Easy Baked Potato Recipe

A close-up of a baked potato with a crispy, salted skin, split open and topped with melted butter and chopped parsley, on a wooden board. This delicious dish perfectly demonstrates how to bake a potato. Other baked potatoes and herbs are in the background.

5 from 3 votes

This Easy Baked Potato Recipe produces the perfect baked potato from the oven—crispy skin, fluffy inside! This foolproof method delivers restaurant-quality results every time without the use of foil.

Prep Time5

Cook Time50

Total Time55

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

4 Potatoes about 5-8 ounces each
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°. Wash and scrub your potatoes clean. Poke each potato with a fork a few times to allow steam to release while cooking.
Place potatoes directly on a baking rack set inside a baking sheet and place them in the oven.
Bake until the center of the potato reaches 205° to 212°F. This will be roughly 35-45 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
Remove from the oven and use a pastry brush to coat each potato in a thin coat of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and then flip them over and brush the other side with oil and sprinkle with salt.
Bake the potatoes for an additional 10 minutes to crisp the skin.
Remove the potatoes from the oven, cut a small X on the top of each potato, and then, using two hands (be careful, they are hot), gently press the potatoes inward so that they "bloom" from the X.

Notes

Potato Options:

Use your favorite Russet or Idaho potatoes for this recipe. You can use what you like best, but Russet potatoes are known for being extra fluffy inside.
These were medium sized potatoes that came in a 10 pound bag. If you are using the large "baking" potatoes, be sure to add at least a half an hour, if not more, to the cooking time.

Best Salt: Table salt, kosher salt, and sea salt (fine to coarse) all work well here. I like a mix of fine and coarse sea salt on the outside.

If You're Not Using a Rack: Not committed to putting the tater directly on a oven rack? Stick a wire baking wrack inside of a rimmed baking sheet and let the potatoes cook on the rack. Last option, line a baking sheet with foil and bake on the baking sheet.

Scrub Thoroughly: Before baking, make sure to scrub the potatoes under cold running water to remove any dirt. Pat them dry with a paper towel.

Skip The Foil: The foil will trap the heat in and essentially steam the potato instead of roasting it. And trust me, you want it roasted because that’s what crisps up the skin and makes it SO good.

Don't Brush on Oil Before Baking: Just like foil, oil acts as a barrier and the steam won’t be able to release the same. By adding the oil after the potato is cooked, and then baking it for 10 more minutes, you end up with the most delicious skin that is crisp but not burnt. I also recommend not using butter because the water in butter makes the skin soggy instead of crisp, and butter burns easier at high temperatures.

Serving Suggestions: Baked potatoes are a blank canvas that can be paired with a wide range of delicious accompaniments like any of these:

The classic combo with a juicy steak
A simple fresh salad
Hearty chili
Or a baked potato bar with all the toppings you can imagine - everyone picks their own!

Reheat Baked Potatoes: To reheat baked potatoes, preheat your oven to 350°F and bake for 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat them in the microwave, but they may lose some crispiness.

Nutrition

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