A great baked potato is crunchy on the outside, sweet and hot on the inside and almost made to be smothered in butter, butter or sour product. But getting that perfect appearance often takes close to an hour in a hot stove, and who wants to cope with that when it’s now scorching inside? If you’re trying to avoid turning your house into a bath, there’s a far quicker means to get the job done– and all it takes is an air fryer.

This sophisticated process delivers the exact steakhouse-style benefits in less than half the time. The trick is in the training and schedule, giving you that clean skin and soft interior without having to wait long or heating up the entire house. Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbeque or just need an easy night area, this route can save you day without sacrificing quality. If you love baked potatoes but hate the hassle, this is the way to go.

With a  microwave  to speedily cook the inside and a powerful  air fryer  to crisp the skin, you’ll wonder why anyone makes baked potatoes the old-fashioned way.

My 12-Minute Baked Potato Recipe

What you need

• One russet potato
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
• A microwave
• An air fryer
• Kosher salt for serving

Directions

• Step 1: Poke 10 to 12 air holes in the potato using a fork and salt liberally.
• Step 2: Microwave the potato on high for eight to 10 minutes or until it’s fork-tender and cooked through.
• Step 3: Slice the potato halfway through and toss with melted butter or olive oil. You can also stuff the potato with cheese or bacon bits.
• Step 4: Air fry on high, skin side up, for two minutes.
• Step 5 :  Flip and cook for another two minutes until desired crispiness is achieved. ( If topping with cheese, veggies or bacon, cook skin side down only. )

For more tips, see my list of the seven foods I’ll only air fry from now on, and learn the best way to reheat every kind of leftovers.