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Vegetarian Recipes

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

Looking for an easy side dish to add to your dinner plate this week? Well, don’t overlook these simple, no-fuss, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes. Baked potatoes are a classic comfort food that’s budget-friendly and easy to customize with your favorite toppings. And I absolutely love cooking them in the air fryer. The potato skins get nice and crispy thanks to the air fryer and the potato flesh on the inside is perfectly soft & fluffy. Keep things simple with a little bit of butter, salt, and pepper or try out some of our favorite topping ideas listed below!

Overhead view of air fryer baked potatoes dressed with toppings on a white platter.

Which is Faster: Oven or Air Fryer?

You may be wondering which cooking method is faster for baking potatoes, the oven or the air fryer? From my experience the air fryer is just a little bit faster than the oven, about 10 minutes faster, depending on how soft you like your potatoes to be. But here are some other great benefits to baking potatoes in the air fryer:

  • Using the air fryer to bake potatoes keeps you from heating up your entire kitchen with a super hot oven. 
  • I also noticed the potato skin was crispier in the air fryer compared to the oven. And who doesn’t love a crispy potato skin!
  • If you’re making multiple dishes for dinner, it frees up your oven to cook other things.
  • And I was surprised to notice that the potato flesh on the inside was a lot fluffier and softer compared to the inside of an oven-baked potato.

Because of the super fluffy potato texture and the slightly shorter cook time, this is now my new favorite way to cook easy baked potatoes!😊

How Long To Cook Potatoes In The Air Fryer?

The cook times for air fryer baked potatoes will depend on the size of your potatoes and how tender you would like them to be. I like for my potatoes to be very tender and easily pierced with a fork or knife with no resistance. When air frying at 400°F, a ½ pound potato will take about 40-45 minutes for a soft inside texture. Larger potatoes will take slightly longer to cook.

Should I Wrap My Potato In Foil?

There’s actually no need to wrap your potatoes in foil when cooking them in the air fryer. You can simply air fry the potatoes uncovered, brushed with oil, and sprinkled with salt to get a nice crispy skin.

Baked Potato Topping Ideas

I was tempted to stuff these potatoes similar to my twice baked potatoes that I loveee, but I said to myself, “let me not get too carried away!” But just know if you wanted to take a few extra minutes to make some air fryer bacon while your potatoes are cooling off…you won’t regret it! Here are a few more great options to choose from:

Side view of air fryer baked potatoes on a white platter.
Overhead view of air fryer baked potatoes in an air fryer basket.

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Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes are a classic comfort food that’s budget-friendly, easy to customize, and made conveniently in the air fryer.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Total Cost $3.10 recipe / $0.77 serving
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 199kcal
Author Marsha – Budget Bytes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 russet potatoes (1/2 lb. each) $2.96
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.12
  • 1 pinch of salt $0.02

Instructions

  • Wash and dry the potatoes well, then use a fork to prick each potato several times.
  • Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes, then use your hands or a silicone brush to brush the oil over each potato until it is fully coated. Season the potatoes with a pinch of salt.
  • Place the potatoes inside the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400°F for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork or knife. Total baking time will depend on the size of your potatoes.
  • Once the potatoes are done air frying, remove them from the air fryer basket and allow them to cool slightly. Carefully cut the potatoes open, fluff the inside with a fork, and add your favorite toppings!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1potato | Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 11mg | Fiber: 3g
Overhead view of air fryer baked potatoes in an air fryer basket.

How to Make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes – Step by Step Photos

Four russet potatoes being poked with a fork.

Wash and dry four 1/2 lb. russet potatoes well, then use a fork to prick each potato several times to allow steam to evaporate while they cook.

Four russet potatoes being brushed with oil and salted.

Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over the potatoes, then use your hands or a silicone brush to brush the oil over each potato until it is fully coated. Season the potatoes with a pinch of salt.

Four russet potatoes in an air fryer basket.

Place the potatoes inside the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400°F for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork or knife.

Cooked russet potatoes in an air fryer basket.

The fork should slide easily into the center of the potato with no resistance. Total baking time will depend on the size of your potatoes.

Four air fryer baked potatoes cut open with butter added on top.

Once the potatoes are done air frying, remove them from the air fryer basket and allow them to cool slightly. Carefully cut the potatoes open, fluff the inside with a fork, and add your favorite toppings!

One air fryer baked potato on a white plate with a fork on the side.

Enjoy as a simple side dish or load it up with some homemade chili, BBQ chicken, or your favorite protein. The combinations you can come up with are endless for baked potatoes, so get creative and have fun!

More Potato Recipes

The post Air Fryer Baked Potatoes appeared first on Budget Bytes.

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Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Just like vegetable lasagne, vegetarian moussaka is one of those dishes that I adore, but I rarely cook for myself, because it always seems like such a huge effort. Cooking lentils, boiling potatoes, grilling slices of eggplant, simmering tomato sauce… the vast majority of the time, I really, truly can not be bothered.

That’s why this vegetable moussaka casserole is such a revelation! It’s a casserole-style version of my favourite veggie moussaka, which tastes just the same, but is so much less effort to make! Just stick everything in a baking dish and let it do its thing, casserole-style.

A spoon taking a scoop from a baking dish of cheesy moussaka casserole.

This moussaka casserole has two sections:

  • a tasty tomatoey layer underneath, made with all the usual ingredients you’d expect to find in a vegetable moussaka – tender lentils, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant and roasted potatoes, cooked in a rich tomato sauce
  • a thick layer of creamy bechamel sauce on top

As you scoop into the casserole, the creamy sauce drips down and smothers the tomatoey layer. It. Is. Delicious.

⭐ How is this Easier than a Regular Vegetarian Moussaka?

I’m not going to lie, this vegetable moussaka casserole takes quite a long time to bake, and the ingredients list is a fair bit longer than the majority of my easy recipes.

However, I stand by the fact that this is so much easier to make than most moussaka recipes. Although it takes a while to cook, it’s almost all hands-off time, where you can go and relax / do some other useful jobs / play with your kids / whatever else you like to do with your life.

Vegetarian moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomato.

This vegetarian moussaka casserole is easy to make because:

  • using canned lentils mean there’s no boiling required.
  • the vegetables are roasted in the oven, rather than the more hands-on method of cooking them on the stovetop.
  • there’s no fiddly layering of sliced ingredients – it’s all baked up together.
  • even the tomatoey sauce is cooked right there in the oven with the other ingredients.

It’s definitely not a quick weeknight dinner, but if you’re at home over the weekend, it’s the perfect dish to have baking in the oven while you’re busy with other things.

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Overhead shot of a cheesy topped moussaka casserole with sliced tomatoes.

🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for vegetable moussaka casserole laid out with text overlay.
  • potatoes
  • eggplant (aubergine)
  • canned lentils (mine were green lentils)
  • onion – I only used half an onion (a small onion would also work!)
  • canned tomatoes
  • tomato paste
  • garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar (my favourite time-saving ingredient!)
  • dried herbs – mint and oregano. I very rarely use dried mint but trust me, it tastes amazing in moussaka! Not a hint of toothpaste, I promise.
  • tomato – to slice up for the topping
  • milk, flour and butter – for the creamy white sauce. You can add a pinch of nutmeg to it as well, if you like.

Becca’s Top Tip

I used the same baking dish to roast up my vegetables, and then to cook the casserole itself. If you’ve got a little less time on your hands, the veggies will actually roast a little quicker if you spread them out on a baking tray – but I wanted to save on dishes to wash! I love a one pot meal.

📹 Recipe Video





Overhead shot of a portion of vegetable moussaka with salad.

🖨 Printable Instructions

A large spoon taking a scoop of vegetable moussaka casserole.

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Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

This vegetable moussaka casserole is a much easier version of a vegetarian moussaka – but is just as tasty, with a luxurious creamy topping!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek, Middle Eastern, Turkish
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 4
Calories 523kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the lentil layer:

  • 1 medium eggplant (aubergine) (~ 250g / ~ 9 oz)
  • ~ 500g (~ 1 lb) potatoes
  • 1 medium onion (or 1/2 large onion)
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 400 g tinned lentils, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp dried mint
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the topping:

  • 60 g (~ 2 oz) butter
  • 60 g (~ 2 oz) plain flour
  • 500 ml (~ 2 cups) milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 large tomato, sliced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
  • Cut the eggplant, potatoes and onion into 2cm dice (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes). Toss them in a little oil, and add to a baking dish – mine measured approx. 8 x 8 inches.
    Diced potato, onion and eggplant in a baking dish.
  • Roast the vegetables in the centre of the oven for around 50 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, or until the vegetables are fairly soft (the potatoes might still be a bit al dente). If you decide to spread the vegetables out onto a baking tray instead of using the dish, they will cook more quickly.
    Roasted potatoes, onion and eggplant in a baking dish.
  • Add the tinned lentils, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, and dried herbs, and mix well to combine.
    A baking dish with roasted vegetables and lentils in tomato sauce.
  • Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened up into a rich sauce. Mix well.
    Roasted eggplant and potatoes in tomato sauce.
  • To make the béchamel topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the flour. Mix to create a thick paste (a roux), and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth each time before adding more milk. Season to taste with salt. If you need more detailed instructions, check out my white sauce recipe.
    Homemade white sauce in a saucepan.
  • Pour the béchamel sauce over the lentil mixture, and top with a few slices of tomato.
    Uncooked moussaka in a baking dish topped with sliced tomatoes.
  • Return to the oven for a final 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
    Cooked moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomatoes.
  • Allow to stand for a few minutes, then serve.
    A portion of vegetable moussaka with lentils and eggplant, topped with sliced tomato.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 68.4g | Protein: 16.6g | Fat: 22.6g | Saturated Fat: 10.3g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 281mg | Potassium: 1542mg | Fiber: 15.8g | Sugar: 15.1g | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 5mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare moussaka in advance?

Absolutely! The casserole can either be cooked entirely and then reheated when needed, or you can assemble it, then do the final bake just before serving.

Can I freeze leftover moussaka?

Moussaka is perfect for batch cooking – just transfer any leftovers to a freezer-safe tub, and freeze. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave.

🍆 Other Eggplant Recipes

Vegetarian Casserole Recipes
A large spoon taking a scoop of vegetable moussaka casserole.

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Cheesy Eggplant Bake

Cheesy Eggplant Bake

Roasted Vegetable Fattoush

Roasted Vegetable Fattoush

One Pot Rice and Vegetable Casserole

One Pot Rice and Vegetable Casserole

The post Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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