Is there anything better in life than perfectly cooked air fryer baked potatoes? You know the ones you dream about… beautifully crispy skins that split open to reveal soft and fluffy interiors. Well, dream no longer because here are my top tips and tricks for how to making the perfect air fryer jacket potato. Because life is too short to eat disappointing potatoes.
Why cook baked potatoes in an air fryer?
Now that I have an air fryer for baked potatoes, I never cook them in a traditional oven. The obvious advantage is the time. I like my jacket potatoes to be really well cooked so they would take at least 90 minutes in a traditional oven. But in the air fryer, I can reduce this to 60 minutes for a largish potato.
Also, I often eat jacket potatoes for lunch when working from home and it would be a huge waste of energy to put the oven on just for one potato but with my Ninja Dual, I’m only heating a small space. Sometimes I might throw in a couple of extra potatoes so that I can make air fryer twice baked potatoes later in the day.
Finally, cooking baked potatoes in an air fryer results in that beautifully crispy skin we all want – in a way that I’ve never managed to achieve with a microwave.
The trick to achieving a perfectly cooked jacket potato in an air fryer is all in the preparation. Simply follow these easy steps for how to make an air fryer baked potato and you’ll soon be tucking into a plate of potato-y loveliness!
How to cook baked potatoes in an air fryer
1. Choose the right variety for air fryer potatoes
The journey to potato perfection begins with selecting the right variety of potato. You need one with a low moisture content but a high starch content to get a fluffy but not soggy result. The ones I use most are King Edward or Maris Piper. Russet potatoes are a great choice too but not as common here in the UK. A lot of supermarkets here in the UK sell packs of potatoes labelled as ‘baking potatoes’ and these are a good option. However, they are often very small so if you’re after a whopper of a potato, I find it's better to go to your local greengrocer.
2. Clean and prep
The next step is to thoroughly wash and scrub the potatoes under cold running water to remove any dirt. Pat them dry with a clean tea towel. Next prick the potatoes with a fork several times. This allows the steam to escape during cooking and prevent them from bursting.
3. Add a little oil
A little oil will help achieve the crispy skin on your potato. You can use any kind of oil that is suitable for use in an air fryer. I like to use olive oil (but use the refined type – not extra virgin as you need an oil with a high smoke point). Vegetable oil or avocado oil are also good choices.
Either drizzle a little of your chosen oil on from the bottle or use a spray and then use your hands to rub the oil across the entire potato.
4. Season for success
Seasoning your potato before cooking it has two purposes. Firstly, it adds extra flavour to the skin (which I think is the best part of a baked potato), plus the seasoning helps give the skin extra crunch. I use freshly ground sea salt and black pepper but you could mix in dried herbs like oregano, or spices like paprika for an extra kick.
5. Set the air fryer baked potato time and temperature
It’s important to choose the right temperature and time for your air fryer baked potato. When it comes to heat, you need to set it high enough to create that important crispy skin but not so high that the skin burns before the inside is cooked. For a medium or large sized jacket potato, I set the air fry temperature to 200°C (400°F). For small potatoes, I’d lower this to 190°C (370°F). By the way, I keep my air fryer racks in the bottom of my air fryer draws when baking potatoes so that the air can circulate. I don’t use tin foil – I just pop the potato straight onto the rack.
6. Make sure you cook it for long enough
Of course, potatoes come in a wide variety of sizes so the cook time you need will depend on the size of your potato. One of the main reasons for undercooked potatoes is that they haven't been given enough time in the air fryer. For a medium sized potato, a good starting point is 50 minutes. For a large potato, I start at 60 minutes. Small baking potatoes can be done in just 40 minutes.
I like to turn the potato around half way through the cooking time to help it cook evenly but don’t worry too much if you forget as in my experience, the air fryer does a great job of cooking them evenly anyway.
7. Check your baked potato is ready
To test if your jacket potato is ready, carefully insert a sharp knife into the middle – if it’s ready, it should feel soft all the way through. If you sense hardness, add a few more minutes. Occasionally, I’ve misjudged the doneness and cut right through a potato only to find that it’s not quite soft enough for my liking. When this happens, I just squidge the two halves back together and pop the potato back into the air fryer for a little extra time. It works a treat!
8. Fill and enjoy
Now you’ve got yourself a perfect air fryer baked potato, it’s time to fill with your favourite toppings. I like to begin with a little salt and pepper and a slither of butter (but you can omit the butter for vegan jacket potatoes, or to keep the fat content lower).
When it comes to baked potato toppings, anything goes! The following are all classic options::
Air Fryer Jacket Potato Recipes
Cheese and coleslaw – It’s hard to beat this classic combination of grated cheese and tangy coleslaw. I like to make my own coleslaw using shredded cabbage, carrot and fennel. You can make a lighter coleslaw by using natural yogurt in place of mayonnaise.
Cheese and baked beans – This is a real childhood favourite for me and a winner with my entire family... canned Heinz Baked Beans with grated cheese. YUM!
Tuna mayonnaise and sweetcorn – Another family favourite, just a can of tuna, a can of sweetcorn mixed together. Then add a dollop of mayo and a good squeeze of lemon juice.
Chilli (either a meaty version or a Vegan chilli) – Whenever I make chilli, I always make extra as it’s so versatile and makes a great topping for jacket potatoes.
Bolognaise – Got leftover bolognaise? Spoon it onto your baked potato for a hearty meal.
Prawns in a Marie Rose sauce – This topping always feels so indulgent, I like to add a good squeeze of lemon and lots of black pepper.
Cottage cheese – A healthier option for baked potatoes that makes a great alternative to regular cheeses. I like to add pineapple chunks to my cottage cheese for extra flavour. But with or without the pineapple, lots of black pepper is essential with cottage cheese!
Coronation chicken – Usually served as a sandwich filling or with salads, coronation chicken was invented in the UK to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. I’m not sure if it’s as well-known in other parts of the world but either way, it makes a great filling for jacket potatoes.
For something different, check out this air fryer sweet potatoes recipe
Yes! If you’ve got left over baked potatoes, you can store them in the fridge to reheat later. To reheat just pop into the air fryer basket and cook for around 10-15 minutes at 190°C (370°F) or until they are hot in the middle and crispy on the outside.
There’s no need to put an air fryer baked potato in foil to cook it. I always cook mine directly in the air fryer without using foil and this results in perfectly crispy potatoes every time.
If you want to keep your potato warm after cooking, you could wrap it in foil until you’re ready to serve but the skin might not stay as crispy.
Cooking baked potatoes in the air fryer is definitely quicker than using a traditional oven, however they do still take a bit of time to get perfect results. I always allow an hour as a starting point for a medium or large potato. If you’re in a hurry, you could microwave to start the cooking process and then finish them off in the air fryer.
If you are in a hurry then, using the microwave before air frying your baked potato is a great option. Start by cooking the potato in the microwave for 5-10 minutes, depending on the size. Then add a little oil and seasoning before cooking the potato in the air fryer for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the skin. I personally don’t use this method because I don’t own a microwave, but I know others find it a useful way to microwave before air frying baked potatoes.
Troubleshooting:
If your air fryer jacket potato isn’t living up to expectations, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Uneven cooking - Ensure your potatoes are of similar size to promote even cooking.
- Skin too soft - If the skin isn't crispy enough, try brushing more olive oil and increasing the cooking time slightly.
- Bursting skin - Pricking the potatoes before cooking helps release steam, preventing the skin from bursting.
- Undercooked interior - If the interior is undercooked, extend the cooking time until the fork easily pierces through.
- Overcooked exterior - If the skin is getting too brown too quickly, reduce the cooking time or lower the temperature slightly.
What toppings do you love to eat with your air fryer baked potatoes? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
Air Fryer Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Baking Potato (Russet, King Edward or Maris Piper varities all work well)
- Olive oil (avocado oil or vegetable oil are also suitable)
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Wash and scrub the potato under cold running water to remove any dirt. Pat it dry with a clean tea towel. Next prick the potato with a fork several times.
- Drizzle a little of your chosen oil onto the potato from the bottle or use a spray and then use your hands to rub the oil across the entire potato.
- Grind sea salt and black pepper over the potato.
- Air fry your potato at 200°C (400°F) for 50 minutes (a larger potato may need an extra 10 minutes). Use a sharp knife to check that it is soft all the way through before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
What's your favorite filling for air fryer baked potatoes? let me know by leaving a ⭐star rating and a comment below. I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for visiting!
Jenny
What toppings do you love on your air fryer baked potatoes? Let me know in the comments below!