Twice Baked Potatoes In Air Fryer

There's something about twice-baked potatoes that makes them twice as delicious as a baked or mashed potato. Although twice-baked potatoes from the oven are good, cooked in an air fryer, they become the ultimate side dish. 

Cooking twice-baked potatoes in an air fryer is hands down the most convenient and efficient method for making this dish.

How long does it take to cook in the oven?

Cooking in an oven can take 90 minutes or more, but baking a potato in the air fryer saves time. A potato will sometimes cook 20-30% quicker in the air fryer than in your oven.

But that's not the best part.

The air fryer is a small, compact convection oven blowing hot air around the food to help it cook more efficiently. The hot, circulating air makes the potato skin crispy and crunchy leaving the flesh of the potato creamy and airy. 

 

How to choose a potato for twice-baked potatoes

The Russet potato is one of the best choices for twice-baked potatoes. 

Look for a Russet potato that's firm with no soft spots and few if any punctures. It should feel proportionally dense and heavy for its size and show no mold or significant green blotches.

Russet potatoes have a thick brown skin with few eyes making it a delicious treat to eat. Its flesh when cooked properly is creamy and soft with a mealy consistency that absorbs dairy and other ingredients well. 

Why are my twice-baked potatoes gummy?

All baked potatoes can get gummy if they retain too much moisture and twice-baked potatoes are no exception.

By using an air fryer to bake our potatoes, hot air swirls around the food and makes the potato drier than baking alone.

A drier potato flesh means its interior has less of a chance of being gummy and also fluffs nicely when scooped.

 Are you supposed to eat the skin?

The skin of a potato is where many of the nutrients are stored and is perfectly safe to eat when cleaned thoroughly.

Since potatoes grow in the ground like other root vegetables it's important to scrub them clean of dirt and debris with hot water before cooking. 

Many people have a dedicated scrub brush for cleaning potatoes which is fine. But I've learned a more efficient way to clean potatoes.

Use a kitchen towel or synthetic scrub pad under running water to get the potato skin clean and you will notice it's far more efficient than a potato scrub brush.

 

Potato skins can be delicious, and when cooked in the air fryer, they get crispy and crackly.

Sometimes I will cut a potato in half lengthwise when it's cool enough to handle. Then fill hollowed-out potato shells with a mixture of the baked potato, cream cheese, green onion, and cheddar cheese for a yummy potato skin treat.

 

Recipe Ingredients

Although there are a few core ingredients for twice-baked potatoes, it's fun that they can become a blank canvas of flavors and a great way to use up leftovers. My core ingredients are as follows:

• Russet potatoes
• Sour cream
• Bacon
• Worcestershire sauce
• Cheddar cheese
• Salt & pepper

Here are 15 interesting ingredients you can add to twice-baked potatoes:

1. Lobster
2. Gouda cheese
3. Crab, cream cheese, and green onions (crab rangoon)
4. Goat cheese
5. Minced chives
6. Slivered jalapeno poppers
7. Chorizo with Velveeta cheese 
8. Roasted garlic
9. Marinara sauce and mozzarella
10. Crispy Proscuitto
11. Whiskey mushrooms
12. Charred hotdogs
13. Two-alarm chili with beef and beans
14. Steamed broccoli
15. Spicy sweet street corn

Expert Tips & Tricks

• If you're having a large dinner party, this recipe is something that can be made ahead and then reheated before service. 
• When doing multiple potatoes, consider using a potato masher, or even a hand mixer to bring all of the ingredients together in the potato mixture before stuffing. 
• Potatoes from the oven or air fryer are easiest to scoop but can be hot to handle. Use a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels to keep your hands safe from the heat.
• This dish is still wonderful to make if you don't have an air fryer. Set your oven to 400 and the rest is the same.
• If you have the time, let the warm potato mixture sit for 15 to 20 minutes before stuffing. The heat will allow the flavors to meld and become even more delicious before the second cooking
• Don't be afraid to experiment with ingredients or substitute something like cream cheese for sour cream. 
• Consider adding herbs like chives or even green onions for even more depth of flavor.

What to serve with this recipe

One of my favorite things to serve this dish with is a Wagyu steak. A classic pairing, it's hard to beat steak and potatoes. 

It also pairs well with Pendelton Whiskey mushrooms and makes a fine side dish for a whole smoked chicken cooked on a pellet grill. 

📖 Recipe