Easy & Delicious Air Fryer Baked Potato Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is baked potato better in the oven or air fryer? ›

Crispy outside and fluffy inside, an air fryer baked potato is the BEST way to cook potatoes. Faster than the oven and perfect for toppings!

Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Rub potatoes with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley. Place potatoes in the air fryer basket. Cook in the preheated air fryer until potatoes are soft, 40 to 50 minutes, depending on potato size.

While it may seem like a pain, soaking the potatoes in hot water for 10 minutes prior to cooking them in the air fryer is essential. The water removes excess starch, allowing the fries to be their crispiest. Instead of soaking them in large bowl of cold water, I like to use hot water to cook the potatoes slightly.

If you're consistently stumped with why your potatoes aren't crisping up, there's a good chance that you're overfilling your air fryer. There's a reason people say “less is more”. Overfilling your air fryer can stop the air from circulating properly and can cause the potatoes to cook unevenly.

Spray each potato with a few spritzes of oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange in the basket, and air fry 400F until a knife can easily be inserted into the center of each potato, about 35 to 40 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time.

The great news about air fryers is that you can use foil along with parchment paper to cook your food in an air fryer. Just remember that if it's safe and effective to use in a conventional oven, it will work just fine in an air fryer.

You do not need to peel them, just wash and dry them. Add potatoes to a mixing bowl and toss with olive oil. Once fully coated, add spices and lemon juice. Place potatoes in an air fryer liner or in the basket of your air fryer (this may need to be done in batches).

Cook in the Air Fryer on 400 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes, until fork tender. (Note: I used tongs to rotate mine after about 25 minutes, as they were getting pretty brown on top.)

To ensure your chips are crispy, be sure to completely dry your potatoes before you start cooking. Also, make sure you rinse them long enough for crispy air fryer potato chips.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

What happens if you don't wash potatoes before frying? ›

A: First let's talk about why cut potatoes need to be immersed in water to begin with. The reason is to prevent the potatoes exposure to air, which causes dehydration, oxidation, and discoloration. Immersing cut potatoes will also help rinse off excess starch.

If you line the basket with foil you're preventing the air from circulating over the bottom; foods won't cook as speedily and the bottom may be soggier. Cook directly on the basket when you can for best results and to avoid wasting foil.

Air fryers work by circulating hot air, which originates at the bottom of the fryer. Lining it with foil can constrict the air flow and your food won't cook properly. If you are going to use aluminum foil in an air fryer, use a small amount in the bottom of the basket, making sure not to cover the food.

Inconsistent cooking

As air fryers produce intense blasts of heat and circulate this heat rapidly, they can cook your food in record time and add that perfect crisp texture to foods like chips. But as the heat is so intense, an air fryer also has the potential to over-crisp or burn your food.

The reaction that happens when you fry potatoes or other starchy foods makes the chemical acrylamide, which research links to greater chances of getting cancer. One study shows that air frying lowers the amount of acrylamide in fried potatoes by 90%.

“Air frying is a healthier option because it essentially eliminates added oils,” confirms registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD.