Some folks act like baking a potato is common sense, but nobody’s born knowing this stuff. We all gotta start somewhere boos, and this right here is a good place to begin. Baked potatoes go with just about anything, they’re easy to make, and once you know how to do it right, you’ll never forget it. Whether you like them plain or loaded to the heavens, here’s how to bake a potato the RIGHT way!
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How to Bake A Potato
Step 1: Scrub the potatoes clean and pat them dry. Prick all over with a fork, coat with oil, and sprinkle generously with salt.
Step 2: Place the potatoes on a wire rack in a baking pan and bake until they’re tender enough to pierce or squeeze easily. Let them cool briefly, then serve.
PRO TIP: When selecting russets to bake, try not to grab super large or super small potatoes. A nice medium size is just perfect.
Baked Potato Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 russet potatoes medium
- 6 tsp oil
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Begin by scrubbing your russet potatoes, getting rid of debris and dirt then pat dry.
- Next prick each potato all over with a fork making sure to pierce the inside.
- Rub down each potato with 2 teaspoons of oil or use the olive oil spray to evenly coat the potatoes.
- Sprinkle each potato liberally with salt.
- Add each potato to a wire rack inside of a baking pan then place in the oven for 50-70 minutes or until you can easily push through the surface of the potato into the flesh with no resistance. You can even squeeze it with mitted hands and if it gives easily, it’s ready to eat!
- Cool for 10 minutes then serve them up!
Notes
- Fridge: Let the potatoes cool completely, then wrap them in foil or pop them in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Wrap each cooled potato tightly in foil, then place in a freezer bag. They will last about 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: For the best texture, reheat in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until warmed through. You can also use the microwave! Slice it open and cover with a damp paper towel to help keep it from drying out.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Scrub those potatoes good, boos. Dirt and debris ain’t seasoning!
- ALWAYS prick the outside with a fork all over. Helps steam escape and keeps your easy baked potato from blowing up in the oven.
- Skip the foil if you want crispy skin. Wrapping them traps moisture and steams them instead of roasting.
- Cut your potato open within 5 minutes of pulling it out the oven. Letting the steam out right away keeps the inside fluffy.
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Serving Suggestions
- Toppings: I love mine with a nice hint of salt and pepper along with a good amount of melty butter, but y’all can top yours with sour cream (my mama’s fave!), shredded cheddar, bacon bits, chives, or even a scoop of chili. Broccoli and cheese is a solid way to sneak in some veggies too!
- Main Dishes: These pair well with steak, chicken and gravy, short ribs, smothered pork chops, or pretty much any main. Seriously boos, ANY main!
- Something Different: Try stuffing them with taco meat and cheese, turning them into twice baked potatoes, or even using the insides to make mashed potatoes!
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Absolutely delicious! This is literally better than any restaurant baked potato that I have ever had! So fluffy and perfect!
The addition of the olive oil and salt made all the difference. Yum!
A love a classic steak house-baked potato. The salt and olive oil really make all the difference
I bake my potatoes at that higher heat as well, I love a crispy skin! Salting them after the oil rub down is an excellent idea, thanks!
I swear patting the potato dry before rubbing them in oil made all the difference! How did I not know about that!? Thanks for sharing!
This makes the potato skin so yummy! Great tips!
Yum! We have baked potatoes at least once for dinner every week and I can never get the skin crispy. I finally did thanks to this recipe! Thank you for the amazing tips for this staple in our house to help please my picky family!
We’ve been baking our potatoes in our air fryer. Quick and easy and nice and crispy.
Thanks for all of these great tips for baking the perfect potato. I’ve never rubbed them with oil before baking, so I’ll definitely be doing that from now on. Excellent tutorial for one of my all-time favorite foods!