Air Fryer Baked Potato

I know this recipe will probably never get any love because everyone has their own baked potato recipe, but it’s so amazing I had to post it. We enjoy it as a meal almost weekly. When I was a kid, our high school took a trip to Epcot, and my best friend and I started to get low on funds toward the end of the trip, so we decided to split a huge potato from a potato stand in the Epcot England village. I had never had something so delicious, and I never forgot it. Fast forward maybe 10 years later, and I was working as a server in a soup and salad joint. I love that job, and as a poor college student, I used to eat there a few times a week because of the employee discount. It bothered me when I would see a customer eating an old potato that was sitting in the steamer for too long. It no longer had that flaky yummy texture. I remember challenging the manager one day, and he said it was crazy they cost the restaurant 18 cents each. It happens because the kitchen guys are lazy, and they cook a big batch instead of putting fresh potatoes in every 30 minutes like they are supposed to. Food cost was an issue, and it was always a battle. For me, the battle was to ensure customers had a good experience and continued returning because if it wasn’t busy, I wouldn’t make any money.

The point of my long story is that I think most American restaurants screw up potatoes. If you are reading this, I want you to try the recipe and promise me that you will send back the potatoes when they aren’t perfect. There is no excuse besides laziness. Cooking great food should be a labor of love even for restaurant employees.

Above, you can see an assortment of the stuff we put on our potato. I love a lot of butter and a good freshly shredded milf cheddar cheese. But I have been known to top it with ranch dressing, scallions, and bacon bits. I use the fake bacon bits, just my preference. I know a lot of gourmets prefer real bacon. When I make chili, I love to save some for a baked potato. Don’t forget to salt and pepper the potato before loading it with toppings.

How To Make The Perfect Baked Potato

The first thing I want to state is that I have tried cooking all different sizes and kinds of potatoes. The best type of potato to use is a Russet. I recommend using an air fryer. That link goes to amazon and the exact model that we use in our home. If you use that model and cook the potato for One hour at 400 degrees on the air fryer setting, they come out perfect every time, no matter what size you use. Be sure to poke the potato a dozen times all around, so it doesn’t explode in the oven. That is it. It’s that simple.

What Not To Do

Do not follow other recipes that instruct you to cook it for 40 minutes. That is going to result in a half-raw vegetable. Do not wrap it in foil. Foil causes moisture to collect and results in a soggy, not flaky, inside. You do not need to rub oil or salt on the skin. No one eats the skin anyway. The skin will be crispy my pug loves the skin. Now a very important note. Potatoes like chicken carry salmonella, so be sure not to cross-contaminate surfaces. Assume that any surface that an uncooked potato touch has potentially deadly bacteria, so wash it with soap and water.

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