You can turn baked potatoes into cheesy, delicious Air Fryer Potato Skins. Nobody can resist this air fryer recipe for a favorite bar appetizer, topped with shredded cheese, crispy bacon, sour cream, and chives.
AIR FRYER POTATO SKINS RECIPE
Air Fryer Potato Skins are such a treat for me! I always love ordering these at bars or family restaurants. They are crispy, salty, cheesy, and so satisfying topped with bacon and sour cream.
You won’t even need to leave your house or pay for delivery to enjoy air fryer potato skins with all your favorite baked potato garnishes.
Making potato skins in your air fryer is so easy, and the final dish is out of this world delicious. I make these for every tailgate, and our friends gobble them up.
Don’t want to go through all the steps? We have a recipe showing you how to make Frozen Potato Skins too! If you are in a hurry, frozen potato skins in air fryer is the way to go!
You’ll just need some already Air Fried Baked Potatoes to get started with this recipe for loaded potato skins. The rest of the ingredients you might already have in your fridge. We are talking about cheese, sour cream, bacon and more!
INGREDIENTS IN AIR FRYER POTATO SKINS
Baked Potatoes: I recommend making a batch of our Air Fryer Baked Potatoes to start this side dish recipe. You can even make them the day before for a quick make-ahead appetizer.
Cheddar Jack Cheese: Shredded cheddar jack melts beautifully on top of the potato skins, but you can use any cheese you want. Get it pre-shredded, or shred it yourself for the best melt.
Bacon: You’ll need about a half pound of bacon. Cook it (you can make bacon in the air fryer too!) and then chop it into small pieces. Be sure to drain any excess grease, too.
Sour Cream: I love the texture of cool sour cream on top of a hot potato skin! Just like the famous commercial says, a dollop will do ya.
Fresh Chives: Chopped fresh chives give a mild onion flavor and are so pretty as a garnish.
Salt and Pepper: Add to your taste. Often the cheese and bacon are salty enough, but potatoes notoriously need more salt than you think.
If you have any questions about these delicious potato skins in the air fryer, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP!
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER POTATO SKINS
** Please scroll down for full ingredients list with measurements and printable directions.
- First, preheat the Air Fryer for a few minutes as directed in the recipe card below.
- Then, cut the cooled baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to carefully remove the potato from the inside, leaving a 1/4 inch rim attached to the shell. Be cautious not to scoop too much out.
- Brush or spray potatoes with cooking oil. Generously season with salt and pepper.
- Place the potatoes into the air fryer basket, skin side up. Cook as directed, flipping halfway through cooking time.
- Now, sprinkle half of the cheese evenly inside each of the potato skins. Continue cooking as directed until potato skin is golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Remove to a plate and repeat cooking with any remaining skins. Load up with sour cream, bacon, more cheese and chives. Serve warm and enjoy!
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions to make the best air fryer potato skins, please see the recipe below.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER POTATO SKINS
To me, air fryer potato skins as a finger food, and something that would be amazing for a football game party or an appetizer platter.
Try serving these with Air Fryer Chicken Wings and Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks for a really fun time. Don’t forget the dipping sauces!
If you’d rather have a meal with a little more balance, use these potato skins as a side dish with a nice salad and some Air Fryer Chicken Breasts or an Air Fryer Steak dinner.
If you are still looking for more air fryer appetizer recipes, be sure to check out our extensive list of easy air fryer recipes that are perfect for a late night snack or game day!
CAN I MAKE VEGETARIAN AIR FRYER POTATO SKINS?
Of course you can! Omit the bacon, and this recipe is vegetarian approved.
Want to keep that salty crunch on top? I have a recipe for vegan bacon bits that you could even try! Also, many store-bought bacon bits are actually plant-based, so be sure to check the labels.
If you want a vegan potato skins recipe, swap the cheese for vegan cheese and replace the sour cream with a plant-based version.
PRO TIP: As you know all air fryer run a bit different, which can make this tricky sometimes. If this is your first time cooking potato skins in air fryer, watch them closely so you do not over cook the cheese.
HOW DO I BAKE OR MICROWAVE POTATOES?
If you are looking for another way to cook the potatoes for this recipe we can help. We suggest making a batch of air fryer baked potatoes to start. But if you would like to make the potatoes in the oven or microwave here is how.
Baked Potato In Oven = Bake at 400F/204C for 45-60 minutes, flipping over half way through. I like to poke holes in mine, then wrap them in foil. The cooking time will vary with different sized potatoes
Baked Potato in Microwave = Poke with fork to make holes, just like you would if you were using the oven recipe. Microwave for 7 minutes, flip half way through. If your potato isn’t cooked fully, continue cooking in 2 minute increments and check each time. Continue until cooked.
CAN I FREEZE AIR FRYER POTATO SKINS?
Making these air fryer potato skins is a breeze and takes minimal effort. So we suggest making a double batch and freezing some for later! If you’re interested in making air fryer potato skins ahead of time and freezing them, I suggest doing it like this:
- First, prepare the potato shells from the air fryer baked potatoes, and freeze them scooped empty.
- When ready to enjoy your potato skins, fill with cheese and air fry as directed until melty and warmed through. Add a couple of extra minutes to the cook time if you’re cooking them frozen.
This is a great idea if you’re cooking for one or two. You can do a batch of potatoes but only cook a few at a time. Keep them warm in the oven before serving at your big dinner party.
HOW TO REHEAT POTATO SKINS IN AIR FRYER
Yes, you can reheat your potato skins in air fryer. It is simple to do. If your air fryer potato skin is not frozen, simply pop it into the air fryer and heat at 350F/176C for 3-5 minutes.
If you made a large batch of these air fryer potato skins and froze them, preheat your air fryer to 375F/190C and heat the potato skins in air fryer for 3-5 minute or until warm throughout.
WHAT ELSE TO FILL POTATO SKINS WITH?
This recipe is for a classic cheese and bacon loaded potato skin, but I’ve seen so many other really fun-filled potato recipes!
Try adding taco meat underneath the cheese and and then topping with sour cream and tomatoes for a taco or nacho themed potato skin.
Use mozzarella and pepperoni for a pizza potato skin. Dip them in marinara sauce and add a little Parmesan cheese on top!
Love chili cheese fries? Try chili cheese potato skins! Add your favorite chili recipe and some sliced green onions, too.
What else can you come up with? The possibilities are endless! Let me know your favorite air fryer potato skin toppings in the comments.
WHAT TYPE OF POTATO IS BEST FOR BAKED POTATOES?
There are several different types of potatoes, but there is one that stands out to us as the best option for air fryer potato skins and baked potatoes in the air fryer.
We liked using starchy potatoes, like russet potatoes, when we make our air fryer potato skins! (even for our air fryer baked potatoes too!)
You can also use more of what we call “all purpose” potatoes, such as Yukon, Blue or Purple Potatoes. Those types of potatoes are great for anything from baking to mashing!
MORE AIR FRYER APPETIZER RECIPES TO TRY
We have a ton of delicious air fryer appetizer recipes here!
Air Fryer Chickpeas with Rosemary and Garlic are a healthy, crunchy snack. I love to make them on Sunday with my meal prep and eat them all week long!
You can make Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs with BBQ sauce the next time you need appetizers for a group. Who doesn’t love a saucy meatball?!
You can’t go wrong with breaded Air Fryer Ravioli. They are crispy and soft in the middle and irresistible when served with a side of marinara sauce.
Air Fryer Potato Wedges are a rustic version of french fries that are super easy to make and awesome dipped in ketchup or BBQ sauce.
The air fryer can make some of the crispiest potatoes ever! Try this air fryer sweet potato chips recipe the next time you feel a snack attack coming on.
Pro Tips
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Air Fryer Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 1 batch Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- 1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese shredded, divided
- 8 slices Bacon cooked, and chopped
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- Fresh Chives chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 385F/196C.
- Cut the cooled baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to carefully remove the potato from the inside, leaving a ¼-inch “rim” attached to the shell.
- Brush or spray potatoes with cooking oil. Generously season with salt and pepper.
- Place the potatoes into the air fryer basket, skin side up. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time.
- Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly inside each of the potato skins. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until potato skin is golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Remove to a plate and repeat with any remaining skins. Load up with sour cream, bacon, more cheese, and chives, and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
WHAT TYPE OF POTATO IS BEST FOR BAKED POTATOES?
There are several different types of potatoes, but there is one that stands out to us as the best option for air fryer potato skins and baked potatoes in the air fryer. We liked using starchy potatoes, like russet potatoes, when we make our air fryer potato skins! (even for our air fryer baked potatoes too!) You can also use more of what we call “all purpose” potatoes, such as Yukon, Blue or Purple Potatoes. Those types of potatoes are great for anything from baking to mashing!
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
I made these for lunch because why not!? ha! I loved them!! SOOOO GOOOD!
With covid and all, it’s been a long time since I went to a restaurant and ordered these. Super excited to realize I can make them at home!
Made these tonight and they were delicious.