Air Fryer Potato Skins are an incredibly easy way to make perfectly crispy potato skins at home! Bake your potatoes in advance or use leftover baked potatoes for these fan favorite appetizers that are perfect as a snack, for entertaining, or Super Bowl parties!
If you love tasty air fryer potato recipes, try my easy air fryer french fries!
I think everyone loves crispy baked potato skins, loaded with cheddar cheese and bacon, then topped with sour cream. Right? I mean, potato skins are one of the most popular appetizers ever at restaurants and TGI Friday's even sells them ready to bake in the freezer aisle at like every grocery store and convenience store I know!
That crispiness that restaurants get though, that is what I love about these air fried potato skins. I have baked my homemade loaded potato skins for many, many years now and this version is the best EVER!
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❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!
Great For Guests - You can vary the toppings to make them more individualized.
Better Than The Restaurant Version - Healthier than the restaurants, less oil better ingredients make it so much better for you!
Super Quick - If you do a little prep (ie. have leftover baked potatoes) these only take a few minutes to make!
🥘 Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes - Hands down the best potatoes for potato skins.
- Olive Oil - Optional, coating the outside potato skin to make the skins extra crispy.
- Cheddar Cheese - I love cheddar on mine but you can use any cheese you prefer.
- Bacon - Make ahead and chop up or use store bought.
- Sour cream - Optional or go with fresh hatch chile guacamole, ranch, or even pico de gallo.
- Green onion - Optional, for garnish but does add a nice flavor, swap for chives for a more baked potato feel.
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
Instructions on how to bake your potatoes in the air fryer and in the oven are below. Microwaved potatoes will also work, but I find that they don't have quite the same crispiness to the skin when made into potato skins.
How To Bake Potatoes In An Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF (204ºC) and wash your potatoes. Remove eyes as needed, then pierce each washed potato with a fork.
Season your prepared potatoes with a coating of olive oil and a few turns of freshly ground salt and pepper. Cook the potatoes in your air fryer according to the manufacturer instructions at 400ºF (204ºC), or roughly 30 - 40 minutes.
When the potatoes are done, you will be able to insert a knife or fork easily into the potato center. Remove from your air fryer and allow to cool before handling as the insides will be very hot!
How To Bake Potatoes In The Oven
To bake your potatoes in an oven, set your oven to the same temperature at 400ºF (204ºC) and prepare your potatoes as directed (wash, pierce, then coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper).
Place your potatoes directly on the oven rack, or set a sheet of aluminum foil underneath them. Bake time is about 45 minutes to 1 hour. I like to wrap my potatoes in aluminum foil, but my husband and daughter like their skins crispier whether we're making baked potatoes or loaded potato skins!
Your potatoes are done baking when an inserted knife or fork easily cuts into the potato flesh. Maybe that's the easy way? I've always just squeezed the potatoes to see how soft they are. Which way do you check your potatoes??
Making The Potato Skins
- Once your baked potatoes are done and cooled, slice each potato in half lengthwise and spoon out the potato flesh from the center of the each sliced half. Leave approximately a ¼ inch lining of the potato flesh on each potato skin.
- Brush a light amount of olive oil onto both the skin and flesh of the potato so that the entire surface is covered. Place your potatoes with the center facing upward onto your air fryer racks or in an air fryer basket.
- Fry your potatoes in a preheated air fryer at 400ºF (204ºC) for 10 minutes. *When using my Instant Pot Vortex Plus, I switched my racks half way through this cooking time for even frying of my potato skins.
- Remove the potato skins after 10 minutes cooking time.
- Add grated cheddar cheese and sliced or crumbled cooked bacon to each potato skin and return to your air fryer.
- Cook for an additional 2 - 3 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted. Remove from your air fryer and serve immediately.
- Garnish with sour cream or ranch dressing, and sliced chives or green onions.
💭 Tips & Recipe Notes
- Brush the skin sides of the potatoes for extra crispiness.
- Bake your potatoes ahead of time to make these super fast!
Cook times will vary based on your air fryer type or model, and the size of your potatoes. I am using an Instant Pot Vortex Plus with the racks today, but my cooking time is very similar in my basket style air fryer too!
📋 Recipe
Air Fryer Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 6 medium russet potatoes (washed and baked)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional, extra virgin)
- 6 oz cheddar cheese (grated)
- 3 strips bacon (cooked and crumbled or sliced)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 green onion (finely sliced, or chives)
Instructions
Baked Potatoes
- Baking Your Potatoes Can Be Done A Day In Advance: After cleaning your potatoes, pierce each one with a fork. Season the prepared potatoes with a coating of olive oil and freshly ground salt and pepper.
- Cook your washed, scrubbed and seasoned potatoes in the air fryer according to manufacturer instructions or at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for roughly 30-40 minutes. Your cook time will vary based on your air fryer type, and the size of your potatoes.
- Potatoes can also be oven baked at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 45-60 minutes. Potatoes can be placed directly on the oven rack, wrapped in foil, or placed on a sheet of aluminum foil on your oven rack.
- Your potatoes are cooked when an inserted knife or fork easily goes into the potatoes. Remove from the air fryer or oven and allow the potatoes to cool before slicing.
Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Cut cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and use a spoon to core out the center of each halved potato. Leave about 1-4 inch of potato flesh on the potato skins.6 medium russet potatoes
- Lightly brush olive oil onto the potato flesh and skins of each of the halved, cored potato skins. Place your potato skins open side up in an even layer of your air fryer basket or rack.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Fry the potato skins in your preheated air fryer at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Remove from the air fryer and top each potato skin with cheddar cheese and bacon crumbles, then return to the air fryer and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.6 oz cheddar cheese, 3 strips bacon
- Remove potato skins from the air fryer, top each with sour cream and sliced green onion or chives and serve immediately.½ cup sour cream, 1 green onion
Notes
- Brush the skin sides of the potatoes for extra crispiness.
- Bake your potatoes ahead of time to make these super fast!
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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