This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
With crispy, seasoned skin, a tender inside, and all the best toppings this recipe always results in the perfect baked potato!
Perfect Every time.
Who doesn’t LOVE a baked potato? It’s one of our favorite side dishes and a recipe we often make for our main meal too!
Fortunately, we figured out how to make the perfect baked potato EVERY time, and it never fails. Load it will all your favorite fixings like butter, cheese, salt, pepper, chives, sour cream, bacon or Pulled Pork – and you’ll agree it’s potato perfection.
Baked potatoes are one of our go-to meals to feed our family or a crowd, because it’s so easy to cook, and it has a taste you can rely on. This recipe is baked in the oven, but we also have a Slow Cooker Baked Potato recipe that is simple too!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- A family favorite. When we’re looking for an easy side or dinner idea this perfect baked potato is a go-to.
- Only 3 ingredients. It doesn’t get much easier! AND it preps in only 15 minutes!!
- Top it your way. Serve it with butter or load it with toppings, everyone can enjoy it their favorite way!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 15 minutes COOK TIME: 1 hour
- 4 russet potatoes – or Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
- optional toppings – butter, Pulled Pork, leftover Chili, chopped bacon, Salsa, chives, chopped broccoli, cheddar cheese, gorgonzola cheese, blue cheese, scallions, or chives
How to Make Perfect Baked Potatoes
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Scrub 4 potatoes with a stiff brush and cold water, then pat dry. Use a fork to poke 8–12 deep holes all over the surface of each potato to let the moisture escape during cooking.
- SEASON. In a large bowl, coat potatoes lightly with 2-3 tablespoons of oil and salt to taste. Then place potatoes in the oven directly on the middle oven rack (or on a foil-lined baking sheet).
- BAKE. Bake for 1 hour, until the skin is crisp and the flesh feels soft.
- Let potatoes cool a bit until you can handle them. Create a dotted line from end to end of each potato with your fork, then crack the potatoes open by squeezing the ends toward each other.
- Top potatoes with any desired toppings.
Potato tips
- Foil or no foil. It’s up to you. Baking without the foil will create crispy skin whereas baking in foil will produce softer skin.
- Bake the potatoes at 350°F for 60-75 minutes or 400°F for 50-60 minutes. Larger potatoes will take longer than smaller ones. A russet Idaho potato is finished when the internal temperature reaches about 210°F.
Complete The Meal
Main Dish
More Baked Potato Sides
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
1 hr 25 mins
Crock Pot Baked Potatoes
5 hrs 10 mins
Best Potato Skins
1 hr 4 mins
Collections
Perfect Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Wash potatoes with a stiff brush and cold water, then pat dry. Use a fork to poke 8–12 deep holes all over the surface of each potato to let the moisture escape during cooking.
- In a large bowl, coat potatoes lightly with oil and salt. Then place potatoes in the oven directly on the middle rack (or on a foil-lined baking sheet).
- Bake for 1 hour, until the skin is crisp and the flesh feels soft.
- Let potatoes cool a bit until you can handle them. Create a dotted line from end to end of each potato with your fork, then crack the potatoes open by squeezing the ends toward each other. Serve with any desired toppings (see note below).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Place leftover baked potatoes in an air-tight container or re-wrap them in foil and store them in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven.
This baked potato is my new go-to recipe! It’s easy to make, and the instructions are easy to follow. Thank you for sharing another great recipe!
these truly are the best baked potatoes recipe and I cannot thank you enough for sharing this recipe
Only way I make baked potatoes! They come out perfect every single time!
MY husband loves baked potatoes! I like making them simple or hearty. Plus, they can be made so fast. What a great meal.
I usually just use the potato button on my Microwave, but this recipe was perfect to follow to get a more flavorful skin and a better bake. Thanks!
These are the perfect potatoes!! The potatoes are tender & great as a side or a meal!
Baked potatoes are perfect for large or small families. We make them quite often and everyone loves them.
We have to have some kind of potato with a lot of our meals & these are great, because my kids can add what they want. They are perfectly tender!
DANG!! So easy and insanely yummy!