Easy Loaded Air Fryer Potato Skins

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Easy Loaded Air Fryer Potato Skins, full of tangy sour cream, melted cheddar cheese, and crisp, smoky bacon bits, are a retro appetizer that harkens back to the late 1970s. These make-ahead, homemade, air-fried potato skins, sometimes referred to as potato jackets, are hand-held, cheesy, crispy bites of deliciousness.

They are excellent whether you serve them as an appetizer, snack, or even as a light entree for lunch or dinner, and they make a hearty after-school snack for the kids.

For those of you without an air fryer, I have also included simple-to-follow directions to cook the potato skins in an oven or microwave.

Four air fried potato skins topped with sour cream on a cutting board.

Back in the day, potato skins were usually deep-fried. But this easy recipe calls for air frying, which only uses a tiny fraction of the oil that deep frying does. So, you can see why they are much healthier than their fried counterparts!

Like my Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes and my Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes, the ingredient list for these air fryer homemade potato skins couldn’t be less complicated.

Even though they are made from scratch, they are ridiculously quick and easy to make, and they will be even quicker to disappear! So, what are you waiting for? Why not make these “blast from the past” tasty treats today?

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Ingredient notes:
How to make Air Fryer Loaded Potato Skins:
Recipe variations:
Recipe FAQs:
Sharon’s tips:
More potato recipes:
📋 Recipe:

Ingredient notes:

Russet potatoes, cheese, bacon and other ingredients to make potato skins.

(Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.)

Potatoes – are the epitome of comfort foods and are the star of this party. I have included easy “how-to” instructions and tips for air frying, baking, or microwaving the potatoes.
Olive oil – is used to coat the potatoes before baking to make the skin extra crispy.
Butter – as the commercial says, “butter makes everything better,” and this couldn’t be truer in this case. Butter not only adds its rich, creamy taste, but it helps the potatoes develop a beautiful golden brown color and crisps the skins up.
Parsley – adds a nice pop of color and a great herby freshness.
Kosher salt and garlic powder – mixed with the butter enhance all of the flavors and brings them together in one tasty bite.
Bacon – with its smoky, easily recognizable flavor is an absolute must in this loaded potato skins recipe.
Cheese – is another must. I use sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use pretty much any shredded cheese you have on hand, including Mexican or Italian blends.
Sour cream – another essential component adds a cool, creamy tanginess to each bite.
Chives – are used as a garnish in this recipe. Besides adding a pretty bright green contrast to a sea of brown and orange, they add a mild oniony flavor.

How to make Air Fryer Loaded Potato Skins:

To bake the potatoes, scrub and rinse them well. Dry them completely with a paper or kitchen towel. Then, prick them several times with the tip of a knife or a fork and rub them all over with olive oil. Sprinkle one-half teaspoon of kosher salt evenly on all sides.

If you are using an air fryer, place the potatoes in the basket and cook for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. Flip them over and cook for another 15 minutes.

Two potatoes in the basket of an air fryer.

If baking in the oven, preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 90 minutes.
If using a microwave, place the potatoes on a microwave-safe plate, then microwave for about 5 minutes, flip it over, and microwave it for about 5 more minutes.
Test for doneness by piercing them with a thin knife. It should slide in easily with no resistance. You can also test for doneness by using an instant-read thermometer. A perfectly cooked baked potato will read somewhere around 210 degrees F.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in half lengthwise.

Use a spoon to scoop out most of the flesh and save it to use in another recipe. Be sure to leave at least one-fourth inch of potato on the skin.

Four baked potatoes sliced in half with most of the potato scooped out.

Melt the butter in a small dish and add the parsley, salt, and garlic powder. Stir to combine.

A small bowl of melted butter and parsley flakes.

Use a pastry brush and brush the inside and outside of the potato skins with the butter mixture.

Using a pastry brush to top potato skins with melted butter.

If you are using an oven, increase the temperature to 425 degrees F. Place the skins cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the skins over and bake for an additional five minutes or until the skins are browned and crispy. Then, top each potato skin with a generous amount of shredded cheese and crumbled bacon. Cook for an additional five minutes.
In the air fryer, place the skins in the basket, cut side up, and air fry for five minutes.

Potato skins in the basket of an air fryer.

Then, top each potato skin with a generous amount of shredded cheese and crumbled bacon. Cook for an additional five minutes.

Four potato skins topped with cheese and bacon in an air fryer.

Top with a spoonful of sour cream; then garnish with chopped chives and serve hot or warm.

Potato skins topped with sour cream and chives on a cutting board.

Recipe variations:

Instead of cheddar cheese and bacon, how about:

Buffalo chicken and blue cheese
Taco meat and a Mexican blend of cheese,
Black beans, salsa, and ranch dressing
Smoked shrimp and feta cheese
Fried onions and nacho cheese sauce
Assorted pizza toppings, including pepperoni, mushrooms, etc
Chicken Chili and shredded cheese
Cooked broccoli with cheese sauce

Recipe FAQs:

What to serve them with?

If I am serving this delicious appetizer at a party, I will often add a few more appetizers, such as Fried Oysters, Cheese Quesadillas, Chicken Egg Rolls, Macho Nachos, Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, Roasted Pecans, Smoked Queso Dip, or Fried Crab Claws,

Shrimp Toast, Hanky Pankies, Cranberry Pecan Mini Goat Cheese Balls, or Caprese Skewers would also be a nice addition.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with asking each guest to bring an appetizer too. And, if you need a signature cocktail to round things out, try my retro Meyer Lemon French 75 or make a pitcher of my Ultimate Frozen Margaritas.

What kind of potato is best?

I like to use Russet potatoes, but any potato, including sweet potatoes, will work. Small baby or new potatoes also work well to make tiny bite-size potato skins. Of course, you will need to adjust your cooking times, with larger potatoes taking more time and smaller ones taking less time.

Can you make this recipe ahead?

To make ahead – after you remove the potato pulp, you can freeze the potato skins in a plastic freezer bag for up to two months or store them in the refrigerator covered for 24 hours. When you get ready to make the loaded potato skins, remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw for a few minutes before coating them with the butter mixture.

Sharon’s tips:

Repurposing potato skins is a great way to avoid wasting the skin or jacket, a delicious and nutritious part of the potato. We love air-fried loaded twice-baked potatoes at our house. When I make them, I always cut off the top third of the potato and only refill the bottom part to make sure it has plenty of filling. And, guess what? The top third of the potato also makes the absolute best air-fried potato skins imaginable! If you are using these tops, you can skip the first part of the directions that deal with baking the potatoes and go straight to coating them with the butter mixture.
I have a compact Cosori 3.7 quart air fryer that I used for this recipe that is designed for smaller families. Two large whole potatoes or four potato skins fit in the basket perfectly. Food cooked in an air fryer cooks best if it’s not crowded so the air can circulate around it. If you have a larger appliance or want to feed more folks, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
Easy Loaded Crispy Potato Skins are best eaten hot out of the oven. However, if you do have leftovers, set your air fryer at 400 degrees F. and reheat for five to six minutes.
To cut preparation time, you can substitute purchased already cooked real bacon bits instead of cooking your own bacon. You can usually find this product close to the salad dressings in your grocery store.
When cooking the potatoes in the air fryer, be sure to place them perpendicular to the handle, running from front to back in the basket. If you put them parallel to the handle (as shown in my pictures), because of the rounded bottoms, they tend to tip over when you push the basket in or remove it.
Every air fryer works a little differently. Be sure to follow your manufacturer’s instructions if they differ from mine.
If you want to ensure your potatoes or potato skins don’t stick to the air fryer basket, brush-on or lightly spray the basket with cooking oil. Do not use Pam or another non-stick cooking spray. It may adversely affect your basket’s finish.
If you are looking for ideas to use the potato flesh you scooped out of the baked potatoes to make the potato skins, check out my recipes for Potato Croquettes or Crispy Baked Potato Fritters.