Ninja Foodi Baked Potato

A Ninja Foodi Baked Potato isn't really baked at all, but they are easy and make the perfect side dish! You choose the method that will produce the results you want. Like a softer skin, pressure cooking is the way to go. If you like a crispy skin, then air frying is the perfect choice!

My husband and I had a friendly debate going on over baked potatoes. See, he is kind of a baked potato aficionado, growing up in Idaho and all. I think he cried a little the first time I pressure cooked a baked potato; however, after air crisping with the Ninja Foodi, it was very good!

Was it good enough, though? Did pressure cooking save time? Were the results better than just simply air crisping or air frying a potato? Jeff was pretty sure that skipping the pressure cooking would result in a better outcome, I had my doubts. I figured, at the very least, it would take longer to air crisp then to pressure cook and then crisp the skin.

Turns out, I was wrong and Jeff was right. The most surprising outcome from our experiment was they BOTH took exactly the same amount of time! That's right, pressure cooking did not save any time! Shocking, I know!

Now, if you like your potato skin soft and not crispy, then pressure cooking is definitely the way to go and I've included a timing chart based on weight of your potato.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ingredients & Substitutions

Potatoes

I recommend using Russet potatoes for the best outcome, but any type of potato will work with the timing charts below.

You can even use sweet potatoes if you like. Sweet potatoes usually take a few minutes less than Russet potatoes, so maybe shave 5 minutes off the cooking time.

Oil & Salt

Personally, I like to oil and salt the outside of my potatoes before air frying, but this is completely optional. If you do decide to use the oil and salt, make sure to use a coarse salt. If you used table salt or even a fine grind sea salt, it will be too salty.

I used a coarse grind sea salt and it's perfect. I like to use either canola oil, olive oil, or avocado oil. If you are using the Ninja Foodi grill, I would stick with avocado oil because it has a higher smoke point.

Toppings

I like to keep my potatoes pretty simple. My favorite toppings are butter (of course), sour cream and green onions or chives. Jeff, on the other hand, likes to pile his high with toppings like bacon, butter, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Add whatever toppings you want and, if you are making a bunch of potatoes for a group, you might consider having a topping bar. Put out a bunch of different toppings into small bowls and let everyone top their potato how they like. It's a lot of fun and, if you include various meats and cheeses or maybe even this delicious chili recipe, your side dish potato just turned itself into a full meal!

Don't forget to salt & pepper to taste! Salt is one of the most important ingredients on a baked potato, if you ask me!

You might also like these Ninja Foodi Side Dish Recipes

Turn your Baked Potato into a Twice-Baked Potato

If you really want a decadent potato, turn your baked potato into a twice-baked potato. When the potatoes are fully cooked, slice a small area off of the top. Scoop out the potato and put it into a mixing bowl.

Using a potato masher, mash the potato and add in your favorite ingredients like butter, sour cream, ham, cheese, or even spam. Spam is something my husband loves in his twice baked potatoes, but I prefer to use prosciutto. Here is my recipes for twice baked potatoes if you want to use the ingredients I do. Twice-Baked Potatoes

Once the potato filling is the way you want it, stuff it back into the potato skin. Air fry on 375℉ for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top. Serve & Enjoy!

How to Pressure Cook a Potato

Pressure cooking a potato in the Ninja Foodi pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or any electric pressure cooker is extremely easy and a time saver if you like a softer skin.

First, you always want to poke some holes in your potato. I use a fork and poke about 3 times on each side.

When pressure cooking a potato, I don't use any oil or salt on the skin, but you could if you wanted to. Place 1 cup of water in the inner pot and put the potatoes in the air fryer basket, on the rack or use the crisping plate. It doesn't matter what you set them on, but you do want them raised above the liquid.

Put the pressure lid on and make sure the valve is to the sealed position, select high pressure. Pressure cook according to the chart below, based on the size of your potato. If you have various sizes, then PC based on the largest potato.

Pressure Cooking Timing for Potatoes

While I like a crispy skin, I know many people prefer them soft and if that is you, then pressure cooking will definitely save you time. To fully cook a whole potato varies by size. For my baked potatoes, I always choose a russet, but this chart should work for any type of potato as long as you follow the timing for the size potatoes you have.

You can cook 1 or multiple potatoes at the same time without making any changes to the timing as long as they are all around the same size. Always remember to poke a few holes in your potato before cooking so they don't break apart.

How long does it take to Air Fry a Baked Potato?

Much to my surprise, it takes the same amount of time to air fry a potato as it does to pressure cook and then crisp the skin. So, if you like a nice crispy outer skin with a soft and fluffy inside, air fryer potatoes are the way to go!

They also take less time than making them in the oven!

Wash the potatoes and pat them dry. If you want to use oil and salt, then spritz the skin with the oil of your choice and put some coarse sea salt onto a plate and roll the potato in the salt until it is lightly covered with the salt.

You do not need to preheat your air fryer when making a baked potato. Different air fryers work differently, so you may need to adjust your temperature or timing depending on your air fryer.

What I have found is the Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, and the dual basket Ninja Foodi Air Fryer have very comparable results, so following the times in this chart should work just fine.

Once your potatoes are prepped, place them in the air fryer basket or on the crisping plate. Set the air fryer temperature to 400℉/200℃ and air fry for the length of time in the chart below.

Once the potatoes are finished air frying, you can check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer (it should read about 210℉/99℃) or check the tenderness with a fork.

If you like the skins to stay crispy, then I suggesting making a slit in the top right away to release the steam. Trapped steam inside of the potato causes the skin to get soft pretty quickly.

Ninja Foodi Grill Cooking Instructions

I like to cook my potatoes at the highest temperature possible, so when air frying potatoes, I turn to the Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill because the air crisping setting goes up 50 degrees higher.

With the higher temperature, you do want to use an oil that won't smoke. Olive oil might have some smoking, so I would use avocado oil instead which has a higher smoke point.

Of course, you can skip the oil if you want and you will still have a wonderful air fryer potato. I don't worry about preheating the air fryer when making a potato, so you can simply bypass the preheat if you want.

To do that on the XL grill, simply push the preheat button after you select your function and time and it will prompt you to add your food right away and bypass the preheat.

You will want to prep your potatoes the same way. Make sure to poke some holes in them. Coat with oil and coarse salt, if you like. If you like your potato skin a less crispy, then you can wrap it in aluminum foil which will trap in steam and soften the skin.

Place the potatoes in the crisping basket and close the lid. The potato size will determine the cooking time, so refer to the chart below.

Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill Cooking Chart for Potatoes

When your potatoes are done, you want to slice into them right away and release the steam to keep the skin crispy. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!