Air fryer recipe · Starters
Loaded Cheesy Potato Skins
Crisp potato boats filled with melty cheese, spring onion and a smoky paprika kick.
- 35 minTotal time
- 200°CAir fryer
- 6Serves
- VegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 265kcal
- 8.7 gprotein
- 21.3 gcarbs
- 16.5 gfat
- 2.1 gfibre
Per serving, about 6 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Medium potatoes4
- Grated cheddar1 cup
- Spring onion3 stalks
- Butter, melted2 tbsp
- Smoked paprika1/2 tsp
- Sour cream1/4 cup
Method
Cook the potatoes
Prick the whole potatoes all over and air fry them until a skewer slides in easily, then halve each one lengthways. Let them cool for a few minutes first, as warm skins hold together far better than hot ones when you scoop.
Scoop and brush
Scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a sturdy shell about a centimetre thick so it does not collapse. Brush the insides and cut edges with melted butter and dust with smoked paprika to help them crisp and colour.
Crisp the shells
Return the empty buttered shells to the basket skin side up for a short blast to dry and crisp the cut edges. This step is the real secret to potato skins that crunch when you bite them rather than turning soft and floppy.
Fill with cheese
Flip the shells cut side up and pile in the grated cheddar with most of the sliced spring onion. Heap it on generously, because cheese sinks and shrinks a lot as it melts and a mean layer just disappears into the skin.
Air-fry
Air fry the loaded skins at 200°C for 8 min until the cheese bubbles and browns at the edges. Top each with a spoon of sour cream and the reserved spring onion just before serving so they stay fresh and cool against the hot skin.
