Air-fryer baked potatoes cook at 400°F for 35–45 minutes, flipping once, until the skin is crisp and the center hits 205–210°F.
Baked potatoes in an air fryer feel like a small kitchen cheat: crackly skin, steamy middle, and no long oven wait. The trick is simple heat plus dry skin. Get those two right and the potato does the rest.
This walkthrough gives you a repeatable method, a size-based timing chart, and fixes for the stuff that goes wrong (hard centers, wrinkly skins, bland bites). If you’re cooking dinner on a timer, you’ll also get a quick way to match cook time to potato size.
Air Fryer Baked Potato Time Chart By Size
| Potato Type And Size | Temp | Time Range |
|---|---|---|
| Russet, small (5–6 oz) | 400°F | 28–34 min |
| Russet, medium (7–8 oz) | 400°F | 35–45 min |
| Russet, large (9–10 oz) | 400°F | 45–55 min |
| Russet, jumbo (11–14 oz) | 400°F | 55–70 min |
| Sweet potato, medium (7–9 oz) | 390–400°F | 38–50 min |
| Yukon gold, medium (6–8 oz) | 400°F | 32–42 min |
| Red potato, medium (5–7 oz) | 400°F | 30–40 min |
| Two potatoes, mixed sizes | 400°F | Pull smaller first |
Use the chart as a starting point, then finish by feel and temperature. A baked potato is done when a thin knife slides in with little drag and the center reads 205–210°F on an instant-read thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, use the knife test plus a gentle squeeze with a towel; it should give, not fight back.
For a clean temperature read, slide the thermometer into the thickest part from the side, not straight down through the top. The tip should land near the center. If it reads under 200°F, keep cooking. If it reads 205°F and the knife test feels easy, you’re set.
How To Cook Baked Potatoes In An Air Fryer Step By Step
Pick The Right Potato
For the classic steakhouse-style texture, grab russets. Their starchy interior turns fluffy once it hits full heat. Yukon golds come out creamier. Reds stay a bit waxy, so they’re better when you want a firmer bite.
Try to keep the batch close in size. Even a one-ounce gap can shift finish times, and mixed sizes lead to one perfect potato and one that’s still tight in the center.
Wash, Dry, And Pierce
Rinse the potatoes under running water and scrub off grit. Dry them until the skin feels matte, not damp. Water on the skin makes steam, and steam softens the surface.
Pierce each potato 6–8 times with a fork, spacing the holes around the middle. The holes vent steam and stop blowouts that split the skin.
Oil And Salt For Crisp Skin
Rub the potato with 1–2 teaspoons of oil, then sprinkle with coarse salt. Oil helps browning and gives the salt something to cling to. Coarse salt also adds that little crunch when you bite through the skin.
If you want a lighter finish, use a thin oil coat and skip salt until serving. The skin will still brown, just with a softer snap.
Preheat And Set The Basket
Preheat the air fryer for 3–5 minutes at 400°F. Air fryers vary. Basket units blast heat at the food. Oven-style units need extra minutes. Start checking on time, then add 3–8 minutes total.
Then place the potatoes in a single layer with a little space around each one. Air fryers cook by moving hot air fast, so crowding blocks that airflow.
Most basket air fryers handle two medium russets with room to spare. Four is often too many unless the basket is wide. If the potatoes touch, rotate them during the cook.
Cook, Flip, And Finish With Temperature
Air fry at 400°F, flipping once at the halfway mark. Start checking at the low end of the chart time. Pull the potato when the center hits 205–210°F or when the knife test feels clean.
Let each potato rest for 5 minutes. That short rest evens out heat and makes the center feel more tender.
After the rest, split the potato lengthwise, then pinch the ends toward each other to open the center. That quick squeeze makes the inside fluffy. Run a fork through the flesh, then add butter right away so it melts into the hot potato.
Cooking Baked Potatoes In Your Air Fryer With Consistent Timing
Use Weight To Predict Time
If you have a kitchen scale, it’s the fastest way to nail timing. Small potatoes under 6 oz tend to finish in the low 30-minute range. Medium potatoes around 7–8 oz land near 40 minutes. Once you hit 10 oz and up, plan for close to an hour.
No scale? Use your palm. A potato that fits in your fist usually cooks like a medium. One that fills both hands cooks like a large.
Why 400°F Works So Well
At 400°F, the skin dries and browns while the inside steams itself tender. Lower temps can still cook a potato through, yet the skin often ends up leathery. Higher temps can brown before the center softens.
The Idaho Potato Commission’s Air Fryer Method uses 400°F and notes that finish time shifts with potato size and your machine.
Foil Or No Foil
Skip foil if you want crisp skin. Foil traps moisture and turns the surface soft. Use foil only when you plan to scoop the inside and don’t care about the skin texture.
If you like the skin crisp but want easier cleanup, set a small piece of foil under the basket grate to catch drips. Keep it away from the fan area so it can’t lift and block airflow.
How Many Potatoes Can You Cook At Once
More potatoes mean less airflow and a longer cook. Two medium russets in a 5–6 quart basket usually cook on chart time. Add a third and plan for extra minutes plus one more flip.
If you’re feeding a crowd, cook in batches and hold the finished potatoes on a rack. Then do a quick 3-minute blast at 400°F right before serving to re-crisp the skins.
When The Outside Browns Too Fast
If you see deep browning early, your air fryer runs hot or the potatoes are small. Drop to 385–390°F and cook a bit longer. You’ll still get color, with a gentler path to a soft center.
Also check oil. A heavy coat browns faster. A thin rub is enough for crisp skin.
Seasoning Ideas That Don’t Fight The Potato
Salt First, Spices After
Salt on the skin before cooking boosts flavor in the first bite. For spices, wait until the last 10 minutes or add them after cooking. Many dried spices burn at high heat, especially paprika blends and sugar-based rubs.
If you want garlic flavor, use garlic salt on the skin or stir roasted garlic into the butter after the potato rests.
Stuffing Ideas For A Full Meal
A baked potato turns into dinner with one or two add-ons. Keep the mix simple so the potato still tastes like itself.
- Butter, chives, and black pepper
- Greek yogurt or sour cream, plus shredded cheddar
- Chili, then a pinch of green onion
- Leftover chicken, salsa, and a squeeze of lime
- Beans, corn, and a little grated cheese
How To Store And Reheat Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Cool And Chill Safely
Let baked potatoes cool on the counter for a short window, then refrigerate. The USDA notes that leftovers should not sit out longer than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour if the room is above 90°F). See Leftovers And Food Safety for the time limits.
Store potatoes whole, skin on, in a lidded container. Keeping them whole slows drying. If you’ve already split them, press the halves together before chilling.
Reheat For Crisp Skin And A Hot Center
For one potato, reheat at 375–400°F for 6–10 minutes, flipping once. Start low if the potato is already split and topped, since fillings can brown fast. For a whole cold potato, poke once or twice before reheating so steam can vent.
Microwave reheating works in a pinch, yet it softens the skin. If you microwave first, finish with 3 minutes in the air fryer to bring back the bite.
Freeze Only If You Plan To Mash
Whole baked potatoes can turn grainy after freezing. If you still want to freeze, scoop the flesh, mash with butter, then freeze the mash in portions. Reheat the mash, then load it back into crisped skins if you want the baked potato feel.
Common Problems And Fixes
| What You See | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hard strip in the center | Potato too large for the time | Keep cooking, check every 5 minutes until 205–210°F |
| Wrinkled, soft skin | Skin stayed wet or was foiled | Dry well, skip foil, use a light oil rub |
| Skin splits wide | Not enough pierce holes | Pierce 6–8 times around the middle |
| Outside dark, inside tight | Air fryer runs hot | Cook at 385–390°F and extend time |
| Bland bite | No salt or too little topping | Salt the skin before cooking, finish with butter and a pinch of salt |
| Gummy texture | Potato undercooked | Cook until the knife slides in clean and the center is hot |
| Dry center | Overcooked or held too long | Rest 5 minutes, then serve; add butter or yogurt to moisten |
| Uneven doneness in a batch | Mixed sizes or crowding | Match sizes, leave space, pull smaller first |
A Simple Checklist For Repeatable Results
Use this short list when you want the same potato every time, even with a new air fryer.
- Choose potatoes close in size.
- Scrub, then dry until the skin feels dry to the touch.
- Pierce 6–8 times.
- Rub with a thin coat of oil and sprinkle coarse salt.
- Preheat 3–5 minutes at 400°F.
- Air fry, flip once, and start checking early.
- Pull at 205–210°F in the center, then rest 5 minutes.
- Split, fluff the inside with a fork, then add toppings.
Quick Timing Notes For Your Next Batch
If you’re searching for how to cook baked potatoes in an air fryer and you want a clean plan, start with 40 minutes at 400°F for a medium russet. Check it, then add 5-minute blocks until the center is hot and the knife test feels easy.
For small potatoes, begin at 30 minutes. For large potatoes, begin at 50 minutes. If you cook more than two at once, plan for extra minutes and rotate positions at the flip.
Once you’ve run your air fryer a few times, jot down your “house time” for your go-to potato size. Next time you’ll know it without thinking, and dinner runs smoother.
When you need a fast side that still feels hearty, how to cook baked potatoes in an air fryer is a move worth keeping in your back pocket. Crisp skin, fluffy center, and a topping bar that turns it into a meal.