Air Fryer Recipe
Crispy Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Potato Skins
Crispy cheese and bacon stuffed potato skins are a proper indulgent snack, and they come up beautifully in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes
- 200g of cheddar cheese, grated
- 6 rashers of streaky bacon
- 50g of sour cream
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Method
- Wash the potatoes well and prick them all over with a fork. Microwave them for about 10 minutes until soft, or bake in an oven at 200°C for 45 minutes. Leave to cool slightly.
- Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then chop into small pieces.
- Cut each potato in half and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a thin layer inside the skins. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix together the grated cheese, chopped bacon, and half of the spring onions. Spoon the mixture into each potato skin.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C. Arrange the filled potato skins in the basket in a single layer. Air fry for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the skins are golden brown.
- Serve topped with sour cream and the remaining chopped spring onions.
Why this works in an air fryer
Pre-cooking gelatinises the potato so the air fryer only has to dry and crisp the shell. Oil conducts heat into the skin while rapid convection drives off surface moisture; streaky bacon brings rendered fat and salt, and cheddar melts quickly, browning at the edges without needing a long cook.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5-6 litre basket holding 8 halves in one layer with space around each; in a single-drawer model cook in batches rather than stacking, while a dual-zone fryer may need 1-3 extra minutes if both drawers are loaded because airflow and heat recovery are reduced.
Common pitfalls
- Skins bend or tear when scooped? The potatoes are too hot or the wall is too thin; let them cool until handleable and leave about 5mm of potato attached to support the filling.
- Pale, leathery skins after 12 minutes? The scooped potatoes were damp; air fry the empty oiled skins for 3-5 minutes before filling, or pat the cut surfaces dry before adding cheese.
- Cheese melted but bacon tastes chewy? The bacon was under-rendered before filling; cook it until visibly crisp and drain it, as the short air-fryer finish will not fully render soft bacon buried under cheese.
- Dark cheese edges while the skin is still soft? The filling is piled too high or touching the element airflow; reduce to 190°C and extend by 3-4 minutes, keeping the skins in a single layer.
Variations & substitutions
- Use mature cheddar for sharper flavour; it browns faster than mild cheddar, so start checking at 10 minutes.
- Swap half the cheddar for mozzarella for a stretchier filling; expect less browning and add a pinch more salt because mozzarella is milder.
- Use smoked pancetta or lardons instead of streaky bacon; cook and drain them first, as thicker pieces release more fat that can make the skins greasy.
- Add finely chopped jalapeños or pickled chillies to the cheese mix; drain them well first so the added moisture does not soften the potato shells.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooked potato skins covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is hot and the skins re-crisp.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
