Air fryer jacket potatoes can be made perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and buttery in the middle with a simple method shared by a food expert. The recipe is ideal for a quick lunch or dinner, especially when you don't want to heat up your whole kitchen by turning the oven on.
Expert recommends air fryer over oven
The tip comes from Nicky Corbishley, a Sunday Times best-selling author and award-winning recipe developer based in Devon, who runs the Kitchen Sanctuary blog. Nicky said the air fryer delivers "a fantastic baked spud" and recommends using large floury potatoes like Maris Piper, King Edward or Russet for the best results.
She also suggests using avocado oil or even beef dripping to get the skin extra crispy, although the latter is not suitable for vegetarians. To serve, she says the potatoes go well with tuna mayo, baked beans and cheese, or even crispy bacon or coleslaw. You can also plate them up with stews or casseroles.
Quick method for busy days
And if you're short on time, there's a quicker method using the microwave first to speed things up before crisping them in the air fryer.
How to make crispy and buttery jacket potatoes in an air fryer
Ingredients:
- 2 large baking potatoes
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or other high smoke point oil)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp salted butter
Method:
- Scrub the potatoes clean and prick them several times with a fork.
- Coat them in the oil, salt and pepper.
- Place in the air fryer basket and cook at 200C for 45–50 minutes. Shake the basket once halfway through cooking.
- Remove and slice each potato in half lengthways using a tea towel to protect your hands.
- Fluff the inside with a fork, then add a knob of butter to each, salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Speed-up method:
- Microwave one potato for 5 minutes or two potatoes for 7 minutes.
- Carefully coat in oil, salt and pepper.
- Place in air fryer at 200C for 10–12 minutes, shaking halfway through.
- Slice, fluff, salt, pepper and butter before serving.
The air fryer method still delivers golden, crisp skin and a fluffy centre, and it takes less time and energy than traditional baking.
