Baked Potatoes
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Learn how to make the ultimate baked potato—crisp skin, fluffy center, and just the right amount of salt. All it takes is a hot oven and a few basic ingredients.
Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside—that’s the hallmark of the perfect baked potato. Once split open, the steaming interior becomes the ultimate base for toppings, from butter and sour cream to ranch dressing or crumbled bacon.
While there are countless opinions on how to achieve potato perfection, my baked potato recipe is simple. No foil, no microwaving, no bed of salt—just a generous rub of oil, a sprinkle of salt, and an hour in a 400°F oven. The result: potatoes that are tender inside with a beautifully crispy, seasoned skin.
Craving baked sweet potatoes instead? I follow the same method but bump up the oven temp to draw out their rich, natural sweetness. Or, turn your potatoes into the ultimate comfort food with easy potato soup recipe—basically a loaded baked potato in soup form!
“Who knew baked potatoes could have so much kid-appeal? They went crazy over the fluffy insides! This is my baked potato recipe going forward.”
What You’ll Need To Make Baked Potatoes
- Russet potatoes – Also known as Idaho potatoes, russet are ideal for making baked potatoes. They are large with a long oval shape and brown skin. Their flesh is starchy, so they become fluffy when cooked. They’re also for making mashed potatoes, french fries, and potato latkes. Prior to cooking, the potatoes should be scrubbed clean of any dirt, rinsed, and dried.
- Salt – Enhances the natural flavor of the potatoes and adds a deliciously seasoned, crispy skin.
- Oil – Coats the potatoes to create that perfect golden, crispy exterior. I use vegetable oil but you can use olive oil if you prefer.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Prick the potatoes with a fork (see pro tip), place the potatoes directly on a foil-lined sheet, rub them all over with oil, and sprinkle with salt.
Pro tip: Conventional cooking wisdom says to prick potatoes before baking to let steam escape and prevent them from bursting in the oven. I never bother—and I’ve never had one explode—but it doesn’t hurt, so if it gives you peace of mind, go ahead and do it.
Step 2: Bake the potatoes. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced in the center with a sharp knife. Not sure if they’re done? Use a digital thermometer—the center of the largest potato should be between 205°F and 210°F. You can also give them a gentle squeeze to check for softness (just be careful—they’ll be hot!).
Step 3: Cool slightly and add toppings. Let the potatoes sit for a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Cut a slit down the center of each potato and serve with toppings of choice.
Baked Potato Toppings
Now that you’ve mastered the perfect baked potato, it’s time for the fun part: toppings. Keep it simple or turn it into a full meal. Here are a few favorite combinations:
- Classic: Butter, sour cream, crispy bacon, chives or scallions, shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gruyère, Parmesan, or blue cheese crumbles)
- Veggie-Loaded: Roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower, or roasted Brussels sprouts with olive oil and Parmesan
- Chili-Style: Beef chili or turkey chili, shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions
- Taco-Inspired: Spiced ground beef taco (or chicken taco) filling, salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, maybe a few crushed tortilla chips
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Baked Potatoes
This is your foolproof, no-fuss way to make baked potatoes at home. No shortcuts, no gimmicks—just simple technique that really works.
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean of dirt, rinsed and dried
- 2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Prick each potato a few times all over with a fork, if you like (see note). Directly on the baking sheet, rub the potatoes with the oil and sprinkle all over with the salt. Bake until tender when pierced in the center with a sharp knife (or until the center of the largest potato registers 205°F to 210°F), 60 to 70 minutes. You can also squeeze the potatoes to see if they are soft (be careful; they're hot!). Let sit for a few minutes until cool enough to handle, then cut a slit down the center of each potato and serve with toppings of choice.
- Note: Conventional wisdom says that prior to baking, you have to prick potatoes with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape during baking. The theory is that if you don’t prick the potato, the steam can build up under the skin and cause the potato to explode in the oven. I don't prick my potatoes and have never had a potato explosion, but pricking won't harm the potatoes, so go ahead and prick them as insurance, if you like.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: 1 potato
- Calories: 313
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 67 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 309 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Delicious!! My women’s Bible study group was having a Potato Buffet with a variety of toppings…I was to bring baked potatoes for 30. About three/four hours before class, I put the potatoes in to bake. While they were cooking, I got out a large ice chest and lined it with bath towels. Once the potatoes were done, they were quickly individually wrapped in foil and placed in the ice chest. After putting another layer of bath towels on top, the lid was closed. The potatoes stayed piping hot until we were ready to eat and were amazingly tender! (The skin is no longer crispy, but I promise is SO delicious!) This was such a hit, I now do this for easy, hassel-free family gatherings. When preparing lunch for just my dad and me, I simply bake the potatoes about two hours early, wrap each one separately in foil, wrap a small towel around them …then place inside a small insulated lunch bag. Thanks again, Jenn, for generously sharing your talents and recipes with all of us!!
Jenn,
I just read your baked potato recipe. My recipe is exactly the same as your in the prep., but the only difference is that I cook my potatoes at 500 for a full hour. The outside of the potato is really crispy and the inside is almost like mashed potatoes. Wonderful. I do not prick my potatoes either & I have never had a potato explode on me either. 500 sounds so high, but somehow it works perfectly.
I have made so many of your recipes, because I know they will be great in advance.
Vicki Dillon
There is nothing like a perfectly cooked baked potato-butter, sour cream, salt and pepper. I’ve recently become a convert to using my air fryer…it’s a revelation! Perfectly cooked crispy skin in 40 minutes with this same recipe.
My favorite baked potato toppings, in order of application: salt & pepper, butter, grated cheese, sautéed onions & mushrooms, , crumbled bacon, lightly steamed broccoli, with homemade ranch dressing drizzled over all. One of my favorite meals ever.
Stop!!!! That sounds amazing and I agree with your order.
Thanks for the topping ideas!
Hi Jen. I love every recipe I’ve tried.
Last week my husband put the potatoes in and didn’t prick them. 50 minutes later we hear the pop! I knew immediately because it’s happen to me, before I was married (44 years ago). My daughter and her fiancé were here too, and they all claimed to never prick it. I always have, but didn’t realize they weren’t. Needless to say, it was a mess, and I now have a spanking clean oven, my husband cleaned it, his mess after all!
Ugh — sounds like a mess!! I know how you’ll be handling them next time…😄
I’ve had a potatoe explode in the oven. I can confirm it’s not a silly old wives tale.
Perfect every time.
I’m in the poke ’em group. If you ever have to try to clean burnt-on mashed potato off the walls ceiling and door of your oven, you’ll poke ’em from that day forward. 🙂
I can attest that Greg is right. For the first half 30+ years of my life I never had a potato explode in the oven, and for the next 40+ years after that, I’ve ALWAYS forked them. It isn’t worth the risk of such a cleanup chore!
I love all of Jenn’s recipes! I printed the recipe and separately, the section on toppings. My husband asked me to make this asap. I did, with roasted sprouts (I’m on Keto) AND bacon . It was delicious!
I will never make baked potatoes another way. Jenn, I so enjoy your recipes. They turn out perfect every time!
Jane
Love your recipe! Great tasting potatoes! I always pricked my potatoes until one time i didn’t and that was the time they exploded. It was such a mess. Now I always prick them.
I love this recipe. The family loved this t! Delicious
Thank you