Crispy Air Fryer Baked Potato
The ultimate baked potato: incredibly crispy salted skin on the outside, fluffy and light on the inside.
Instructions
1
Wash and Poke
Scrub potatoes clean and pat dry. Poke each potato 6-8 times with a fork to allow steam to escape during cooking.
2
Coat with Oil and Salt
Rub olive oil generously all over the skins, then roll each potato in coarse sea salt to coat.
3
Air Fry
Place in the air fryer basket at 200Β°C (400Β°F) for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway, until the skin is wrinkled and the center is soft when pierced.
4
Slice and Serve
Cut a slit down the center, squeeze the ends to fluff up the potato, and add toppings.
How Convection Creates the Ultimate Crispy Skin
Traditional baked potatoes take an hour in the oven and often end up with soft, leathery skin. The air fryer utilizes rapid convection air to draw moisture out of the potato skin immediately. The salt acts as a desiccant, pulling moisture out of the skin layers, allowing the oil to fry the outer cells to a shatteringly crisp texture.
Poking holes is critical. As the water inside the potato heats up, it turns to steam. If there is no exit path, the pressure will build up, causing the potato to split or explode in the air fryer.