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Best Baked Potato

  • Author: Cookie and Kate
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 baked potatoes 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 30 reviews

Learn how to make the PERFECT baked potato with this foolproof recipe! These baked potatoes are tender and fluffy on the inside, and wonderfully crisp on the outside. Stuff them with your favorite fillings and enjoy! Recipe yields as many baked potatoes as you’d like, though if you make more than 4 at a time you will need a bit more butter or oil and they might need a little longer in the oven.

best baked potato recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 to 4 medium Russet potatoes (7 to 9 ounces each)
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
  • Flaky sea salt or kosher salt, for sprinkling
  • Desired toppings, such as sour cream, butter, chives, salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle of the oven. Place an oven-safe steel cooling rack in a large rimmed baking sheet, and set it aside on your countertop. Or, you can bake the potatoes directly on your middle oven rack, in which case, place a rimmed baking sheet on a lower rack now to catch any drips. 
  2. To prepare your potatoes, scrub them clean with a vegetable brush under running water. Prick your potatoes with a fork, about ¼-inch deep, six to eight times per potato.
  3. Place your potatoes on the prepared cooling rack/baking sheet setup, or place them directly on the middle oven rack. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (longer if necessary), until a skewer or fork slides easily into the center of the largest potato. 
  4. Remove the potatoes from the oven and brush each one lightly with butter all over. Sprinkle each one lightly with salt all over. 
  5. For ultra crispy skin, raise your middle rack up a level or two higher before putting the potatoes back in the oven. For nicely crisp skin, leave it where it is. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. 
  6. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Using a paring knife, promptly cut two slits across the top of each potato to form an “X” shape. Using a clean dish towel to protect your hands, gently push both ends of the potato toward the center until the flesh of the potato ribbons up and out. 
  7. Add any desired toppings, and serve immediately. 

Notes

Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen and The New York Times after a whole lot of experimentation.

Make it dairy free/vegan: Use olive oil instead of butter.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Find it online: https://sooka.info/baked-potato-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E