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Potatoes are a pantry staple in my house. There are just so many ways to prepare them and you don’t feel like you’re eating the same food over and over. And of all the ways we eat potatoes, this Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes recipe is probably our favorite.
The baked potato stuffing is essentially mashed potatoes mixed with cheddar cheese and bacon. The stuffing is then put back into the potato skin and air fried until melted and just a little bit crispy on top. The recipe is simple but the taste is out of this world.
The best part of making Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes is that the ingredients are always on hand and don’t usually require a trip to the market. I buy the gigantic 15 lb. bag of potatoes at Costco and store the potatoes in the basement. Potatoes stay good for weeks in a cool dark environment so they make for a perfect pantry staple.
About The Ingredients
There’s nothing particularly healthy about this recipe but what it lacks in nutrition it makes up for in flavor. Butter, sour cream, bacon, and cheddar cheese are the supporting stars in this recipe. Of course, if you wanted to add a little something healthy you could swap the bacon for broccoli. I think a cheddar broccoli twice baked potato would be fantastic. The only hang up for me is that we have one (grown-up) picky eater that refuses to consider eating anything that is even prepared in the same kitchen as broccoli. So in our house we stick with bacon.
How to Make Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes
The first step is to cook the potatoes. I scrub (especially because you’ll be eating the skins), dry, and score the potatoes while I preheat the oven. Then bake them for about an hour at 400°F.
Alternatively to baking – a lot of air fryers now are multicookers. I use a Ninja Foodi 10-1 and since I already have it out for this recipe I like to pressure cook the potatoes instead of baking them. The potatoes cook much faster under pressure so using this method cuts the recipe time way down.
To pressure cook the potatoes just score the potatoes as you would before baking. Add 1 cup of water to the pot and then place the potatoes on a rack above the water and pressure cook for 20 minutes. Natural release the valve for 10 minutes when done and then switch to quick release to finish it off. Remove the potatoes to a cutting board.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half the long way and gently scoop out the inside. It’s better to leave some potato on the skin than to rip the skin trying to get every last bit out.
Then mix the remaining ingredients into the whites of the potatoes and re-stuff the skins. Top them with a little extra cheese and bacon and pop them into the air fryer until hot and crispy, about 8 minutes. For a little extra color and flavor you could mix in or sprinkle in some chopped chives too.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations
These twice baked potatoes are delicious and so filling that they could almost be a meal by themselves. If you wanted to make them a meal by themselves you could top them off with some pulled pork, pulled chicken or bbq brisket.
Make Ahead Instructions
These loaded twice baked potatoes take a little extra time to prepare but not too much extra work. As long as you plan in advance and start them before you begin preparing the rest of the meal (as in an hour or more before) you will be fine.
You could even make the loaded potatoes up to 48 hours ahead of time, refrigerate them and then just heat them up in the oven when you’re ready to serve. To do this just follow the recipe all the way up until baking them the final time. Let the potatoes cool to room temperature and refrigerate them in a covered container.
When you’re ready to heat them, leave the potatoes on the counter for 30-60 minutes to let them start to come to room temperature. Then air fry them at 390°F for 10-12 minutes or until hot and crispy.
FAQ’s and Recipe Tips
Take the potatoes out of the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes prior to heating to let them come to room temperature. Air fry at 390°F for 10-12 minutes.
Cover the baked potatoes with foil and heat for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue to heat for another 10 minutes.
The Recipe For Air Fryed Twice Baked Potatoes
These potatoes are one of those things that are a must with a steak dinner. And a little fun addition for those who like things hot… I put a little bit of Frank’s Red Hot sauce on mine. If you give them a try let me know how it goes in the comments below – especially if you add the broccoli. Enjoy!
Air Fryed Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 russet potatoes
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 tbsp butter
- salt & pepper to taste
- 5 strips bacon cooked and chopped
- ½ cup cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Score the potatoes and bake for 60 minutes.3 russet potatoes
- When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half the long way. Scoop out the inside into a medium size mixing bowl.
- Add the sour cream, butter, salt and pepper and mash until creamy.½ cup sour cream, 4 tbsp butter, salt & pepper
- Stir in half of the bacon and half of the cheese.5 strips bacon, ½ cup cheddar cheese
- Place the potato skins on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish. Restuff the skins with the prepared filling. Then top with the remaining bacon and cheese.5 strips bacon, ½ cup cheddar cheese
- Place the potatoes on a rack in the air fryer. Set to 390°F and air fry for 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot.
