Air Fryer Potato Skins have a nice, crispy skin with a cheesy, bacon filling! They are the perfect game day and family friendly appetizer (or snack!) EASY AND FAST POTATO SKINS Who doesn’t love some crispy and comforting Air Fryer Potato Skins?!? They’re the perfect snack or appetizer to enjoy, especially if company is coming. They’re belly warming and filling and when the Air Fryer is doing all the hard work, they’re realllllly simple to make! In just 45 minutes, you’ll be enjoying some Potato Skins with crunchy jackets, tender fillings, that are topped with melted cheese, bacon, green onions, and a dollop of sour cream. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  What kind of Air Fryer should I use? Will this recipe work with mine? Just so you know, I test all of my air fryer recipes with a 6-quart basket style air fryer. This style is the most popular style sold in America, so I use that since it is the one most people own. Unfortunately, it’s impossible for me to test every recipe in every single style of air fryer out there. They make so many styles now – like an oven style, or one with the fan at the top, some are dual basket, etc. I cannot tell you how to make these potatoes in any other style of air fryer other than the air fryer basket style that I use. If you have a different style of air fryer, grab your owners manual and see if it has any helpful tips. Otherwise, you just need to use your own personal judgement and use the knowledge you’ve gained from cooking with your own air fryer to adjust this specific recipe if you need to. Can I use a different kind of potato? I tested this recipe with Russet Potatoes, but Idaho potatoes, red potatoes, or Yukon Gold potatoes would work well, too. You may need to adjust cooking times though. They are done when they are fork tender. Why are my potato skins not crispy? If you don’t dry your skins well enough before you prep them then they may just get soggy rather than crisp. Also, I can’t stress the importance of adding the oil to the skins to help crisp them up. If you’re too light with the oil, they won’t get crispy either. What if I don’t have an Air Fryer? If you don’t have an air fryer, you can make potato skins in the oven using this recipe below: 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare potatoes by washing well and drying thoroughly.2. Lightly oil a baking sheet and add potatoes.  3. Bake for 45 minutes or until fork tender.  4. Remove potatoes from oven and place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool.  5. Once potatoes have cooled enough to handle, take a sharp knife, and slice potatoes length  wise.  6. Using a spoon, scoop out the inside, leaving about ¼ inch thick potato skins. (Store the discarded potatoes for another use.)7. Sprinkle cheese and bacon bits evenly over each potato skin. 8. Return potato skins to baking sheet and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, until cheese is  melted and starting to bubble. 9. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. 10. Top with sour cream and sliced green onions or chives. Enjoy! What do I do with the discarded potato filling? I would definitely save the scooped filling for other recipes. It can be made into mashed potatoes or it can be shaped into patties and fried. The topping could be used for Shepherd’s Pie or you can use the filling to make pierogis. Can I make these potato skins ahead of time and freeze them?  Absolutely! Cook potatoes following the instructions. Add cheese and bacon bits. Flash freeze on a baking sheet for one hour in the freezer. Wrap in foil and place in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for 3-6  months. When ready to cook, put frozen potatoes skins on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 400F degrees or cook in pre-heated air fryer for 12-15 minutes.   How do I store leftover potato skins? Store leftover potato skins in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.   INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE) russet potatoes – these work best for potato skins. oil – you can use olive or vegetable oil. Also, you could use spray oil if that is what you like, but slathering a good coat of oil on the potatoes with a basting brush really helps crisp the potato skins up. Olive oil works best in an air fryer since it is less likely to gunk up the air fryer basket like other oils will. cheddar cheese  – I think freshly shredded melts best but use what you have on hand.  bacon pieces – I used the store-bought bacon pieces in a bag. Bacon pieces are larger pieces of bacon compared to bacon bits. These are both great options and time savers. You could also fry your own bacon. If doing so, it will take about 6 pieces to equal ¾ cup.   salt– I used sea salt, but any salt will work. green onions and sour cream – for serving. HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER POTATO SKINS Preheat 6-quart basked  air fryer to 400F degrees. Prepare potatoes by washing well and drying thoroughly. Place potatoes in air fryer basket, coat with oil, and sprinkle salt over top of them. Turn potatoes and repeat the process.   Air fry for 20 minutes. Turn potatoes over and air fry for another 15 minutes. Remove potatoes and transfer to a wire rack to begin cooling. Once potatoes have slightly cooled (enough to handle) slice them in half-length wise.  Using a spoon, scoop out some of the inside, leaving about ¼ inch thick potato skins. (Store the discarded potatoes for another use.) Sprinkle cheese and bacon pieces evenly over each potato skin.  Return half of the skins to the air fryer basket and air fry for 5 minutes at 400F degrees.  Repeat with the remaining half. Remove potato skins and let cool slightly. Top with sour cream and sliced green onions or chives. Enjoy! CRAVING MORE RECIPES?  Air Fryer Potato Wedges Air Fryer Garlic Cheese Bread Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Lit’l Smokies Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Air Fryer Southwestern Egg Rolls Air Fryer Potatoes and Sausage Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Air Fryer Garlic Butter Steak Bites Air Fryer Chicken Bites Air Fryer Pork Chop Bites Air Fryer Ribs Print Air Fryer Potato Skins Perfectly cooked Air Fryer Potato Skins with a cheesy, potato and bacon filing. Course AppetizerCuisine American Prep Time 5 minutes minutesCook Time 45 minutes minutes Servings 6 Calories 393kcal Author Brandie @ The Country Cook Ingredients6 medium sized russet potatoes3 Tablespoons olive oilsalt, to taste1 cup shredded cheddar cheese¾ cup bacon piecessour cream for serving¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced InstructionsPre-heat 6-quart basked air fryer to 400F degrees. Prepare 6 medium sized russet potatoes by rinsing and scrubbing well and drying thoroughly.Place potatoes in air fryer basket, coat with about 3 Tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle salt, to taste on top of them. Turn potatoes and repeat the process. Air fry for 20 minutes. Turn potatoes over and air fry for another 15 minutes.Remove potatoes and transfer to a wire rack to begin cooling. Once potatoes have slightly cooled (enough to handle) slice them in half-length wise. Using a spoon, scoop out some of the inside, leaving about ¼ inch thick potato skins. (Store the discarded potatoes for another use.) Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and ¾ cup bacon pieces evenly over all of the potato skins. Return half of the skins to the air fryer basket and air fry for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Repeat with the remaining half.Remove potato skins and let cool slightly.Top with sour cream and ¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced. Enjoy! Notes Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions. NutritionCalories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 20g | Sodium: 375mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g