How To Bake A Potato

Let’s begin by talking ingredients. Here is everything you need to make this delicious baked potato:

• Russet Potatoes: There are different varieties of potatoes to choose from when you’re making baked potatoes but for the best results, we suggest you go with Russet potatoes. These potatoes have a thicker skin which becomes crispy during the baking process. Similarly, it is also starchier as compared to other potatoes which makes for fluffy and delicious insides.
• Butter/Olive oil: Butter is the way to go for that crispy exterior. In addition to this, butter also adds flavor to the potato. But if you’re cutting down on butter, you could replace it with cooking oil that has a higher smoke point. Something like an avocado oil will be a good fit. Avoid extra virgin olive oil.
• Kosher salt: Go with coarse Kosher salt for baked potato because the salt slightly burns and adds a crunch to the skin. If you don’t have Kosher salt, you can substitute it with regular salt.
• Black Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper is a simple but potent spice to add to a baked potato. Avoid using powdered black pepper because it doesn’t have the same flavor.

Tools Needed

• Oven
• Baking Sheet
• Aluminum Foil (Optional)
• Fork
• Knife
• Basting Brush or Paper Towel
• Oven Mitts
• Cooling Rack (Optional)

The following is our foolproof method of baking a potato in the oven:

1. Prepare the baking sheet

Before you begin baking your potato, it is important to prep your oven. Preheat your oven to 450°F. The high heat is important if you want crispy skin.

If you have a wire rack, place it on top of the baking sheet. This way, your potato can cook evenly from all sides. But if you don’t have one, you can also place the potato directly into the oven grill. Make sure to place a baking sheet underneath to catch any drippings.

Another alternative would be to line the baking sheet with a foil or a parchment paper.

2.  Prep the potato

Take your potatoes and poke holes in them with a fork. Doing this prevents blow-outs as steam is created within the potato as it cooks. It sometimes might lead to the potato exploding.

3. First Bake

This is where this recipe stands apart from the other ones. We recommend baking your potatoes in two batches.

In the first bake, place the potato on the baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes. At this point, your potato should be slightly wrinkly and dry.

4. Season The Potato

Now, remove the potato from the oven and season it. Start by brushing butter all over the potato followed by the sprinkle of Kosher salt.

Finally, set the potato back into the baking sheet for the second round of baking.

5. Second Bake

In the second and final baking, bake the potato for 20 additional minutes. Take oven mitts and slightly press on the potato. It will be extremely hot at this point so be extra careful.

If the potato is soft on the inside and gives in to the squeezing, your baked potato is ready. If not, continue baking the potato in 5-minute increments until you get the desired consistency.

The cooking time will depend on the size of your potato and we discuss more about that below.

6. Cut, Fluff and Serve

Once your potato is baked and ready, take it out of the oven and let it rest. After it has cooled down slightly, cut it open with a sharp knife and give it a squeeze to fluff out the insides.

You can also fluff it with a fork. Season the inside with freshly ground black pepper and add your favorite toppings to make loaded baked potatoes. We provide more options for the toppings below.

In an oven that is set at 450°F, a potato takes anywhere from 45-55 minutes to cook. The time, however, depends on a number of other factors as well.

The size of the potato, the type of oven you have and the variety of potatoes you use are all crucial to determining the cooking time. The time also changes depending on whether you're cooking it in the oven, air fryer or microwave.

There are several ways to test if your baked potato is done baking. One of the most trusted methods is to squeeze the potato with oven mitts.

But if you want a more hands-off approach, you can also slide a fork or a pairing knife into the potato. If it goes it easily, your baked potato is ready to be served.

Choose the right potato. The most important thing that determines the taste of your baked potato is actually the potato itself. So, begin by selecting the best variety of potatoes for baked potatoes. As mentioned earlier, we suggest you go with Russet potatoes.

To foil or not to foil! As you may have noticed, we have ditched on the classic foil. It is because wrapping your potatoes in foil in order to bake them doesn’t give you crispy skin. If you don’t care about the crispy skin, you could use a foil but really?

Let it rest. It is important to let your baked potato rest for about 5 minutes once it's out of the oven. This allows the inside to be extra fluffy and the heat keeps the insides cooking. It also helps cool down the potato for you to slice it.

The classic combination of butter, sour cream and chives hit the spot every time but if you’re looking to be more creative, here are some fun and exciting options:

1. Chili: Beef chili or turkey chili goes on top of a baked potato to make it more hearty and filling. Also, add in some cheddar cheese and chives to go with it.

2. Roasted veggies: Another way to jazz up your baked potato is to load it up with roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts.

3. Taco filling: The Southwestern flair works great with baked potato. Add black beans, jalapenos, cilantro, green onions and roasted peppers on top for a loaded Mexican flavor.

4. Cheese: You could never go wrong with cheese on top of a baked potato. Try different varieties like Monterey Jack, cheddar, blue cheese crumbles, Parmesan, or Gruyere. You can even broil the potato for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

We often serve baked potato as a side dish with something hearty like a steak or turkey. However, there are more options if you want to experiment:

• Tuscan Chicken
• Grilled Chicken Salad
• Homemade Beef Chili
• Roasted Green Beans
• Spicy Black Bean Soup

A baked potato is best served hot out of the oven. However, if you are meal prepping, take your potatoes out of the oven and slice them in half. Then, let them cool down completely.

Transfer them into an air-tight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure to not store them with toppings as it might spoil the potato.

To reheat a baked potato, take the potato out of the fridge and let it come back to room temperature. Then place it in the oven at 375°F for about 15 minutes and it's ready to be served.