Whether it is served as your side dish or main entree an Oven Baked Potato with soft and fluffy insides and crispy skin is always a good idea. This recipe for baking potatoes in the oven is foolproof and will yield soft and delicious potatoes every time. Plus you are going to LOVE how easy they are to make.
If you are short on time you can always make Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot. They turn out fluffy and delicious, they are just missing that crispy skin.
I was raised in Iowa, heart of “meat and potato” country, so you know a good baked potato is a crucial part to a good dinner at my house. We love to load them up with all sorts of fillings… everything from sour cream and bacon to cheese and broccoli.
You can check out this Baked Potato Bar article for more topping ideas! Or check out this recipe for Twice Baked Potatoes for another way to use your baked potatoes.
…And tomorrow you can make this recipe with the leftover baked potatoes.
Ingredients
Just three simple ingredients are all you need to make a perfect Oven Baked Potato:
- Russet Potatoes – traditionally used for making baked potatoes. You will also find them called baking potatoes, white potatoes, Idaho potatoes, or even “old” potatoes.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – this is usually what I have in the kitchen. But a canola or olive oil will work too. It helps give the skin of the potato a nice crunch.
- Kosher Salt – a little kosher salt sprinkled on the outside of the potato lends a ton of flavor, especially if you eat the skins!
How To Tell When Baked Potatoes Are Done
You can go the old school method by piercing your baked potatoes with a knife or fork. If it doesn’t meet any hard resistance, chances are your potato is done.
But the foolproof method for making sure your potatoes are soft and fluffy and cooked through to the middle:
Using an instant read thermometer, check the temp of the thickest part of the potato. If it reads at least 210°F your oven baked potatoes are done!
Step by Step
- Wash Potatoes
- Pierce with Knife
- Oil & Salt
- Bake
- Serve
Russet potatoes can be pretty dirty. Make sure you wash or even scrub your potatoes clean, especially if you plan on eating the skin too.
Dry them a little with a clean kitchen towel.
With a sharp paring knife or fork tines pierce the potato on all sides. I usually do 6 per side.
This helps vent the steam in the potatoes while they cook.
Coat the potatoes very lightly in a little oil; extra virgin olive oil, regular olive oil or canola oil will all work. This helps get the skin kind of crispy while the potatoes bake!
Then sprinkle a little kosher salt (and pepper if you like) on all sides.
Bake your potato for 1 hour at 400°F directly on the oven rack. Then check the temp with an instant read thermometer.
Depending on the size of your potato they will be perfectly done or you may need up to 30 minutes longer for those huge russets!
Let the potatoes cool slightly and then serve them with all the optional toppings, starting with butter, sour cream, green onions and salt/pepper.
Serve With…
Baked Potatoes are super versatile, they go with everything from homestyle meatloaf to grilled steak. Here are some other dinners you will love to have with your Baked Potatoes:
- BBQ Pork Tenderloin
- Grilled Hamburgers
- Roasted Chicken
- Braised Tri Tip
- Beef Pot Roast
- Country Style Ribs
If you have some potatoes leftover, pop them in the fridge and then you can make this recipe for leftover baked potatoes tomorrow.
Baked Potato Toppings
Oven Baked Potatoes are great as a side dish, but also as the main entree! You just need to make sure you offer some amazing toppers to load them up:
This post for putting together a Baked Potato Bar has some great potato topper ideas. Besides the usual suspects; butter, sour cream, green onions, bacon and cheese, I will share some of our favorites here:
- Roasted Broccoli & cheese sauce
- cottage cheese and Lawry’s season salt
- taco meat, guacamole and salsa
- chili, cheese, and sour cream
- bbq pulled pork, cheese, french fried onions
- butter, vinaigrette dressing, and black olives **my favorite that is super bizarre, LOL
More Potato Recipes
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How To Make Perfect Oven Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- russet potatoes
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
Serving
- optional toppings: butter, sour cream, cheese, green onions, bacon, etc…
- Check out this post for Baked Potato Bar for more topping options!
Instructions
Make 2 or 10 baked potatoes with this method, whatever you need!
- Preheat the oven to 400℉
- Wash your russet potatoes well, lightly dry them with a clean kitchen towel before moving on.russet potatoes
- Prick the clean russet potatoes about 6 times on both sides with a fork or sharp paring knife.
- Brush or rub each potato with a little extra virgin olive oil on all sides and then sprinkle with kosher salt.extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt
- Place in the preheated oven directly on the oven rack.
- Bake for 1 hour, then check for doneness. Cooking time will depend on how large your potatoes are. They could possibly take up to 1 hour 30 minutes for really large potatoes. PRO TIP: The BEST way to tell if your potatoes are done is using an instant read thermometer, when they reach 210℉ in the center they are perfect. If you do not have an instant read thermometer you can check with a fork or knife by poking all the way to the center, you should not meet any hard resistance.
- Let the potatoes cool and serve cut open with all the toppings for loaded baked potatoes. sour cream, butter, green onions, cheese, bacon, salt, pepper, etc…
Leftovers
- Keep leftover baked potatoes in the fridge, then you can make these skillet potatoes later in the week.
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