Air Fryer Loaded Potato Skins

Today I’m sharing my recipe for air fryer loaded potato skins. They’re crispy, cheesy, and honestly one of the best snacks you can make at home.

If you’ve ever had loaded potato skins at a restaurant, you know how good they are. This homemade version is just as tasty, and the air fryer makes the whole process so much easier.

The ingredient list is pretty simple – potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream, and green onions. Nothing fancy, but it all comes together really well.

The air fryer gets the potato skins perfectly crispy without having to deep fry anything. Less oil, less mess, and they’re ready in no time.

This recipe works great as an appetizer, a game day snack, or even a side dish. Once you try making them this way, you probably won’t go back.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Crispy Skins Without Deep Frying – The air fryer gets those potato skins perfectly crispy on the outside without submerging them in a vat of oil. You get that deep-fried crunch using just a little olive oil, which feels like a total win.

The Air Fryer Does Most of the Work – Once you scoop out the potatoes and load up the skins, the air fryer handles the rest. There is no babysitting a hot oven or flipping things around on a baking sheet – just set it and let it crisp up beautifully.

The Bacon and Cheddar Combo Is Unbeatable – Crispy crumbled bacon paired with melty shredded cheddar cheese on a crunchy potato skin is one of those flavor combos that just works every single time. It hits all the right notes of salty, savory, and cheesy.

Perfect Game Day Snack – Loaded potato skins are a crowd favorite at any watch party or gathering. Pop a batch in the air fryer and watch them disappear before halftime.

Ingredients

• 6 Medium Russet Potatoes
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1.5 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 8 Bacon Slices, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 3 Green Onions, sliced

How to Make

Step 1

Scrub potatoes clean, poke several times with a fork, and air fry at 400°F for 35-40 minutes until tender. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato on the skin. Brush insides and outsides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Place potato skins cut-side up in air fryer basket and air fry at 400°F for 5 minutes until edges start crisping.

Step 4

Fill each potato skin with shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.

Step 5

Air fry at 350°F for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream and green onions before serving.

Tips

Poke the Potatoes Enough

You want to poke each potato at least 8-10 times all around with a fork before air frying. This lets steam escape while the potato cooks so it doesn’t burst open inside your air fryer.

Don’t just poke one side either. Flip the potato and poke the top, bottom, and sides so the steam has plenty of places to vent out.

If you skip this step or only poke a couple of times, you risk the potato splitting open in a messy way that makes it harder to cut clean halves later.

Make Sure the Potatoes Are Actually Done

After 35 minutes, stick a fork or knife right into the center of the biggest potato. It should slide in super easily with almost no resistance. If you feel any firmness at all, give them another 5 minutes.

Undercooked potatoes are the number one thing that will mess up this recipe. If the inside isn’t fully tender, the skins will be hard to scoop out and the texture won’t be right when you eat them.

Potatoes can vary in size even if they all say “medium” on the bag, so always test the largest one before pulling them out.

Let Them Cool Before You Scoop

That 10-minute cooling time isn’t optional. If you try to cut and scoop the potatoes right out of the air fryer, they’ll be way too hot to handle and the flesh will be too soft and mushy to scoop cleanly.

After 10 minutes they’ll still be warm but cool enough to hold with your hands. The flesh also firms up just enough that you can scoop it out in nice pieces without tearing through the skin.

Related Recipes

• Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
• Air Fryer Crispy Avocado Fries
• Air Fryer Loaded Hasselback Potatoes
• Air Fryer Pizza Dough Knots with Garlic Butter
• Air Fryer Steak Bites with Garlic Butter

Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature should I air fry the potato skins at?

For the best results, air fry the potato skins at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This high heat is what gives the skins that perfectly crispy texture on the outside while keeping the inside nice and tender.

You will air fry them twice – once to crisp up the empty skins, and then again after adding the cheese and bacon so everything melts together beautifully.

Do I need to bake the potatoes before air frying the skins?

Yes, the potatoes need to be fully cooked before you can turn them into potato skins. You can bake them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, or until a fork slides in easily. This is actually one of the best perks of using an air fryer – it handles the whole recipe from start to finish.

Once the potatoes are cooked and cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving about a quarter inch of potato inside the skin.