How to Make Baked Potatoes in the Air Fryer (Easy Recipes)

The air fryer makes the best baked potatoes of any method — crispy, salted skin on the outside, cloud-fluffy insides, and no need to heat your whole oven for an hour. Below are 3 easy air fryer baked potato recipes: a perfect classic, a fully loaded twice-baked version, and a caramelized sweet potato. Every time and temperature below comes from a published, tested recipe so you can dial in your exact model.

In this post:

1. Classic Air Fryer Baked Potato
2. Air Fryer Twice-Baked Potatoes (Loaded)
3. Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato

Plus: Tips for the Best Results · FAQ · More Air Fryer Recipes

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1. Classic Air Fryer Baked Potato

 Photo credit: Natasha’s Kitchen — natashaskitchen.com

The master recipe. Crackly, seasoned skin, steaming fluffy middle — better than oven-baked and roughly 20 minutes faster.

• Ingredients (per potato):
  • 1 medium russet or Idaho potato (~7 oz)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp kosher salt, plus pepper
  • Toppings: butter, sour cream, chives, shredded cheese, bacon bits
• Method:
  1. Scrub potatoes dry, then pierce all over with a fork (this lets steam escape).
  2. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt.
  3. Air fry until the potatoes are tender when pierced — flipping halfway for even skin. Allrecipes
  4. Split open, fluff the insides with a fork, and load with toppings.
• Temp/Time: 400°F (200°C) for 35–45 minutes, flipping halfway — a 7-oz russet takes about 35–40 minutes; time varies by size Natasha’s Kitchen · Skinnytaste · A Pinch of Healthy
• Doneness check: The internal temperature should reach 205–210°F (96–99°C) for that fully fluffy, fork-tender middle — larger potatoes closer to 40–50 minutes. Allrecipes

2. Air Fryer Twice-Baked Potatoes (Loaded)

 Photo credit: The Candid Cooks — thecandidcooks.com

Crispy potato shells whipped with cheese and bacon, then air-fried again until bubbly and golden. The ultimate side dish or starter.

• Ingredients (4 halves):
  • 2 medium russet potatoes
  • 2 tbsp butter + ¼ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar, ¼ cup crumbled cooked bacon
  • 2 sliced green onions, salt and pepper
  • Optional: extra cheddar and bacon for the top
• Method:
  1. First bake: rub potatoes with oil and salt; air fry whole at 400°F until tender. Stay Snatched
  2. Halve the potatoes lengthwise; scoop the insides into a bowl, keeping the shells intact.
  3. Mash the flesh with butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon, and green onion; pile back into the shells.
  4. Second bake: return to the air fryer until the tops are bubbly and lightly golden. Tastes of Homemade
• Temp/Time: First bake: 400°F (200°C) for ~40 minutes · Second bake: 350°F (175°C) for 12–15 minutes until golden and heated through Stay Snatched · Tastes of Homemade · Domestic Superhero
• Tip: Make-ahead win — stuff the shells, refrigerate up to 2 days, then do the second bake straight from the fridge (add 2–3 minutes).

3. Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato

 Photo credit: This Healthy Kitchen — thishealthykitchen.com

Caramelized, syrupy skins and pudding-soft flesh — the air fryer’s concentrated heat makes sweet potatoes sweeter than oven baking.

• Ingredients (per potato):
  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • ½ tsp olive oil
  • Pinch of salt
  • Toppings: butter, cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, Greek yogurt, or chili crisp for savory
• Method:
  1. Scrub and dry the sweet potato; pierce several times with a fork.
  2. Rub lightly with oil and salt (skip salt for dessert-style).
  3. Air fry until completely tender when squeezed with a towel or pierced with a knife. Vegetable Recipes
• Temp/Time: 370°F (190°C) for 35–45 minutes Skinnytaste — or 390°F for 30–35 minutes Jessica in the Kitchen; larger sweet potatoes can take up to 45 minutes at 400°F Vegetable Recipes
• Tip: Choose potatoes of similar size and shape so they finish at the same time — a fat one next to a skinny one means one is raw while the other overcooks.

Tips for the Best Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

• Pick the right potato. Russets (starchy, high-dry-matter) give the fluffiest classic bakes; sweet potatoes caramelize beautifully on their own.
• Same-size potatoes, same basket. Uniform sizing is the single biggest fix for uneven doneness.
• Pierce, always. Trapped steam can split the skin — or worse, make a potato explode mid-cook.
• Oil + salt the skin before cooking, not after — the seasoning needs the oil to stick and the skin to crisp.
• Flip halfway. Air fryers cook from the top; a flip gives you even, all-around crisp skin. Natasha’s Kitchen
• Rest 5 minutes before serving. The interior finishes steaming and turns extra fluffy.
• No preheating panic: most recipes above go into a preheated fryer; if yours doesn’t preheat, simply add 3–5 minutes and use a probe or knife to confirm doneness.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to bake a potato in the air fryer? A medium 7-oz russet takes about 35–40 minutes at 400°F; larger potatoes run 40–50 minutes, and times vary by model — always finish by tenderness, not the clock. Skinnytaste

What temperature should a baked potato be inside? Around 205–210°F (96–99°C) internally for a fully fluffy interior — an instant-read thermometer is the most reliable doneness check.

Do I need to wrap the potato in foil? No — foil traps steam and blocks the circulating air, which is what makes air fryer skin so crispy. For soft, steamed skins (like restaurant-style), you can wrap, but crisp-skin fans should skip it.

Can I bake sweet potatoes and russets together? You can, but pull the sweet potato earlier — most sweet potatoes finish at 30–40 minutes while a comparable russet may need closer to 40–45.

Can I reheat baked potatoes in the air fryer? Yes — halve them and air fry at 350°F for 4–5 minutes; they re-crisp far better than in the microwave.