Air Fryer Potato Skins

Thank you to Oster for sponsoring the post for today’s Air Fryer Potato Skins! 

Air Fryer Potato Skins

When it comes to football fare, like most of the world, I love it all. I do however find it fun to take some of these classics up a notch. Our seven layer dip is infinitely more flavorful than anything you can find at the store. Our French Onion Dip? The best creamy concoction that will touch your lips all football season long. (And also perfect for charcuterie and cheese boards.) Our cheeseburger sliders? Messy, gooey, cheesy and all things wonderful. 

While brainstorming ideas on how to take a classic potato skin up a notch, I turned up empty handed. I wanted to use buttery Yukon gold potatoes but the skin on a russet potato is the only one to crisp into a crunchy beautiful oblivion. I wanted to use fancy cheeses and toppings but I mean, how can you go wrong with extra sharp cheddar cheese and bacon?

 And then it came to me. Pimento Cheese. 

Spreading a layer of gooey pimento cheese on top of the ultra crispy potato skin exterior and then sprinkling with a shower of crisp thick-cut bacon, chives and crème fraiche really takes these beauties to another level. 

We still have all the same fundamentals, but they’re gussied up a bit. 

Another reasons our potato skins tower over the rest is because they are Air Fryer Potato Skins. Using our Oster Air Fryer (we’ve talked about here and here) cuts the cooking time down by more than half and achieves  the most crispy perfect exterior better than any other vessel.

Ingredients in Air Fryer Potato Skins 

Potatoes. Again, as mentioned, we’ve tried these with other potatoes and the crispiness you get from russets just doesn’t come close to any others. 

Cheddar. Use sharpest cheddar you can find. 

Cream cheese. Because this is a cheese spread I like to use a low-fat cream cheese. A little bit goes a long way. 

Mayo. No form of pimento cheese is complete without a little mayo. We use a light olive oil based mayo to keep the fat and calories down. 

Spices. Like our pimento cheese in our cheeseburgers, a little bit of garlic powder, onion powder and salt are what make up the spices. 

Bacon. We like to use a really thick-cut bacon cut into lardons 

Crème Fraiche. Okay, you can also use sour cream. Or Greek yogurt. 

Chives. Or green onions. Whatever floats your boat. 

Let’s Make Air Fryer Potato Skins

Cook the potatoes. First thing’s first, you need to cook the potatoes so you can scoop that flesh out and expose the skin. And the quickest way to do that is with our Oster® Diamond Force Air Fryer. I find myself gravitating towards this almost every day for veggies, salmon and even my kiddo’s chicken nuggets. This bad boy circulates air so quickly, it cooks five entire baked potatoes in about 25 minutes AND gets that skin extra crispy. Also, the fact that the 5-quart basket is big enough for five baked potatoes is a total win. 

Make the filling. While the potatoes cook, add the cheese, cream cheese, mayo, and spices to a mini food processor. Give them a whirl until everything is combined.

Stuff the potatoes. Split the cooked potatoes in half lengthwise. Spoon out the flesh. The more flesh you take out the crispier the potato skin will be. Keep the inside for mashed potatoes or gnocchi! 

Slather a few tablespoons of the cheese spread in each potato. Put them back in the air fryer and cook for 3-4 minutes until the skins are crispy and then cheese is starting to bubble and brown. 

Finish! Top them off with a dollop of crème fraiche, crispy bacon and green onion. Enjoy! 

Do I have to use Russet Potatoes? 

No, however, any other variety will not get quite as crispy. If you want them more bite-sized, use petite Yukon gold or red potatoes. 

Can I make them in advance? 

For the ultimate crispy experience I would not make them in advance, HOWEVER I have done both and they are delicious both ways. If you do make them in advance, I would suggest cooking them first, scooping the flesh out and then spreading the cheese in them. Refrigerate. When you’re ready to serve, pop them back in the air fryer. 

Can I cook the bacon in the air fryer?

Yes, and that’s what I did. Before cooking the potatoes, I popped the bacon in the air fryer basket, set the temperature to 380 and cooked it for about 8 minutes. Just be sure to clean the basket out before you cook the potatoes or you will have a smoky mess on your hands.