Baked Potatoes: Oven, Air Fryer, Microwave

I love a perfect baked potato. It’s a pleasant side dish, and if you top it with something like Chili or eggplant parm It can also be a main dish.

I thought it might be helpful to share how to make baked potatoes in the oven, in the air fryer, or in the microwave. There are some pros and cons of each, which I will also share.

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Here’s what I’ll look at the pros and cons of each of these cooking methods:

Bake the potatoes in the oven – This is the most popular, classic way to bake potatoes. The skin can be crispy, the inside of the potato will cook to perfection, and it will make your kitchen smell lovely.

The only problem is that this method takes the longest, and if it’s a warm time of year, you may not want to leave the oven on for long.

Bake potatoes in an air fryer – This method is similar to an oven in that the skin can be crispy and the potatoes can be cooked to perfection. This method also takes less time and possibly less energy since you’re using a smaller appliance than an oven.

Cons can occur if you do not own a dryeror if you want to cook another dish (main course) with this in an air fryer, you may have to work in batches, which isn’t ideal.

Bake potatoes in the microwave – This method is the fastest by a lot! If you need to make a super quick baked potato, microwave cooking is the way to go.

The downside is that the skin won’t be crispy (but if you don’t eat the skin maybe this shouldn’t be a problem for you?), and there can be some unevenness in the cooked potatoes since the microwave doesn’t always work. Heat everything evenly. .

But it still works pretty well, and if you’re somewhere that doesn’t have an oven or air fryer (studios, dorms, break rooms) this can be a useful method.

Before baking, wash and scrub the potatoes thoroughly. Even if you don’t plan to eat the skins, washing potatoes is important to any cooking method.

Should potatoes be baked in foil?

No. If you want crispy baked potatoes and are using an oven or air fryer, don’t use foil. If you’re cooking potatoes in the microwave, definitely don’t use foil!

How To Bake Potatoes In The Oven

• Wash the potatoes and pat dry.
• Use a fork to poke more than 5 shallow holes all over the potato.
• Beat outside with a little oil and/or butter. Salt season.
• Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes, flipping halfway.
• Test by piercing with a sharp knife. If the knife slides in easily, the potato is done.

See the recipe card below for more specifics, as well as additional tips and notes for each of these methods.

How to Bake Potatoes in an Air Fryer

• Wash the potatoes and pat dry.
• Use a fork to poke more than 5 shallow holes all over the potato.
• Beat outside with a little oil and/or butter. Salt season.
• Fry at 400°F for 30 minutes, flipping once in the middle of baking time.
• Test by piercing with a sharp knife. If the knife slides in easily, the potato is done.

More air fryer recipes you might enjoy:

How To Bake Potatoes In The Microwave

• Wash the potatoes and pat dry.
• Use a fork to poke more than 5 shallow holes all over the potato.
• Microwave over high heat for 3-4 minutes, flip, and then microwave for another 3-4 minutes.

What to eat with baked potatoes:

What is your favorite method of baking potatoes? -Emma