In this recipe you’ll learn how to create air fryer baked potatoes and a variation on healthy twice baked potatoes. The filling combines reduced fat bacon and fat free Greek yogurt to cut calories and enhance protein while still retaining in all the tastes you’d expect from twice baked potatoes.
Each one of these air fryer twice baked potatoes provides 11 grams of protein with only 21 grams of carbohydrates. And they’re incredibly customizable! I’ll guide you through the recipe and cover all the tips and tactics in the article below.
How to Make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
It doesn’t get much simpler than this. There’s no need to cover in foil, soak, or anything like that. Simply wash and dry potatoes, poke some holes in them with a fork, spray with a little cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt (optional). Then air fry at 400ºF for 30-40 minutes until the baked potatoes are thoroughly done.
I prefer to use a food thermometer to check all the potatoes in various areas. As long as they’re in the 190ºF to 200ºF range, they should be nicely cooked and soft in the middle. Don’t have a food thermometer? Test them with a fork. If it goes in easily, they’re good to go.
Air fryer note: Every air fryer is different and cook times may vary. The Instant Pot Vortex Pro I use in the video for this dish cooks for potatoes quicker (20-25 minutes).
And in case you’re wondering, this works with sweet potatoes as well. Check out my BBQ chicken filled air fryer sweet potatoes for an illustration of cook times for various potato sizes.
How to Make Twice Baked Potatoes in an Air Fryer
You can certainly stop there, filling your air fryer baked potatoes with a little butter and sour cream. But I’d highly recommend taking the extra steps to make these healthy twice baked potatoes!
Step 1: Cut the baked potatoes in half. Add chopped parsley, cheddar, cooked bacon, butter, and black pepper to a large bowl.
Be sure to let the potatoes cool for a few minutes so you can easily handle them!
As for the other twice baked potatoes filling components, there are lots of shortcuts and adjustments you may make. Using pre-cooked bacon would save some time, and you could use ranch seasoning in lieu of the fresh parsley if that’s all you have on hand. And if you wanted to cut the fat, you could use a lower fat bacon and skip the butter completely. It’s hard to screw them up!
One thing I’d definitely suggest if you’re a garlic enthusiast would be putting some finely chopped garlic in the hot bacon fat for 30-60 seconds after you’ve cooked the bacon. You could also use my air fryer roasted garlic recipe to add some garlic in while your potatoes bake. I use roasted garlic for our Traeger smoked twice baked potatoes, and they are SO wonderful!
Step 2: Scoop out the center of the potatoes, leaving a thin layer around the edges, and add to the bowl.
You should be able to easily scoop out the potatoes and mash everything together. If not, you may want to pop the potatoes back in the air fryer for an extra 5-10 minutes. It’s also worth mentioning, if you use larger potatoes, you’ll need to extend the time in the air fryer.
Step 3: Add fat free Greek yogurt and mix everything together.
Why the extra step? The hot potatoes will partially melt the cheese and butter, melding everything together. Once the cold Greek yogurt is added in, everything should easily mix together and be easy to scoop into the potato skins.
Step 4: Fill the potato skins with the twice baked potato filling.
Unlike traditional recipes for twice baked potatoes, the air fryer does a great job at crisping the exterior of the potatoes. So you won’t need to air fry or bake the shells again before filling. Just fill and rock on!
Step 5: Add the filled potatoes to an air fryer basket and top with shredded cheddar. Air fry for 5-8 minutes at 400ºF to fully melt the cheese.
If you have a bigger air fryer, you may be able to air fry all the loaded potatoes in one fell swoop. Some air fryers even feature an extra rack you might use for a second layer.
But let’s assume you’re using an Instant Pot Duo Crisp like me and want all your potatoes done at once, I’m very certain you could place all eight twice baked potatoes in the basket and air fried simultaneously. If you’re in this boat with me, you’ll want to check out my Instant Pot air fryer recipe list while you’re here.
And that’s it. Top your finished twice baked potatoes with chopped bacon, chives, and any other toppings your heart desires.
Serving Your Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes
While you’ll be tempted to eat four of these twice baked potatoes as a whole meal, they are traditionally served as a side dish. Here’s a handful of pairing ideas:
Ingredients
- 4 Russet Potatoes, 8 ounces each*
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 6 slices Center Cut Bacon, cut into strips
- 1 C (227g) Fat Free Greek Yogurt
- 2 Tbsp (28g) Light Butter
- 1 1/4 C (140g) Shredded Cheddar, divided
- 1/4-1/2 tsp Black Pepper, to taste
- 1-2 handfuls (10g) Parsley, finely chopped
- Chives or scallions, for optional toppings
Instructions
- Wash and dry the potatoes before using a fork to poke holes all around each potato. Spray each potato with cooking spray or rub with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in an air fryer basket and air fry at 400ºF for 35-40 minutes until the potatoes are cooked in the center (a fork easily pokes through or 190ºF to 200ºF internal temp). Set aside to cool.
- When the potatoes are nearly done, fully cook the bacon (or used pre-cooked bacon) and drain any remaining grease. Add 3/4 of the cooked bacon pieces to a bowl with the butter, parsley, black pepper, and 3/4 C (84g) of the cheddar.
- Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the insides, leaving a thin layer of potato in tact around the edge of the potato skin. Place the scooped potatoes in the bowl with the butter mixture. Stir everything together before adding the yogurt.
- Fill the potato skins with the mixture and top with the remaining cheddar. Air fry an additional 5-8 minutes at 400ºF until the cheese is melted. (You may need to cook in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.) Top the finished potatoes with the remaining bacon and chives, if desired.
