Sometimes, friends just give me random food items. I guess that they want to see what I will do with them. Last year, a family friend gave me a container of French’s Crispy Fried Onions so I asked my Air Fryer Facebook page readers what I should make. I ended up adding them to my air fryer baked potato recipe to make loaded baked potatoes. They were delicious.

In case you need other ideas for fried onions, the readers had some great ones: green bean casserole (of course!); “crush them and use them instead of bread crumbs on chicken or shrimp or whatever you use breadcrumbs on”; “excellent on a salad” and “on burgers”.

I will revisit those ideas (except green bean casserole since I know that my family doesn’t like that) in the future. Meanwhile, I loved the air fryer loaded baked potato with bacon, cheese and the crispy onions. They were so easy to make that I want to show you the steps visually before sharing the recipe…

Step-by-Step Photos

Air Fryer Baked Potato (Loaded)

Air Fryer Baked Potato

Ingredients

2 medium russet or Idaho potatoes

2 tbsp butter
¼ cup cheddar cheese, freshly grated
4 slices of bacon (cooked and crumbled)

¼ cup of crispy fried onions

Instructions

Preheat your air fryer to 390°F for 3 to 5 minutes. While it heats up, scrub the potatoes under running water and pat them dry.
Pierce the skin of each potato all over with a fork. (This lets the steam escape and helps with even cooking.)

Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket.
Air fry for 35 minutes, flipping them over at the 20-minute mark. Check for doneness by inserting a knife into the center – it should slide in easily. If it’s not soft enough, they need to cook a bit longer. Simply check the potatoes every 2 to 3 minutes until they are at your desired level of softness.
Split the potatoes open and add the toppings.

Place the loaded potatoes back in the air fryer for 2 minutes at 390°F to melt the cheese and warm up the other toppings.

Bonus Tips:

I normally spray or brush oil in the air fryer basket and on the ingredients that I cook in it. For this recipe, I didn’t. You can lightly brush the potatoes with olive oil if desired though. This isn’t necessary, but it will help create a crispier skin.
I also usually add salt and pepper to most of my dishes. The bacon, cheese and onions added enough flavor to this recipe for me and my family so I skipped them but feel free to add whatever seasonings that you enjoy.

Toppings

You can get creative with toppings. The possibilities are endless. Popular loaded bake potato toppings include the following:

Butter
Sour cream

Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.)
Bacon bits
Chives

Salsa
Black beans
Feta cheese

Olives
Broccoli florets (for a healthy twist)

I normally eat baked potatoes with just a little butter, salt and pepper. Without the toppings, plain baked potatoes are healthy(ish) options filled with potassium and fiber. For health reasons, this delicious loaded potato will only be made for special treats. Whether you use the basic air fryer baked potato recipe or make the air fryer loaded baked potato, these dishes are very likely to be a hit with your loved ones.