Air fryers has arguably revolutionized cooking, as it creates a quick and healthy way to cook and crisp food without the use of heavy, fattening oils. When it comes to potatoes, can you cook them in foil in your air fryer?
Yes. Aluminum foil is safe to use in an air fryer to wrap your potatoes. The foil helps the potatoes cook faster because it traps the heat and prevents the potatoes from sticking to the inside of the fryer.
Just as you would bake your potatoes in the oven, wrap your potatoes tightly in foil – making sure to poke holes in both the foil and the potato before placing them in the fryer – and cook.
Read on to learn more about how to properly bake foil-wrapped potatoes in the air fryer as well as some delicious recipes and ideas for sides.
How to Bake Potatoes in Air Fryer Using Foil
The following tips should help you successfully cook potatoes in an air fryer.
Step 1: Wash your potatoes
This is important, as potatoes have dirt and other debris on them that should be rinsed off before cooking. Rinse under a spout or place in a bowl filled with water.
Step 2: Oil and season potatoes
Lightly coat each potato with olive oil. While you can brush the olive oil onto the potato skins, spray olive oil is more convenient.
Olive oil helps the potato skin get that nice, crispy skin that’s a signature feature of the perfect baked potato.
Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Step 3: Wrap potatoes in foil
Using aluminum foil, completely and tightly wrap each potato you intend to cook.
Step 4: Poke holes in foil-wrapped potato
This step only applies if your potatoes are cold or refrigerated before being prepared for cooking, but many cooks swear by this tip in all circumstances.
Poking holes in the potatoes helps to release steam and therefore prevent pressure from building up in the potato.
Without poking holes in your potato, the potato could explode and make a mess of what would have been a tasty meal.
Step 5: Place foil-wrapped potatoes in air fryer
In a single layer, place the potatoes inside the air fryer. Make sure not to stack them on top of each other or they won’t cook evenly.
Step 6: Cook
Set your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 40 minutes.
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Why should you wrap potatoes in foil?
Wrapping your potatoes in aluminum foil helps them cook faster, which is a life saver when you have little time to cook a satisfying weeknight dinner.
Foil can also prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the air fryer or to the oven rack.
When using oil and seasonings on the skin of your potatoes, foil can help contain these ingredients and means less mess for your dinner prep.
Why should you NOT wrap potatoes in foil?
If you’re microwaving your potatoes, it goes without saying that you should NEVER microwave potatoes in aluminum foil, as any metal in a microwave will destroy the microwave and create a fire hazard.
How long can potatoes stay in aluminum foil?
To prevent bacteria from forming, it is generally advised to remove baked potatoes from foil within 10 – 45 minutes after baking.
This helps the potato cool naturally.
Keeping your baked potato in foil for long periods of time not only fosters bacterial growth and increases the risk of food borne illness, but it also causes discoloration in your potato, turning your crispy and delicious dinner into an amorphous grayish lump.
Leaving the potato in foil also negatively affects the consistency of the potato, turning it mushy and damp – especially the skin.
Do potatoes cook faster wrapped in foil?
Yes. Because aluminum foil traps the heat, it speeds up the baking process.
What To Serve with Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes make a versatile and simple weeknight meal. The following suggestions add a spin on this classic that’ll spice up your dinner table next time you bake potatoes.
Baked Potato Bar
If you have a family where everyone likes different things, consider a baked potato bar – which is made by including small bowls full of different toppings.
While individual tastes may vary, some popular toppings to include in your baked potato bar are:
- Bacon bits
- Sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt, for a similar tasting, low fat option)
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Chives
- Sliced cherry tomatoes
- Tortilla strips
- Jalapenos
- Green onions
- Chili (can be homemade chili or canned hot dog chili, like Hormel’s or Wolf Brand Chili)
- Gravy (you’ve heard of mashed potatoes and gravy, so why not add a splash of gravy to your baked potato?)
Steamed Vegetables
For a healthy, satisfying vegetarian meal, consider adding steamed vegetables as a side. Broccoli, asparagus, and other green veggies pairs well with baked potatoes.
Add salt and pepper to your vegetables for extra flavor.
Add a Protein to the Mix
We know that baked potatoes are a simple meal for a busy weeknight, but what if you want to prepare something a bit more elaborate for a romantic dinner for your partner or cook something nice for your dinner guests?
- Surf and Turf with baked potato
- Grilled shrimp, steak, and baked potato – complete with a side of steamed or grilled vegetables – is a classic meal that is sure to impress.
- Steak with baked potato
- Baked potatoes are a classic side to a good steak, complete with butter and sour cream
- Seafood
- Shrimp, grilled or fried fish, or calamari are all great options to serve alongside your baked potatoes.
- Turkey chili
- For a heart healthy winter dinner, consider making turkey chili to serve alongside your baked potatoes. Even better is that the chili can serve as both a side and a topping for your potato. Make it in the slow cooker while you bake potatoes in the air fryer for a low-maintenance, minimum prep meal.
- Bratwurst or sausage
- Another hearty protein that pairs well with baked potatoes, bratwurst, or sausage can be served whole or sliced.
Breakfast Baked Potato
To cut down on food waste and as a creative way to use up your leftovers, you can incorporate your leftover baked potatoes into a delicious breakfast.
You can scrape the soft inner flesh from the potato skins and add them to a skillet with plenty of cooking oil, using it in place of hash browns or making potato cakes for breakfast.
If you prefer to use the skins, you can dice your potatoes and mix them with eggs, cheese, and beans to make a breakfast burrito.
How To Store Leftovers
Storing leftover baked potatoes is easy. The following steps outline the proper ways to store your leftover baked potatoes.
- Remove the baked potatoes you aren’t going to eat from the foil.
- Let your potatoes cool naturally on a flat surface, such as a plate or in a dish, without the foil. This should take between 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Once cooled, place your potatoes in a metal or glass dish in a single layer. Try not to stack the potatoes, as stacking them may cause discoloration or affect the shape of the potatoes.
- Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
- Leftover potatoes are good for 3 – 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 year in the freezer.
- If you choose to freeze your leftover potatoes, keep in mind that the consistency of the potatoes will be affected.
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Conclusion
Baked potatoes can absolutely be cooked in foil in an air fryer, and foil helps the potatoes cook faster and make for a cleaner meal prep.
Just make sure to properly store the potatoes you aren’t going to use and use them within 3 – 4 days.