven (and your kitchen) to cook these potatoes, then top each one off with a pat of butter, dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle of chives for an easy side.

Air Fryer Baked Potato
Photo:

Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Julian Hensaring / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless

Active Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Servings:
4

Oven-baked potatoes is a tried-and-true method for cooking soft, pillowy spuds. They’re delicious but they could be even better. That’s where the air fryer comes in. This popular countertop appliance helps cook baked potatoes with a crispy, crackly skin and fluffy interior flesh. Plus, it’s a brilliant cooking method when you are short on oven space. This staple side dish pairs well with seared steak, glazed pork chops, or pot roast. Or top one off with shredded chicken, melted cheese, and beans for a complete hearty meal that’s fit for taco night. If you don’t already own one of these appliances, we tested over 50 models to find the best air fryers

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is it faster to bake a potato in the oven or air fryer?

    Our recipe for air fryer baked potatoes calls for about 55 minutes of cook time, which is about the same length of time as the traditional oven method. Cooking baked potatoes in an air fryer doesn’t necessarily save time, but it does save oven space, and the time it takes to heat up a traditional oven. Keep this method in your back pocket when you’re cooking a feast and short on oven space, or when you don’t want to heat up your kitchen just to cook baked potatoes.

  • Should I wrap potatoes in foil to bake?

    Wrapping potatoes in aluminum foil is a tried-and-true trick for ensuring that they are evenly cooked through, keeping spuds hot once they come out of a traditional oven. But in an air fryer, it’s best to keep the potatoes unwrapped; they develop crispy, crackling potato skins that are unbeatable.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

We recommend using russet potatoes for traditional baked potatoes, thanks to their low moisture, high-starch content. When baked, the interior gets fluffy rather than tacky. The skins also get crispy on the outside, which makes for a lovely textural contrast. Rub the potatoes in olive oil and sprinkle them with salt to encourage crisping.

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Ingredients

  • 4 (8-ounce) russet potatoes, scrubbed and patted dry

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt

  • Butter and sour cream for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.

  2. Prick the potatoes with a fork all over. Rub olive oil onto potatoes and season with salt.

  3. Place potatoes in the air fryer basket and cook for 30 minutes. Flip potatoes over and cook for another 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender and skins are crispy. Remove potatoes from the air fryer, and serve with butter and sour cream if desired.

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