Easy Air Fryer Baked Potato

air fryer baked potato with sour cream, green onion, bacon, cheese

5 from 1 vote

The BEST side dish or quick meal: Air Fryer Baked Potato! Crispy skin with perfectly fluffy insides. The Air Fryer delivers the perfect baked potato, in less time! So easy to make and faster than an oven. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy.

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Course: Side

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Air Fryer, Baked, potato, Potatoes

Servings:

Calories: 461kcal

Author: Lis Lam

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

2 Russet Potatoes
1 tsp oil *extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, cooking oil, or spray oil all work well
salt and pepper

Toppings:

2 Tbsp butter *divided
2 Tbsp sour cream or plain greek yogurt *divided
2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled *divided
1 green onion or chives, minced *divided
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated *divided

Instructions

Prep potatoes. Wash russet potatoes with cold water. Using a fork, poke holes in the potatoes so they don't explode while baking. Add a little bit of oil. Add a few generous pinches of salt and cranks of freshly ground black pepper. Using your hands, rub the potatoes all over with the oil, salt, and black pepper.
Bake potatoes. Place potatoes in a preheated Air Fryer. Bake at 380F for 40 minutes, depending on size. *If they are smaller, bake for 30-35 minutes. If they are larger, you may need 45+ minutes. Make sure to flip the potatoes halfway for even cooking.
*NOTE: Potatoes are fully cooked when they are tender and appear to have shrunk into their papery skins. Press the potato gently -- the potato should "give" slightly and feel soft and tender. Or, use a knife -- it should slide in easily.
Rest. When the potatoes are done baking, rest the potatoes. Keep them in the Air Fryer, undisturbed, for 5-10 minutes. An optional step that creates a meltingly soft and fluffy texture. Doing so gives the potatoes extra time to steam inside their jackets.
Add toppings. Using a sharp knife, cut into the potato lengthwise. Squish the potato slightly -- the insides should collapse a little. Season the inside with salt and pepper. Add a generous pat of butter. Add cheddar cheese and heat for 30 seconds in the microwave until melted and gooey. Add a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle of green onion, and top with crumbled bacon.
Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Tips:

- Wash potatoes. Potatoes are root vegetables and quite dusty and dirty. Make sure to wash the potatoes well. Pat dry with a kitchen towel to ensure crispy skin.

- Prep toppings. While the potatoes bake, prep the toppings. Grate the cheese, cook the bacon, and finely mince the green onion or chives.

- Adjust cook time for smaller potatoes. Smaller potatoes don't take as long to cook. Smaller potatoes (8-10 ounces) can take as little as 30 minutes. Larger ones (14 ounces) will take 40-45 minutes. *Cook time will vary depending on the Air Fryer.

- Small vs Large Potatoes. Although a large baked potato is visually pleasing to the eye, I actually prefer smaller ones. In fact, I'd rather eat two smaller baked potatoes versus one large one. A smaller potato holds more toppings!

Nutrition