These Easy Air Fryer Potato Skins are loaded with crunchy bacon, gooey melted cheddar cheese, and then drizzled in ranch. Fill these up with any of your favorite toppings for the perfect appetizer.
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FOR THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS AND COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST. BEFORE YOU SCROLL, THERE’S IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG POST.
I’m always looking for appetizers and side dishes that also double as the perfect Game Day Snacks! I love a good appetizer, so much that I often make them a side dish for my meals.
You are going to love these potato skins. They are quick and easy to make and you can substitute any of your favorite toppings.
What Type of Potatoes to Use
Baking potatoes like russet or even sweet potatoes will work well for this recipe. I like to search for the potatoes that are larger in length. This will result in nice sized skins. If you want bite-sized appetizers grab smaller potatoes.
You can use something like Yukon gold or red potatoes, if you wish. These are a lot smaller in size so you will need to reduce the cook time by a few minutes.
Ranch Dressing
I like to use this Ranch Dressing from Primal Kitchen. It’s sugar-free, dairy free, Whole 30 Approved, Keto Certified, Paleo, gluten-free, and made with cage-free eggs. Primal Kitchen is my-go to for salad dressings.
They recently reformulated their ranch so it’s even thicker than before. Who doesn’t like nice, thick ranch? That makes it easy for dipping and drizzling and for use outside of just salads. This should be widely available in stores and online in about a month, so I’ll keep you guys posted next month.
For their other amazing products I recommend, check out my favs here.
Homemade Ranch Seasoning
Potatoes can be really boring and bland if you don’t season them! You will need to add some salt to the core of the potatoes. I like to take it up a notch with my Homemade Ranch Seasoning recipe. So good!
How to Make Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Rub each of the potatoes with olive oil.
- Place each potato in the air fryer basket. Air fry.
- Remove the potatoes from the air fryer and cool completely.
- Slice each potato in half. Use a spoon a scoop out the inner flesh. Reserve 1/4th of an inch of the flesh along the bottom and sides of the potato.
- Drizzle or spray the inside of the potatoes with olive oil. And then season with salt, Homemade Ranch Seasoning, or your favorite seasoning.
- Top each potato with the crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Air fry.
- Top with green onions and ranch dressing.
Cook Time/How Long to Cook
You will need to cook the potatoes in the air fryer first. This takes about 35-45 minutes.
From there you will cook them for an additional 6-10 minutes to melt the cheese.
Air Fryer Temperature
I recommend 400 degrees to cook the potatoes and them 350 degrees to melt the cheese.
Additional Topping Ideas
- Chives
- Onions
- Buffalo Sauce
- Sour Cream
- Black Olives
- Shredded lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Homemade BBQ Seasoning
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
What to Do With the Leftover Inside of the Potatoes
I like to save this for mashed potatoes for another meal. You can also make Instant Pot Potato Soup.
How to Store Them/How Long Will They Last?
You can store them tightly sealed and covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer Tips
You can actually freeze these for later use. You can defrost them in the fridge or cook them from frozen. In general, I reheat (defrosted or from frozen) in the air fryer at 350 degrees until warm.
More Potato Recipes
Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes Au Gratin
More Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes
Air Fryer Hush Puppies
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Crab Rangoons
Air Fryer Jalapenos
Air Fryer Vegetables
Check out more Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes here.
Easy Air Fryer Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 3 russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions or scallions
- Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing for drizzling
Optional Ranch Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon chives Dried or fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes to ensure they are clean.
- Rub each of the potatoes with olive oil (about 1/2 tablespoon). I like to spritz them using this olive oil spray from Amazon.
- Place each potato in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 35-45 minutes on 400 degrees until soft. You can test by piercing the potato with a fork. Cook time will vary based on the weight of your potatoes. I often find it takes longer the more potatoes I cook at once.
- Remove the potatoes from the air fryer and cool completely. I let them cool for about 20-30 minutes.
- Slice each potato in half. Use a spoon a scoop out the inner flesh. Reserve 1/4th of an inch of the flesh along the bottom and sides of the potato. You want each skin to still have a base to hold the toppings.
- Drizzle or spray the inside of the potatoes with olive oil (if drizzling about 1-1 1/2 tablespoons total). And then season with salt, Homemade Ranch Seasoning, or your favorite seasoning.
- Top each potato with the crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Place the skins in the air fryer and cook for 6-10 minutes on 350 degrees until the cheese has melted. The cook time will vary based on how you like your melted cheese. I like for the cheese to brown a little on top, so I go for 7-8 minutes.
- Top with green onions and Primal Kitchen ranch dressing.
Baking Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes to ensure they are clean.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Rub each of the potatoes with olive oil (about 1/2 tablespoon). I like to spritz them using this olive oil spray from Amazon. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan and bake for 40 minutes to an hour until soft.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and cool completely. I let them cool for about 20-30 minutes.
- Adjust oven temperature to 425 degrees.
- Slice each potato in half. Use a spoon a scoop out the inner flesh. Reserve 1/4th of an inch of the flesh along the bottom and sides of the potato. You want each skin to still have a base to hold the toppings.
- Place the skins in a roasting pan or baking dish. A sheet pan or cookie sheet will warp/bend. Bake for 10 minutes on one side. Flip the potatoes and cook for an additional 10 minutes on the other side.
- Remove the skins from the oven and drizzle or spray the inside of the potatoes with olive oil (if drizzling about 1-1 1/2 tablespoons total). And then season with salt, Homemade Ranch Seasoning, or your favorite seasoning.
- Top each potato with the crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. Return to the oven and Broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Top with green onions and Primal Kitchen ranch dressing.
Wayneos Buenos
Monday 8th of February 2021
This recipe turned out great for our Super Bowl party. I used 15 red Norland spuds to make 30 pieces. I used the suggested spices which were good. Temperature and times worked great. Taste and consistency were great. Topped with either sour cream or ranch dressing added overall flavor. It will be interesting to try other spice combinations and cheeses next time. Family and guests were coming back for more.
staysnatched
Monday 8th of February 2021
Keep them wanting more!
Jillian
Sunday 7th of February 2021
Made the oven version - so tasty! Will be trying this recipe again in the air fryer to get extra crisp! The ranch seasoning is delicious. Perfect for a football game appetizer! Yum!
staysnatched
Monday 8th of February 2021
I'm glad you enjoyed these!
Orvina
Sunday 7th of February 2021
I just made this and decided to write a review while I still had the page open. I have made twice baked potatoes before so this is kinda similar but I never made it in the air fryer. I really like how crispy the skin gets in the air fryer. The seasoning on the potatoes were so good! These are way better than the frozen ones. But we knew they would be! LOL
staysnatched
Monday 8th of February 2021
haha! I knew you would like these.
Teri
Sunday 7th of February 2021
Not only have I never made ranch seasoning. I realized today I’ve never made potato skins. That baffled me too. However, you made it super easy for me to have now done both! I will no longer be the person that buys those ranch seasoning packets! I will take my next potato skin trial to sweet potatoes! Thank you!
staysnatched
Monday 8th of February 2021
Yay! Say goodbye to ranch packets!