This straightforward baked potato recipe yields completely fluffy insides with a deliciously crispy pores and skin. All you want are russet potatoes, salt, and olive oil—and the olive oil is elective too.
A Information to Good Oven Baked Potatoes
I’m not going to lie. Baked potatoes are a daily dinner at our home. As a chef, it is a little embarrassing, however it’s the reality—generally, I simply don’t really feel like cooking. They’re comforting and simple, and with simply 5 minutes of hands-on time, they really feel like a fast win. We are able to load them up nonetheless we like, and everybody (Brian) is comfortable.
Right here, I share my tried-and-true methodology for making the perfect salt-crusted baked potatoes and some chef’s suggestions to make sure they end up completely fluffy each time. Sure, baked potatoes are a really primary recipe, however oh, how typically can they go incorrect! If you’re simply starting your cooking journey, take a look at our Cooking Basics Category!
Finest Baked Potato Recipe Suggestions
Use a thermometer. Bake till the inner temperature is 205F-210F for good fluffy potatoes.
Slice instantly. Lower the potato open inside 5 minutes of eradicating it from the oven, releasing the steam.This prevents gumminess.
Push the 2 ends collectively. Extract the fluffy middle via the highest slit, through the use of your fingers to push ends collectively. You need to use a towel to guard from the warmth.
No foil. Keep away from wrapping in foil to maintain the pores and skin crispy. Foiling a potato will steam it reasonably than roast it.
Promote good air movement. Use a wire rack over a baking sheet or place immediately on the oven rack (with a baking sheet on the subsequent rack beneath).
Baking Temperature. Bake medium russet potatoes at 425F; smaller ones at 450F.
Cooking extra-large potatoes. A great rule of thumb is that if they weigh over a pound, bake at 400F, a bit of decrease and slower.
In an amazing massive hurry? Attempt our instant pot baked potato recipe. No, not crispy or roasted; they’re steamed however good in a pinch.
Finest Baked Potato Recipe Substances
Russet potatoes: Every potato needs to be 8-14 ounces every. See notes for baking further giant potatoes.
Olive oil: Makes a scrumptious, crispy and flavorful crust.
Salt: Use sea salt or kosher salt, and be beneficiant. Salt goes a great distance in enhancing the pure taste of the potato skins.
Variations
Potatoes: Use an analogous methodology to make baked candy potatoes, although they cook dinner fairly a bit sooner than russet potatoes. Any potato might be cooked this fashion—simply regulate cooking time based mostly on its measurement. Bear in mind to make use of the thermometer!
Oil-Free Baked Potatoes: To make baked potatoes with out oil, scrub the potatoes with water, and earlier than they dry, coat with salt. The salt will stick! I personally choose them with olive oil, however if you’re on an oil-free eating regimen, that is helpful.
How one can Make bake potatoes within the oven
1. Preheat the oven to 425 levels F for small to medium potatoes below a pound. Organize the oven racks in order that one is immediately within the center.
2. Prep the potatoes. Wash and scrub the potatoes and pat them dry. Frivolously coat every with olive oil and sprinkle all sides generously with salt.
Tip: To go oil-free, scrub the potatoes and salt them earlier than they dry.
3. Place on a rack. Organize a wire rack over a baking sheet and place the potatoes on prime. It’s also possible to place these immediately in your center oven rack with a pan beneath them on the decrease rack.
4. Prick the potatoes. Use a fork to prick the highest of every potato 2-3 occasions, 1/2-inch deep.
5. Bake. Bake on the center rack in a 425F oven till tender within the center. The inner temp ought to attain 205F -210F when completed. Timing is dependent upon the scale of the potatoes, however most medium russet potatoes take roughly 50-60 minutes.
6. Slit and serve. Instantly, use a paring knife, and lower a slit on prime of the potato. You need to do that as quickly as you pull them out of the oven, to launch the steam. This ensures potatoes which are fluffy and never gummy.
Use each palms, one on every finish, to squeeze the potatoes open to disclose the fluffy insides! Sure, use a kitchen towel, they’re sizzling sizzling sizzling! Fluff with a fork. Serve with desired toppings.
What’s the good oven temperature for a baked potato?
All of it is dependent upon the scale of the potatoes. Medium potatoes (below 16 ounces) bake greatest at 425F, and additional giant potatoes (over 16 ounces) bake greatest at 400F. S mall potatoes ( below 8 ounces) can bake at 450F.
Why We Don’t Use Foil
Wrapping the potatoes in foil traps the moisture, basically steaming the potatoes as a substitute of baking them, leading to potatoes that may have a gummy inside with soggy pores and skin. We additionally prefer to restrict our publicity to aluminum immediately on our meals.
serving baked potatoes
When loaded up with toppings, baked potatoes generally is a meal of their very own through the use of them as a vessel for selfmade vegan chili,Sloppy Joe filling,Chana Masala or our Lentil Bolognese! Or serve them on the aspect with foremost dishes like fish, roast rooster, pork, or beef.
Baked Potato Toppings
There are such a lot of choices with regards to toppings for a baked potato! Listed below are a few of my favorites.
Be at liberty to make use of vegan substitutes!
How one can Retailer Oven Baked Potatoes
Lower a slit within the prime of the potato, and let the baked potato cool utterly earlier than storing it in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 375F oven on a wire rack uncovered till inner temperature reaches 165F.
How one can Make Baked Potatoes for a Crowd
Again once I was catering, purchasers would request a Baked Potato Bar loaded with all of the fixings. A number of issues to notice: most house ovens can match as much as 50 medium-sized russet potatoes immediately on 2 oven racks (give or take). However it’s a lot simpler to make use of parchment-lined sheet pans for this many sizzling potatoes. Take into accout the fuller your oven, the slower issues bake, so plan on further baking time, and keep in mind, the highest rack will cook dinner sooner than the underside rack, so rotate the pans midway via. Prep the potatoes and have all of them able to go, and permit 1 ½ hours baking time to get them to 205F -210F. Have somebody enable you to slit open the tops- as all of them needs to be completed inside 5 minutesof pulling from the oven.
FAQs
How lengthy do baked potatoes take within the oven?
Medium russet potatoes ought to take about 50 minutes. Further giant potatoes can take as much as 1 1/2 hours.
Do you have to rub potatoes with oil earlier than baking?
We love the flavour, and ends in a crispy pores and skin, and it helps the salt persist with the potatoes, however you should use our oil-free methodology within the notes.
How do I make baked potatoes cook dinner sooner?
Skewer them via the center lengthwise with a steel skewer for even cooking (the steel skewer conducts warmth) or microwave for five minutes earlier than baking them.
I hope you take pleasure in this straightforward Baked Potato recipe! Tell us what you suppose within the feedback!
Discover ways to bake a potato like a professional! This straightforward baked potato recipe yields completely fluffy insides with a deliciously crispy pores and skin. All you want are russet potatoes, salt, and olive oil—and the olive oil is elective too.
Preheat oven to 425F
Wash and scrub potatoes and pat them dry.
Gentle coat every potato with ¼ teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt on all sides. *See notes for oil-free.
Place potatoes on a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet. No rack? See notes.
Prick the highest of every 2-3 occasions with a fork, ½ inch deep.
Bake on the center rack till the potatoes are tender within the center, and the inner temp reaches 205F to 210F. Timing will rely upon the scale of the potatoes. Medium russet potatoes take roughly 50-60 minutes.
Immediatly from the oven, lower a legnthwise slit conserving ends intact- this may launch the steam. Use each palms, one on every finish, to squeeze the potatoes open (be happy to make use of a kitchen towel– they’re sizzling!) Fluff with a fork.
Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
No wire rack? Place immediately on the center oven rack with a sheet pan on the decrease rack to catch any drips.
Further-large potatoes: ( 1lb plus) Decrease the oven temperature to 400F and plan on 1 ½ hours. To quicken baking time and guarantee even baking, skewer the potatoes lengthwise via the center utilizing a steel skewer. Alternatively, microwave them 5 to 10 minutes earlier than baking to chop the baking time in half.
Oil-Free: you may bake potatoes utterly oil-free. Clear them with water, and earlier than they dry, coat in salt. The salt will stick.
Elective toppings: butter, olive oil, ghee, salt, pepper, chili flakes, inexperienced onion, sour cream, yogurt, cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, coconut bacon, guacamole, chili. Be at liberty to make use of vegan substitutes.
Diet
Serving Measurement:1 medium potato (3 inches in diameter)