Air Fryer Potato Skins

Potato skins are the perfect appetizer for game-day, after school snack, or even as a side dish to dinner. They are so easy to make and you only need a few simple ingredients. 

This air fryer potato skins recipe makes skins that are perfect for snacking. They are easy to grab and go because each half is perfectly cut and filled with fluffy potato, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, and topped with sour cream.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

You will love this air fryer potato skins recipe because it’s so easy to make, and you can customize them with your favorite toppings. The potatoes are so light and fluffy, while the skins have a crispy exterior. So you get a little bit of soft and crisp in each bite.

For a fun twist, you can easily lay the potato skins out with toppings like cheese, bacon crumbles, sour cream, and different seasonings, and then let your family or party guests top their own before making them in the air fryer!

If you love russet potato recipes, try these air fryer potato peels, air fryer loaded baked potatoes, or air fryer twice baked potatoes. 

INGREDIENTS

• baked potatoes-I use russet potatoes
• shredded cheddar cheese
• crumbled bacon
• optional toppings like sour cream, chives, or green onions.

Making these potato skins in the air fryer begins with baked potatoes. I actually followed the directions from the air fryer loaded baked potatoes post, to cook the potatoes first.

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1
Once you have the potatoes cooked, slice each potato in half. Then use a spoon or scoop and remove some of the potato flesh, leaving about ¼ inch around the skins.

STEP 2
Next, fill the potato skins with cheese and then sprinkle bacon crumbles on top. 

STEP 3
Place the skins into the air fryer basket. Air fry at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 3-5 minutes, until the cheese melts.

STEP 4
Once they are done cooking, and the cheese has melted, you can sprinkle a little bit more cheese or leave as it is.

Season with salt and pepper as desired and serve with your favorite toppings, such as Daisy sour cream, chives, or chopped green onions.

EXPERT TIPS

Flip the potato skins halfway through the cooking time, or start air frying skin side up and then fill the potato skin when you flip it halfway through the cooking time. 

Arrange the skins in a single layer, without stacking or overlapping. Make them in batches if you need to. 

Be creative and have fun with your fillings and seasonings. There are so many fun ways you can serve them!

VARIATIONS

For classic potato skin toppings, use shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, sour cream and chopped green onions. 

Change up the flavors of the potato skins by adding a variety of sauces or dressings to the fillings. Ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, or even ketchup, can all be used to change the flavor and texture of these air fried potato skins. 

For Mexican flavored potato skins, top with salsa, guacamole, jalapenos, and shredded pepper jack or cotija cheese. 

For vegetarian filled potato skins, add chopped steamed veggies with melted cheddar or shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the skins and skip the bacon bits. 

Add chili, shredded BBQ chicken or ground hamburger meat onto the skins for a more filling appetizer or small meal. 

If you are looking for a healthier option, you can substitute the toppings. Use low-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and crumble turkey bacon instead of pork bacon, or skip that altogether. There are so many meat, cheese, and vegetable options you can change them up for variety. 

HOW TO BUY AND SELECT POTATOES

When you are choosing your potatoes, you want to choose the best potatoes that will give you the crispiest skins! To do this, we highly recommend Russet potatoes. They just make the crispiest potato skins because of their starch content. Yukon Gold, red potatoes, and other types, are delicious, but won’t give you the best results. 

Choose fresh, brown potatoes that don’t have bruises, cuts, growing sprouts, or deep “eyes.” It also helps if you can select potatoes that are close in size, so when you are air frying them, they will cook more evenly. 

STORING AND REHEATING

If you have leftover potato skins, let them cool first. Then remove the toppings if you can. Cover the potato skins with plastic wrap or store in an air tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

To reheat, return the potato skins to the air fryer, and air fry at 350 degrees for 2-4 minutes until heated through. Then add new toppings to the skins. If adding new shredded cheddar cheese, return to the air fryer for an additional minute until the cheese has melted. 

FAQ’s

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I love making my air fryer potato skins at home! They are so crispy, and we can top them with our favorite toppings. They are perfect for snacking and make a great side dish too!