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The best baked potato recipe — perfectly crispy and flavorful on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and so flavorful and delicious.
Today, I thought we could go back to the basics and review a simple skill that every good cook should master…
…how to bake a potato. ♡
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I finally came to appreciate for myself the difference between a good baked potato and a greatbaked potato. You know what I’m talking about. Those baked potatoes whose skins are irresistibly golden and crispy, with a satisfying hint of crunchy salt in each bite. Those baked potatoes whose insides are perfectly light and fluffy and steamy, ready to enjoy with a dash of fresh chives or maybe loaded up with all of your favorite toppings. Those baked potatoes that taste like pure, nostalgic, comforting carbohydrate magic, and remind you how satisfying a simple potato can be.
That’s what we’re talking about today. And the good news for us all is that perfectly baked potatoes are actually incredibly easy to make. The secret lies 100% in this method below. All you need are 4 easy ingredients, a few minutes of active prep time and a piping hot oven. Then before you know it, the best baked potatoes of your life will be ready to serve and load up with your favorite toppings in no time.
Let’s bake some potatoes!
Perfect Baked Potato Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Oven Baked Potato Ingredients:
Alright first, let’s talk ingredients. To make this easy baked potato recipe, you will need:
Russet potatoes: Technically, you can make baked potatoes with any type of potatoes. But to make the best baked potatoes, I strongly believe that Russets are the way to go. The skins of Russet potatoes are nice and thick, which allow them to crisp up perfectly in the oven. And the insides are starchy, which make for an extra fluffy and sweet filling.
Butter or olive oil: I also strongly recommend using butter to crisp up your potato skins, which adds so much flavor and helps the skins get extra golden. But if you prefer not to cook with butter, you could sub in whatever type of high-heat cooking oil you prefer. (I would recommend avocado oil or regular olive oil, not extra-virgin.)
Kosher salt: I recommend using coarse Kosher salt, in order to add a bit of a crunch to the potato skins.
Freshly-ground black pepper: You can sprinkle black pepper on the potato skin before baking and/or add a few generous cracks of black pepper to the fluffy insides of the potatoes once they have fully baked.
Detailed ingredient amounts and instructions listed below.
How To Bake A Potato:
Here is my tried and true best method for how to make baked potatoes in the oven…
Heat oven to 450°F. Yep, you read the temperature right. The oven needs to be extra hot, so that the potato skins will crisp up quickly.
Prepare your baking sheet. If you happen to own a wire cooling rack, I highly recommend placing one on top of a baking sheet, so that the potatoes can cook evenly on all sides. Or if you don’t own a wire rack, you can either place the potatoes directly on the oven racks (with a baking sheet below, to catch any drips) or you can just bake the potatoes on a foil-lined (or parchment-lined, at your own risk) baking sheet.
Poke your potato all over with a fork. Because no one wants to deal with exploding potatoes. ;)
First bake. My best advice for how long to bake a potato — in two rounds! For the first round, bake for about 25 minutes, until the skin starts to feel dry and slightly wrinkly.
Brush the potato with melted butter (or oil). Next, carefully remove the potato from the oven. Use a pastry brush to brush the potato with melted butter (or oil) evenly on all sides. Sprinkle the potato with a generous pinch of Kosher salt. (I like mine fairly coarse so that you get a bit of a crunch.) Then place the potato back on the baking sheet, opposite side up, so that the potato can cook evenly on both sides.
Second bake. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Then very carefully, use an oven mitt to squeeze the potato (it will be hot) to check for doneness. If the insides are nice and soft and give under pressure, remove the potato from the oven. Otherwise, continue cooking in 5-minute increments until the potato is ready to go. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes, but on average, they typically take 45-55 minutes to cook.
Cut, squeeze, fluff, season and serve! Finally, slice the potato open lengthwise with a paring knife, give it a good squeeze to open it up, fluff the insides with a fork, add your favorite seasonings or toppings. Then a perfectly crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-fluffy-on-the-inside, and oh-so-delicious baked potato will now be yours to enjoy!
Baked Potato FAQ:
Here are some answers to a few of the most popular questions we have received over the years about how to make baked potatoes…
Can I make vegan baked potatoes? Definitely, just use vegan butter or a high-heat cooking oil (in place of butter).
Can I make microwave baked potatoes? You can use the same ingredients to make a microwave baked potato, but it will not have the same crispy skin and fluffy insides. I highly recommend the oven method instead.
Can I make Instant Pot baked potatoes? You can, but they also will not have the same crispy skin and fluffy insides that the oven method yields.
Can you make baked sweet potatoes with the same method? You can! Although baked sweet potatoes may have a slightly different cooking time, depending on the size/type of the potatoes.
Do I need to wrap the potatoes in foil? Nope, the potatoes need to stay uncovered with this method so that their skins can get extra-crispy.
What if I don’t have coarse Kosher salt? No worries, just sprinkle on some fine sea salt instead. I also occasionally use old-school seasoned salt on my potato skins and it is delicious!
Loaded Baked Potato Toppings:
Want to load your baked potatoes up with some fun toppings? Here are a few of my favorite ingredient combos for loaded baked potatoes…
Classic loaded baked potato: topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream, and/or green onions
Heat the oven. Heat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil (or parchment*), and if you happen to own a wire cooling rack, place it on top of the baking sheet.
Prep the potato. Using a dinner fork or a small paring knife, poke the potato at least 10 times on all sides. Place the potato on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake (round one). Bake for 25 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven.
Brush with butter (or oil). Using a pastry brush, brush the outside of the potato with melted butter or olive oil until it is completely coated on all sides. Sprinkle the potato with a generous pinch of Kosher salt, and place the potato back on the baking sheet reverse-side-up, so that it can cook evenly on both sides.
Bake (round two). Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Using an oven mitt, carefully squeeze the potato to check for doneness. If the insides are soft and give under pressure, remove the potato from the oven. Otherwise, continue cooking in 5-minute increments until the potato is soft.
Cut the potato. Using a small paring knife, slice halfway through the potato lengthwise. Then give it a gentle squeeze to open.
Serve. Serve immediately, with your desired toppings.
*Baking sheet: You can either bake the potatoes (1) directly on the oven racks themselves, with an extra baking sheet on a rack below to catch any drippings (2) on a baking sheet, which I recommend covering with foil or parchment paper (at your own risk) for easy cleanup.
Came out undercooked, even though I left it in for an extra 20 minutes (65 minutes total). This is probably one of those recipes that aren’t tested before publishing. Totally ruined my dinner plans. I hope I can get a second date. Thanks for nothing pal.
Adder McCoy —
Seriously?? Your going to blame it on the recipe?? This exact recipe as written worked perfectly for two sisters of mine. Didn’t do so great (still edible) for me. But as also instructed, temperature settings, type of potatoes and Size of the potatoes. So after another attempt (2x), even my creatures, I mean my sister’s said they were better than theirs were!! So in short,it wasn’t the recipes fault,it was the person cooking.🤫
This recipe is fantastic! I hat used this recipe for our lunch today and wow!! The best baked potato I’ve ever had! Definitely a keeper and now my go to recipe for baked potatoes. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! Anyone who has doubts-don’t have any! Just make these-they’re delicious!
My potato skins didn’t crisp as the author states.. but regardless still a great recipe. The potatoes are very soft in the insides, that we squished them a little (without breaking them open) before slicing to help with “fluffing”.. will keep trying in the future to see what works for me to get the skins crispier.
Wow! I tried this cooking method with some mediocre/was worried they were too old potatoes….and Wow! Perfect crispiness on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Thank you so much.
Delicious
Im all about potatoes Ali…. We just enjoyed these for second time tonite. The wire rack is a must ❤️ Crisp on the outside creamy on the inside
The comments that potatoes don’t really explode (except if microwaved) obviously come from people who have never had the joy of an exploded potato all over their oven. Yeah. They do explode if not poked and poked and poked with a fork. Making this recipe tonight and can’t wait as I’m also splurging on rib steak to go with.
I printed the recipe and am planning on making these tonight! Pepper is under ingredients, but not in the recipe. I’m assuming you use it when you use the salt?
We used your recipe tonight to make loaded baked potatoes with our sous vide steak. The potatoes turned out great – soft on the inside and crispy skin on the outside! Love this method. Next time, we’ll try with ghee so we can lazily avoid melting butter. Thanks for the recipe.
Game changer! We make these baked potatoes it seems at least once a week in our house now! Always turns out perfectly! Everyone I make them for raves about them! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve tried a few baked potato recipes and they didn’t turn out. These were PERFECT, just like you’d get in a restaurant. We each usually can only do one, but they were so good we each ate two loaded. I’m back to the site to make it again!
450 is obviously the smoking point for butter. My whole house is full of smoke from the the butter that dripped onto the foil lined pan. Also, i first tried parchment amd yes after 5 minutes it was toasting and stinking so why even mention it as part of the recipe even “at your own risk”? 1 star. This sucked.
Best baked potatoes ever!! Better than I have had in any restaurant. I don’t know why baking in 2 increments makes them better..but it does!! Thank u for an awesome receipe!
These were excellent. We made a large batch of 10 to serve at a dinner party and we were so pleased that they all turned out well. We will certainly be using your method from now on!
Second time using this recipe. The only thing I’ve done different is to use margarita salt – I like it’s flakiness. Also I’ve been using the convection bake setting on my countertop convection oven (think fancy name for a toaster oven) still at 450F.
We have a tradition of making a baked potato bar with our kids every Sunday night, and I’m telling you, this recipe WORKS. Be generous with salting the potato skins. It’s worth it.
Very impressed with this recipe. I have tried countless baked potato recipes and this is the winner by a mile. I used Alaska Grown potatoes, they’re thinner skinned but still turned out amazing. Thanks!
Sir/Maam the “recipe” states two separate baking time frames that adds up to a total of 45 mins. Please read.
Maria —
I can’t say if the large potatoes I used needed more cooking time because the butter produced so much smoke that it set my alarm off multiple times. I had to stop baking them. I used a baking pan and cooling rack, foil, followed recipe exactly. I swapped the foil underneath before putting them back in the oven. Maybe I’ll try again with a cooler temp and olive oil.
Really good!!
Came out undercooked, even though I left it in for an extra 20 minutes (65 minutes total). This is probably one of those recipes that aren’t tested before publishing. Totally ruined my dinner plans. I hope I can get a second date. Thanks for nothing pal.
Seriously?? Your going to blame it on the recipe?? This exact recipe as written worked perfectly for two sisters of mine. Didn’t do so great (still edible) for me. But as also instructed, temperature settings, type of potatoes and Size of the potatoes. So after another attempt (2x), even my creatures, I mean my sister’s said they were better than theirs were!! So in short,it wasn’t the recipes fault,it was the person cooking.🤫
This recipe is fantastic! I hat used this recipe for our lunch today and wow!! The best baked potato I’ve ever had! Definitely a keeper and now my go to recipe for baked potatoes. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! Anyone who has doubts-don’t have any! Just make these-they’re delicious!
My potato skins didn’t crisp as the author states.. but regardless still a great recipe. The potatoes are very soft in the insides, that we squished them a little (without breaking them open) before slicing to help with “fluffing”.. will keep trying in the future to see what works for me to get the skins crispier.
Wow! I tried this cooking method with some mediocre/was worried they were too old potatoes….and Wow! Perfect crispiness on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Thank you so much.
Delicious
Im all about potatoes Ali…. We just enjoyed these for second time tonite. The wire rack is a must ❤️ Crisp on the outside creamy on the inside
Omg this the best recipe for baked potato!
This was the easiest and tastiest baker I have EVER made.
The all time best baked potato I’ve ever had. Period!
Best tater I ever had
What if my oven had only 250°C?
250 Cis 482 F, so you’re fine. You’ll want to set oven to 232 C
The comments that potatoes don’t really explode (except if microwaved) obviously come from people who have never had the joy of an exploded potato all over their oven. Yeah. They do explode if not poked and poked and poked with a fork. Making this recipe tonight and can’t wait as I’m also splurging on rib steak to go with.
Baked a potato for the first time with this. Worked beautifully. Thanks.
I love you blog keep up the good work
ABSOLUTELY, BEST POTATO I EVER BAKED!!
I printed the recipe and am planning on making these tonight! Pepper is under ingredients, but not in the recipe. I’m assuming you use it when you use the salt?
can you use a cast iron skillet to put the potatoes in to bake?
I use a skillet for mine every time I make baked potatoes. They turn out great!
We used your recipe tonight to make loaded baked potatoes with our sous vide steak. The potatoes turned out great – soft on the inside and crispy skin on the outside! Love this method. Next time, we’ll try with ghee so we can lazily avoid melting butter. Thanks for the recipe.
Family loved the way they came out!! Thank YOU!!
It really is THE best baked potato recipe. I follow all the directions as is and perfect baked potatoes every time! Thank you!!
Having these tonight with steak tips!
Easiest recipe and best tasting baked potato ever! Mahalo *=)
THAT is the best (and First) baked potato i’ve ever tasted!
The best way to make baked potatoes. It’s the only recipe I use now.
Game changer! We make these baked potatoes it seems at least once a week in our house now! Always turns out perfectly! Everyone I make them for raves about them! Thank you for sharing!
Works great
These were great! Poking is essential. I baked them for 60 min total and they were perfect.
I’ve tried a few baked potato recipes and they didn’t turn out. These were PERFECT, just like you’d get in a restaurant. We each usually can only do one, but they were so good we each ate two loaded. I’m back to the site to make it again!
Best baked potatos I have ever made!
450 is obviously the smoking point for butter. My whole house is full of smoke from the the butter that dripped onto the foil lined pan. Also, i first tried parchment amd yes after 5 minutes it was toasting and stinking so why even mention it as part of the recipe even “at your own risk”? 1 star. This sucked.
Best baked potatoes ever!! Better than I have had in any restaurant. I don’t know why baking in 2 increments makes them better..but it does!! Thank u for an awesome receipe!
This method really works!
The best perfect baked potatoes I’ve ever had. This recipe is excellent.
We use this recipe every week and love it!
These were excellent. We made a large batch of 10 to serve at a dinner party and we were so pleased that they all turned out well. We will certainly be using your method from now on!
Potato perfection ???
These were excellent, thank you!
What if you have meat in the oven and can only turn the oven to 350 then how long for a baked potato?
Great recipe!
👍👍👍
Second time using this recipe. The only thing I’ve done different is to use margarita salt – I like it’s flakiness. Also I’ve been using the convection bake setting on my countertop convection oven (think fancy name for a toaster oven) still at 450F.
I am 88 years. I have NEVER had a potato explode when baking. Must be doing something right!
We have a tradition of making a baked potato bar with our kids every Sunday night, and I’m telling you, this recipe WORKS. Be generous with salting the potato skins. It’s worth it.
Try sprinkling some lemon juice inside of the potato along with a pat of butter for something different. It’s delish!!!
Definitely using this recipe from now on…it WORKS!
Good Lort. Y’all didn’t know ya need to poke the potatoe?
This world is, very quickly, going to hell in a hand basket.
Jesus, take the wheel.
Very impressed with this recipe. I have tried countless baked potato recipes and this is the winner by a mile. I used Alaska Grown potatoes, they’re thinner skinned but still turned out amazing. Thanks!
Please suggest adjustments required for baby red & yellow potatoes. Maybe 10 min per baking
session?
Thank you for this method! Works great!
Sir/Maam the “recipe” states two separate baking time frames that adds up to a total of 45 mins. Please read.
I can’t say if the large potatoes I used needed more cooking time because the butter produced so much smoke that it set my alarm off multiple times. I had to stop baking them. I used a baking pan and cooling rack, foil, followed recipe exactly. I swapped the foil underneath before putting them back in the oven. Maybe I’ll try again with a cooler temp and olive oil.