Air Fryer
Air Fryer Jacket Potato
Crisp salted skin and a fluffy middle in 40 minutes. The drying step, the oil and salt rub, and the halfway turn that decide whether the skin actually crisps.
Ingredients
- 2 large floury baking potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward), about 300g each
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- Butter, to serve
Method
- Scrub the potatoes under cold water and dry them thoroughly with a tea towel. Wet skin steams instead of crisping.
- Prick each potato about four times with a fork.
- Rub the olive oil all over the skin until it is glossy, then scatter over the salt and rub it in.
- Put them in the air fryer basket in a single layer with space between them, so the air can circulate.
- Air fry at 200°C (390°F) for 40 minutes, turning them over at 20 minutes.
- They are done when a knife slides straight through with no resistance. Split open, fork up the middle and add butter.
Notes
- Floury potatoes only. Maris Piper and King Edward go fluffy; waxy salad potatoes stay dense.
- Do not wrap them in foil. Foil traps the steam and gives you a soft skin, which is the opposite of the point.
- Timing follows the potato, not the clock: around 300g each takes 40 minutes, smaller ones can be done at 30-35, and very large ones can need 50.
- In a hurry, microwave them for about 10 minutes first, then air fry at 200°C (390°F) for 10-15 minutes to crisp the skin.
- Tuna mayo and sweetcorn is the classic filling and it genuinely works: drain a tin of tuna, stir it through a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise with a few spoonfuls of sweetcorn, and pile it into the potato while the inside is still steaming so it warms through. Season it before it goes in.
- Air fryer models vary. Treat the times as a guide, go by colour and crispness, and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Watch it
More Air Fryer Potatoes & Chips
Air fryer models vary in power and basket size, so treat the times here as a guide — go by colour and crispness rather than the clock, and adjust the seasoning and glaze to your taste.
Recipe source: Method corroborated across published UK air-fryer recipes: Liana's Kitchen (lianaskitchen.co.uk), Maldon Salt (maldonsalt.com) and Daisies and Pie (daisiesandpie.co.uk). Floury baking potato (Maris Piper or King Edward), dried thoroughly, pricked, rubbed with olive oil and salt, air fried at 200°C (390°F) for 40 minutes and turned at the halfway point — Liana's Kitchen and Maldon Salt both specify 200°C (390°F)/40min with a turn at 20. Daisies and Pie instead use a two-stage 170°C (340°F) then 190°C (375°F) hour, which is why the time is given as a range against potato size. Microwave-first shortcut from Liana's Kitchen.