Best Baked Potato Recipe

This easy baked potato recipe yields perfectly fluffy insides with a deliciously crispy skin. All you need are russet potatoes, salt, and olive oil—and a few expert tips!

A Guide to Perfect Oven Baked Potatoes

I’m not going to lie. Baked potatoes are a regular dinner at our house. As a chef, this is a little embarrassing, but it’s the truth—sometimes, I just don’t feel like cooking. They are comforting and easy, and with just 5 minutes of hands-on time, they feel like a quick win. We can load them up however we like, and everyone (Brian) is happy.

Yes, baked potatoes are a very basic recipe, but oh, how often can they go wrong! Here, I share my tried-and-true method for making the best salt-crusted baked potatoes and a few chef’s tips to ensure they turn out perfectly fluffy every time. If you are just beginning your cooking journey, check out our Cooking Basics Category!

Best Baked Potato Recipe Tips

1. Use a thermometer. Bake until the internal temperature is 205°F- 210°F for a perfect, fluffy baked potato.
2. Slice immediately. Cut the potato open within 5 minutes of removing it from the oven, releasing the steam. This prevents gumminess.
3. Push the two ends together. Extract the fluffy center through the top slit, by using your fingers to push ends together. (You can use a kitchen towel to protect your fingers from the heat.)
4. No foil. Avoid wrapping in foil to keep the skin crispy. Foiling a potato will steam it rather than roast it, and we also like to limit our exposure to aluminum which can accumulate in the body over time.
5. Promote good air flow. Use a wire rack over a baking sheet or place directly on the oven rack (with a baking sheet on the next rack below).
6. Baking Temperature. Bake medium russet potatoes at 425 F; small potatoes at 450 F.
7. Cooking extra-large potatoes. A good rule of thumb is if they weigh over a pound, bake at 400 F, a little lower and slower.
8. In a great big hurry? Try our instant pot baked potato recipe. No, not crispy, not roasted; they are steamed but OK in a pinch.

Best Baked Potato Recipe Ingredients

• Russet potatoes: Each potato should be 8-14 ounces each. See notes for baking extra large potatoes.
• Olive oil: Makes a delicious, crispy and flavorful crust.
• Salt: Use sea salt or kosher salt, and be generous. Salt goes a long way in enhancing the natural flavor of the potato skins.

Variations

• Potatoes: Use a similar method to make baked sweet potatoes, though they cook quite a bit faster than russet potatoes. Any potato can be cooked this way—just adjust cooking time based on its size. Remember to use the thermometer!
• Oil-Free Baked Potatoes: To make baked potatoes without oil, scrub the potatoes with water, and before they dry, coat with salt. The salt will stick! I personally prefer them with olive oil, but if you are on an oil-free diet, this is handy.

How to Make bake potatoes in the oven

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F for small to medium potatoes under a pound. Arrange the oven racks so that one is directly in the middle.

2. Prep the potatoes. Wash and scrub the potatoes and pat them dry. Lightly coat each with olive oil and sprinkle all sides generously with salt.

Tip: To go oil-free, scrub the potatoes and salt them before they dry.

3. Place on a rack. Arrange a wire rack over a baking sheet and place the potatoes on top. You can also place these directly on your middle oven rack with a pan below them on the lower rack.

4. Prick the potatoes. Use a fork to prick the top of each potato 2-3 times, 1/2-inch deep.

5. Bake. Bake on the middle rack in a 425F oven until tender in the middle. The internal temp should reach 205F -210F when done. Timing depends on the size of the potatoes, but most medium russet potatoes take roughly 50-60 minutes.

6. Slit and serve. Immediately, use a paring knife, and cut a slit on top of the potato. You want to do this as soon as you pull them out of the oven, to release the steam. This ensures potatoes that are fluffy and not gummy.

Use both hands, one on each end, to squeeze the potatoes open to reveal the fluffy insides! Yes, use a kitchen towel, they are hot hot hot! Fluff with a fork. Serve with desired toppings.

What is the perfect oven temperature for a baked potato?

It all depends on the size of the potatoes. Medium potatoes (under 16 ounces) bake best at 425F, and extra large potatoes (over 16 ounces) bake best at 400F. S mall potatoes ( under 8 ounces) can bake at 450F.

Why We Don’t Use Foil

Wrapping the potatoes in foil traps the moisture, essentially steaming the potatoes instead of baking them, resulting in potatoes that can have a gummy interior with soggy skin. We also like to limit our exposure to aluminum directly on our food.

serving baked potatoes

When loaded up with toppings, baked potatoes can be a meal of their own by using them as a vessel for homemade vegan chili, Sloppy Joe filling, Chana Masala or our Lentil Bolognese! Or serve them on the side with main dishes like fish, roast chicken, pork, or beef.

Baked Potato Toppings

There are so many options when it comes to toppings for a baked potato! Here are some of my favorites.

• Butter, olive oil, or ghee
• Sea salt, black pepper, chili flakes
• Green onions or chives
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Cheddar cheese, goat cheese or feta
• Crumbled bacon or Coconut bacon
• Guacamole and salsa
• Beef chili and cheddar cheese

Feel free to use vegan substitutes! Try our Vegan Parmesan on top!

How to Store Oven Baked Potatoes

Cut a slit in the top of the potato, and let the baked potato cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 375F oven on a wire rack uncovered until internal temperature reaches 165F.

How to Make Baked Potatoes for a Crowd

Back when I was catering, clients would request a Baked Potato Bar loaded with all the fixings. A few things to note: most home ovens can fit up to 50 medium-sized russet potatoes directly on 2 oven racks (give or take). But it is much easier to use parchment-lined sheet pans for this many hot potatoes. Keep in mind the fuller your oven, the slower things bake, so plan on extra baking time, and remember, the top rack will cook faster than the bottom rack, so rotate the pans halfway through. Prep the potatoes and have them all ready to go, and allow 1 ½ hours baking time to get them to 205F -210F. Have someone help you slit open the tops- as they all should be done within 5 minutes of pulling from the oven.

I hope you enjoy this easy Baked Potato recipe! Let us know what you think in the comments!

Sylvia

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Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

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