Sure, you can make your baked potatoes in the microwave (and we get that sometimes you need a spud super-quick), but if you want a baked tater worthy of a steakhouse then you need to bake it in the oven. When you learn how to make baked potatoes in the oven, you'll wind up with crispy skin and a soft, fluffy inside. And bonus... your house will smell fantastic as the potatoes cook.
Traditional Baked Potatoes Recipe
Baking potatoes in the oven takes some time, but it's almost all passive time. Once you get those taters in the oven, you can do something else until they're ready. And you can bake as many as your oven will hold, or you can cook just one. It's perfect for when you want a simple solo side (or even an entire meal) or you need to fill up a baked potato bar for a crowd.
Ingredients
- Baking potatoes
- Butter, oil, shortening, or fat (like lard or bacon grease)
- Coarse sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat to 425° F.
- Scrub the potatoes clean with cold water.
- Poke them with the tip of a knife four to five times on the top and bottom.
- Rub the skins with your choice of butter, shortening, fat, or olive oil.
- Sprinkle them with a little coarse sea salt, if you like.
- Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 65 minutes, or until the potatoes reach an internal temperature of 210° F, and you can pierce them with a fork. Serve immediately.
- If you prepare more than four potatoes, add approximately five to seven minutes to the total cooking time for each additional potato.
If you have an air fryer, you can shave a little time off this and get similar results to baking. Put the prepared potatoes in a 400° air fryer (on air fry) and cook for 40-50 minutes, until the potato is soft.
Opening the Potatoes
Don't spoil the perfect texture of your potatoes by slicing them open with a knife, since this will seal in the steam on each half and prevent the inside from being fluffy. Instead, use the tines of a fork to prick a large X on top of each potato. Using hot pads or oven gloves to protect your fingers, push in the ends of the potatoes to make them burst open. Once they're open, you can add butter, sour cream, or any other toppings you desire.
Baking Times for Various Sized Potatoes
Ovens vary, as do the potatoes themselves, so you can't reliably depend on an exact baking time to determine if your potatoes are done. The best measure of being done is an internal temperature of 210° F.
At 425°F:
- Bake 6 to 8-ounce potatoes for about 45 to 55 minutes.
- Bake 10 to 12-ounce potatoes for about 60 to 75 minutes.
- Bake 14 to 16-ounce potatoes for about 80 to 90 minutes.
Potato Baking Tips
Help your potatoes turn out perfectly and taste great by following these tips.
- Choose potatoes that are the same size to ensure even baking results.
- Don't wrap the potatoes in foil or cover them in any way, or else they will steam instead of turning out fluffy when you pierce the skin and open them.
- You don't have to oil the skins prior to baking, but they will be crisper and tastier if you do, and this makes a nice contrast to the fluffier insides.
- For a different flavor experience, try brushing the skins with flavor-infused olive oil like chipotle or garlic olive oil.
- When baking full trays of potatoes, a convection oven is the better choice since it circulates the heat evenly.
Choosing Ideal Potatoes for Baking
Telling a good potato from a bad potato is kind of like choosing the winner of a beauty contest.
The ideal potato:
- Is firm
- Has smooth skin
- Is free of any blemishes or eyes
A bad potato:
- Is spongy
- Has wrinkles
- Has numerous eyes sprouting
- Has dark spots
- Looks kind of green due to solanine production, which is toxic
By far, we think the winner of Best in Show for baking spuds is the Russet. They have that tasty brown skin and the starchy, fluffy insides that are the perfect steakhouse baked potato.
Alternative Ways to Bake Potatoes
Baking your potatoes in an oven will typically yield the best results, but you can use other methods to cook them. Wash and dry the potatoes, poke holes in them, and oil them as directed above, and then follow the additional directions below.
Microwave Oven Method
We almost don't want to share this one with you. Will it get the job done quickly? Yep. But does it yield a potato worthy of a steakhouse? Not even close. But it'll do in a pinch when you're in a hurry.
- Microwave two 10-ounce potatoes in a microwave-safe dish for six minutes on high.
- Carefully turn the potatoes over, and microwave on high for another six minutes.
- Use a food thermometer to check if the potatoes have reached an internal temperature of 210° F. If they haven't, continue to microwave in 60-second increments until the potatoes reach the target temperature, and then serve right away with your favorite toppings.
Toaster Oven Method
- Preheat the toaster oven to 400° F on the bake setting.
- Place two 10-ounce potatoes on a small baking sheet and put it in the oven.
- Bake for about 60 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 210° F, and serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
Choose Your Favorite Way to Bake
We love a baked potato, especially one with a crisp outside that you can only get from oven-baking or air-frying. So gather your baked potato toppings and pop a spud in the oven for a delicious classic side dish.
