I love making this baked potato with cheese and sausage whenever I need a quick, satisfying, and family-friendly snack. It’s simple, hearty, and comes together in under 30 minutes using the air fryer.
This recipe gives you fluffy potatoes filled with juicy sausage and melty cheese that pulls beautifully with every bite. I find it’s perfect for an afternoon treat, a side dish, or even a casual meal when paired with a salad.
Why you‘ll love this recipe
- Oil-free and air fryer friendly – no deep-frying needed.
- A perfect balance of fluffy, cheesy, and meaty flavors.
- Ready in just about 25 minutes from start to finish.
- Loved by both kids and adults.
- Easy to customize with extra toppings or seasonings.
Ingredients
Main
- 3 potatoes (about 400–450g; choose yellow-fleshed potatoes — soft and slightly starchy; medium size ~6–8 cm diameter)
- 3 sausages (about 150g; choose meat-forward sausages, avoid high-starch fillers)
- 80–100g shredded cheese (mozzarella recommended for stretch; optional: add 20g cheddar for stronger flavor)
Seasoning & garnish
- 15g unsalted butter (melted; if unavailable, substitute 10ml olive oil — less aromatic)
- 2g salt (fine salt recommended for even adherence)
- 1g black pepper (freshly ground coarse black pepper preferred for aroma)
- 2g parsley flakes (optional; substitute scallions or basil, or omit)
Instructions
1) Preparation
Ingredient prep:
Wash potatoes thoroughly and dry with kitchen paper.
Remove sausage casings and slice sausages into 0.5 cm thick rounds (not too thin — thin slices dry out and lose juiciness).
If butter is solid, melt it in a small bowl over a hot water bath (water temperature should not exceed 60°C to prevent butter browning). Set the butter aside until warm.
2) Potato cutting & first bake
(1) Cut the potato pocket
Trim about 0.3 cm from the potato bottom so each potato can stand flat in the fryer basket.
From the top, cut a V-shaped pocket into each potato — depth about 2/3 of the potato height, width about 3–4 cm. Do not cut through the bottom; preserve the base so the potato holds the filling.
(2) Season & initial bake
Place the potatoes upright in the air fryer basket (cut pocket facing up). Keep space between potatoes — don’t stack.
Use a silicone brush to evenly apply melted butter over the potato surface and inside the cut pocket (brush every crevice so flavor penetrates).
Evenly sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper over the exterior and inside the pocket.
Air-fry at 200°C for 15 minutes to pre-cook until potatoes become tender. Test with chopsticks or a skewer: when you can easily pierce the potato side, the initial bake is complete.
3) Assembly & second bake
(1) Assemble
Fill each potato pocket with 6–8 sausage slices (adjust for potato size). Arrange to nearly fill the pocket but avoid overflowing; leave tiny gaps between sausage slices to allow cheese to settle.
Cover the sausage with shredded cheese, ensuring a full cheese layer that will melt into a cohesive, stretchy top.
(2) Second bake
Return the assembled potatoes to the air fryer basket.
Air-fry at 200°C for 6 minutes — this melts the cheese to full stretchiness and heats the sausages until juicy. Do not exceed 6 minutes (longer time risks cheese hardening and drying the potato).
4) Garnish & serve
Remove hot potatoes, immediately sprinkle 2g parsley flakes for aroma (sprinkle while hot so parsley releases fragrance).
Let the filled potatoes rest 1–2 minutes to avoid burns, then serve. Optionally offer ketchup or honey-mustard on the side.
Key Tips
- V-cut technique: Use a sharp knife and steady hand; control depth at about 2/3 of potato height. Too deep → breaks; too shallow → too small pocket. If nervous, mark a guideline with a toothpick then cut.
- Cheese pull: Don’t use cheese straight from the freezer. Bring shredded cheese to room temperature for ~10 minutes (or microwave on low for 10 seconds) so it melts evenly and pulls. Keep the second bake ≤ 6 minutes — otherwise cheese becomes hard and loses stretch.
- Potato tenderness: For potatoes larger than 8 cm, increase the first bake by 2–3 minutes, or poke a few 1 cm deep holes with a fork to help heat penetrate.
Flavor upgrades:
- For spice: sprinkle 1g chili powder on the potato before the second bake.
- For tang: add 10g diced pickles into the pocket with sausages.
- For extra richness: after baking, squeeze 10g ketchup or mayonnaise on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What size air fryer is best?
A: A 5 L capacity air fryer is ideal — it fits the potatoes comfortably and ensures even heating.
Q: How thick should sausage slices be?
A: 0.5 cm thick slices are recommended — thinner slices dry and lose juiciness.
Q: My cheese browned too quickly — help!
A: Tent with foil in the last minute or reduce second-bake time slightly. Also soften cheese first so it melts faster without over-browning.
Q: Can I use oil instead of butter?
A: Yes — substitute 10ml olive oil, but butter gives more aroma. Avoid using cold solid butter directly; melt and brush.
Q: How long to cool before serving?
A: Let cool 1–2 minutes to avoid burns from molten cheese and hot fillings.
Cheesy Baked Potato with Sausage (Quick Air Fryer Recipe)
Ingredients
- 3 medium yellow potatoes 400-450g
- 3 meaty sausage links 150g
- 80-100 g shredded mozzarella cheese
- 15 g unsalted butter melted
- 2 g fine salt
- 1 g freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 g dried parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Preparation
- Ingredient prep:
- Wash potatoes thoroughly and dry with kitchen paper.
- Remove sausage casings and slice sausages into 0.5 cm thick rounds (not too thin — thin slices dry out and lose juiciness).
- If butter is solid, melt it in a small bowl over a hot water bath (water temperature should not exceed 60°C to prevent butter browning). Set the butter aside until warm.
Potato cutting & first bake
- (1) Cut the potato pocket
- Trim about 0.3 cm from the potato bottom so each potato can stand flat in the fryer basket.
- From the top, cut a V-shaped pocket into each potato — depth about 2/3 of the potato height, width about 3–4 cm. Do not cut through the bottom; preserve the base so the potato holds the filling.
- (2) Season & initial bake
- Place the potatoes upright in the air fryer basket (cut pocket facing up). Keep space between potatoes — don't stack.
- Use a silicone brush to evenly apply melted butter over the potato surface and inside the cut pocket (brush every crevice so flavor penetrates).
- Evenly sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper over the exterior and inside the pocket.
- Air-fry at 200°C for 15 minutes to pre-cook until potatoes become tender. Test with chopsticks or a skewer: when you can easily pierce the potato side, the initial bake is complete.
Assembly & second bake
- (1) Assemble
- Fill each potato pocket with 6–8 sausage slices (adjust for potato size). Arrange to nearly fill the pocket but avoid overflowing; leave tiny gaps between sausage slices to allow cheese to settle.
- Completely cover the sausage with shredded cheese, ensuring a full cheese layer that will melt into a cohesive, stretchy top.
- (2) Second bake
- Return the assembled potatoes to the air fryer basket.
- Air-fry at 200°C for 6 minutes — this melts the cheese to full stretchiness and heats the sausages until juicy. Do not exceed 6 minutes (longer time risks cheese hardening and drying the potato).
Garnish & serve
- Remove hot potatoes, immediately sprinkle 2g parsley flakes for aroma (sprinkle while hot so parsley releases fragrance).
- Let the filled potatoes rest 1–2 minutes to avoid burns, then serve. Optionally offer ketchup or honey-mustard on the side.
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