Once You Make Twice-Baked Potatoes In The Air Fryer, You'll Never Go Back

When the name of a dish implies a certain cooking style, such as with twice-baked potatoes, you might not think to deviate from the norm. But while "twice air-fried potatoes" may not have the same ring to it, using an air fryer for this classic dish gives you better results than the oven. Not only does this appliance cook potatoes faster, but it guarantees a crisp outer crust on each spud.

A classic twice-baked potatoes recipe involves baking the potatoes, scooping out the insides, mixing the flesh with flavorings like sour cream and cheese, then stuffing them back in the skins and baking again. This results in a mighty tasty side dish, but it can take well over an hour. Cooking the taters in the air fryer cuts down on the prep time, and true to its name, creates a constant circulation of hot air around the spuds. This is vital to creating a crunchy skin with a melty, moist interior. All in all, it's more efficient than the oven, promotes even cooking, and does a better job at crisping.

To make air fryer twice-baked potatoes, start by cooking tender baked potatoes in your air fryer, which takes about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the spuds and let them cool a bit before scooping out the insides, taking care not to break the skins, and mashing them with your mix-ins. Then, bake them for 10  more minutes, and you have perfect potatoes without breaking a sweat.

Air-frying twice-baked potatoes is almost foolproof, but a few extra tips can ensure truly delectable results. While air fryers allow you to cook food without using extra fat, you can't really get away with that for potatoes. Brushing the skins with oil before cooking ensures that they turn out crispy rather than bendy and soggy.

Secondly, one of the biggest mistakes you're making when air frying potatoes is not preheating the appliance. You technically don't have to preheat your air fryer for baked potatoes, but making the basket nice and hot first results in more even cooking and prevents a mushy result. Make sure not to crowd the basket, either. Most recipes air fry two medium to large potatoes at a time, though if you have a bigger air fryer or smaller potatoes, you could get away with three or four.

The possibilities for jazzing up your potatoes are pretty much endless. One way to spice up baked potatoes is to treat them like jalapeño poppers. Mix pepper Jack and cream cheese into the potato flesh and top the final stuffed spuds with jalapeños. You could also mash the potatoes with shredded chicken and Buffalo sauce to turn them into a complete meal with a spicy kick. The air fryer is also great for twice-baked sweet potatoes, with the only big difference being the cook time, as the regular taters typically take a bit longer.