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Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

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These Air Fryer Baked Potatoes are the quickest way to get fluffy baked potatoes with delicious crisp skin. Cook them in the microwave before crisping them to perfection in your air fryer.

Using your microwave & air fryer to bake potatoes

I think what most of us want from our baked potatoes is a fluffy centre with deliciously crisp skin. Well, those of us that want to eat the skin that is!

Cooking baked potatoes in the microwave is commonly known to be the quickest way to cook them. The only downside to microwaved baked potatoes is that the skin is soft.

This is where the air fryer comes in! Twenty minutes in the air fryer and you have the perfect baked potato.

why use an air fryer instead of an oven?

Air fryers cook food quicker than a standard convection oven which is great for saving energy and pennies but also for busy families that want to be able to make food quickly.

Another advantage is that air fryers are smaller than ovens so you’re not heating up a full-sized oven but instead a smaller air fryer. This means you’re using less energy because you’re heating up a smaller appliance as well as the food cooking quicker.

Using the combination of a microwave and air fryer to bake potatoes is more cost effective than using an oven or air fryer alone. It is also a lot quicker so it really is a no brainer!

Which potatoes are best to use for baked potatoes?

I do tend to buy potatoes sold as baking potatoes for ease. However if you are looking for specific varieties I would opt for Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes.

These varieties are known for their fluffy interior which is ideal for baked potatoes.

If you are in the US, I would recommend looking for russet potatoes.

which oil and salt is best to use?

It is personal preference which oil and salt you use for your baked potatoes – or whether you use them at all! I often don’t use either when I am air frying the potatoes and they are still delicious.

My oil of choice for air fryer cooking in general is vegetable or sunflower oil in a spray bottle. Most large supermarkets sell this and it is really handy. However this is not Frylight and I would definitely not recommend using this in your air fryer or on anything non stick.

You can brush your potatoes with oil but I’m lazy and feel like using a spray oil is easier. You also use less oil this way.

My salt of choice is nearly always sea salt flakes. However they don’t seem to stick too well when I use the spray oil and most of it slides off. So instead I use standard table salt on my baked potatoes.

If you are brushing your potatoes with oil, sea salt flakes might stick better. So it is completely down to personal preference which you use.

How long to microwave the potatoes for?

By mostly cooking the potatoes through in the microwave, it reduces the time they need to be air fried for. There are a few things to consider when microwaving potatoes:

  • How many potatoes are you microwaving?
  • How big are your potatoes?
  • What wattage is your microwave?

I usually cook two potatoes that are roughly 300g at the same time in my 900w microwave. This takes 10 minutes. But obviously this might vary for you depending on the factors above.

The more potatoes you microwave at once will increase the time you need to cook them for. And obviously how big they are can alter the cooking time too.

But don’t panic, the more you experiment the quicker you will find out what works for you. You will know when your potatoes are done when you can easily insert a sharp knife.

how long do the potatoes take in the air fryer?

How long your baked potatoes take in the air fryer is mostly down to personal preference of how crisp you like them to be.

I think they are at a good level of crispness after 20 minutes, but if you like them really crispy I would leave them to cook for 25 minutes.

If you air fryer requires preheating then your potatoes are likely to crisp up slightly quicker than the time stated above. I have a Ninja 7-in-1 multicooker and I have never preheated mine.

How many baked potatoes can you cook at once?

How many potatoes you can cook at once depends mainly on the size of your microwave and air fryer. I could probably fit six medium potatoes in my microwave, but I definitely couldn’t fit that many in my air fryer.

You don’t want to overcrowd your air fryer because then the potatoes won’t crisp up as quickly because the air can’t circulate.

I have a 3.7L capacity air fryer that can fit three large potatoes or four medium potatoes. If you have a larger basket or a dual basket air fryer you may be able to cook more at once.

what to serve with these air fryer baked potatoes

Baked potatoes make a delicious meal in their own right, but they also are a great side dish.

I like nothing more than a baked potato loaded with toppings. Some classic favourites are beans and cheese and tuna mayonnaise. Simple but absolutely delicious.

My Vegan Lentil Chilli, Skinny Slow Cooker Turkey Chilli and Chilli Con Carne would all make delicious toppings too.

I also love serving stews and casseroles like my Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole and Slow Cooker Pork & Mustard Stew with a nice crisp baked potato.

other recipes you might like

  • Simple Air Fryer Roast Potatoes
  • Air Fryer Potato Peel Crisps
  • Air Fryer Parmentier Potatoes
  • Roasted New Potatoes
  • Air Fryer Potato Recipes

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5 from 8 votes
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Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

These Air Fryer Baked Potatoes are the quickest way to get fluffy baked potatoes with delicious crisp skin. Cook them in the microwave before crisping them to perfection in your air fryer.

Course Main Course
Cuisine International
Keyword Potato, Air Fryer
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 268 kcal
Author Curly

Ingredients

  • 2 potatoes (approx 300g each)
  • vegetable oil spray
  • ¼ tsp table salt

Instructions

  1. Prick 2 potatoes with a fork. Cook them in the microwave for 10 minutes or until a sharp knife inserts easily

  2. Preheat your air fryer if required

  3. Place the potatoes in your air fryer basket. Spray with vegetable oil and sprinkle ¼ tsp table salt over them

  4. Air fry at 200°C for 20 minutes or until they are your desired level of crispness

Recipe Notes

I use an air fryer with a 3.7L basket. 

Cooking time may vary depending on your microwave and air fryer.

Nutritional information is given as a guide only and may vary. 

Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 268
% Daily Value*
Sodium 291mg13%
Potassium 1mg0%
Calcium 1mg0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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16 Comments

Previous Post: « Air Fryer Sausages
Next Post: Air Fryer Parmesan Tenderstem Broccoli »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sheila says

    January 20, 2023 at 3:41 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve tried doing this and it’s my go to method for jacket potatoes. Microwave gets them soft inside and air fryer crisps up the outside to perfection. Saves time and energy cost.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 22, 2023 at 2:35 pm

      So pleased you like it 🙂 Definitely the best way I think!

      Reply
  2. Janice says

    January 22, 2023 at 12:34 pm

    5 stars
    I love air fryer baked potatoes. Using the microwave first is a great tip.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 22, 2023 at 2:36 pm

      Thanks Janice 🙂

      Reply
  3. Chloe says

    January 22, 2023 at 2:28 pm

    5 stars
    I do this all the time now, I’m too lazy to oven cook them so I just microwaved and put up with the soggy skin – now I give them a quick air fry and they’re much more delicious!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 22, 2023 at 2:32 pm

      You never have to put up with soggy skin again Chloe!

      Reply
  4. Melissa says

    June 4, 2023 at 8:10 am

    I’m trying these tonight!! I’ll let you know how they turn out!! Bacon, coleslaw, cheese and garlic butter

    Reply
    • Curly says

      July 13, 2023 at 11:54 am

      That sounds delicious Melissa! Hope you liked them!

      Reply
  5. Paul says

    June 5, 2023 at 5:43 pm

    5 stars
    I’m learning to cook for therapy and this has been so helpful. My mom bought me an air fryer and it’s helping me to eat more healthily, too.

    Love your site.

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      July 13, 2023 at 11:51 am

      That’s such a lovely comment Paul. I’m really pleased you’re finding it helpful and I hope you’re finding lots of delicious recipes to cook.

      Reply
  6. Ann says

    January 3, 2024 at 1:20 pm

    5 stars
    Have you frozen the baked potatoes after cooking them?

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 6, 2024 at 8:27 pm

      Hi Ann, I haven’t but you can buy frozen baked potatoes so I’m sure you can. I wouldn’t freeze them for longer than maybe 1 month though and make sure to wrap them really well once they’re fully cold.

      Reply
  7. Becky says

    November 21, 2024 at 5:00 pm

    5 stars
    I looked in my ninja dual zone 9.5l cook book and it states to bake the potato for 50-55 many minutes . Yet they were like bullets. Tried this version and vhwola perfection. Thank you

    Reply
  8. Lyre says

    February 6, 2025 at 6:47 pm

    Thanks for all the ideas.

    A very minor comment. The length of time in the microwave depends on the wattage rather than the voltage. (Happy to have this comment deleted if you decide to make the change to the text)

    Looking forward to trying the recipe!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      February 10, 2025 at 5:05 pm

      Thanks Lyre, I’ve updated the post. Definitely not my strong point so always grateful for help!

      Reply
  9. Kerry says

    February 23, 2025 at 5:27 pm

    5 stars
    We used to do them straight in the air fryer and they would be very crispy so I seen this way and tried today and it was amazing thank you

    Reply
5 from 8 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Hi, I'm Cat aka Curly. I'm a home cook that likes nothing better than a day in the kitchen baking and cooking. Whether its sweet or savoury, in my mind food is always the answer. Meet Curly

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