How to make a perfect Baked Potato in the oven. This easy method makes the best baked potatoes with fluffy centers and the most delicious crispy skins!
I don’t know about you, but I can’t resist a perfect baked potato. You know the kind – perfectly soft and fluffy inside, with delicious crispy potato skin that’s too good not to eat. With this baked potato recipe, you’ll no longer need to go to your favorite steakhouse to enjoy the best baked potatoes. You’ll be able to make them yourself, in the comfort of your own home, and there aren’t any fussy or time-consuming steps involved, either.
This simple, wholesome, budget-friendly comfort food is also extremely versatile. Whether you serve them as a side dish or load them up with toppings and make them a meal, these oven baked potatoes always satisfy. You can keep the toppings simple with butter, salt and pepper, or add in more options (garlic butter or broccoli and cheese are always a hit in my house). Everyone can top their potato just how they like it, so it’s a great crowd-pleasing dinner idea!
If you have an Instant Pot or air fryer, you might also enjoy my recipes for Air Fryer Baked Potato and Instant Pot Baked Potatoes. Be sure to try my easy Baked Sweet Potato recipe, too!
Baked Potato Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need just 3 simple ingredients to make this baked potato recipe!
- Russet Potatoes: Russet potatoes make the best baked potatoes. Their skins crisp up nicely and the insides bake up soft and fluffy. You can use this recipe to make just one baked potato, or as many as a dozen or more if you’re feeding a crowd.
- Olive Oil: Rubbing the skins with olive oil adds flavor and helps the potato skins to get crispy in the oven.
- Salt: A generous sprinkling of salt makes the potato skins exceptionally delicious. I recommend using flaked sea salt or coarse Kosher salt.
How to Bake a Potato
Here is my go-to method for making baked potatoes in the oven. You’ll find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below.
- First, preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scrub the potatoes. Give the potatoes a good rinse under running water, scrubbing them with a vegetable brush to get rid of any dirt. Use a clean kitchen towel to dry the potatoes well and then place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Poke the potatoes. Use a fork to poke each potato a few times. This allows steam to escape as the potatoes cook. We don’t want to risk having a potato explode in the oven!
- Rub olive oil all over the potato skins.
- Sprinkle salt on all sides of the potatoes.
- Bake the potatoes. How long to bake a potato? I find that they always take longer than I think they will. Depending on their size, potatoes can take anywhere from 40-70 minutes to bake in the oven. My grocery store usually has large potatoes, and they typically take 60-70 minutes to cook.
Baked Potato Recipe Tips
- Don’t wrap them in foil. If you want baked potatoes with crispy skins, you need to bake them unwrapped. Wrapping potatoes in foil makes the skins soft since the foil traps steam inside.
- Be generous with the salt. Use a coarse salt, such as flaked sea salt or coarse Kosher salt and generously sprinkle it all over the potatoes before baking. The skins will have the most delicious flavor and texture!
- Plan for it to take a while. Baked potatoes, especially large ones, take a while to cook. Plan for at least an hour for medium to large potatoes. If they’re done a few minutes early, they will stay hot as long as you don’t cut them open.
- Split them open like a pro. Cut a slit lengthwise through the top of the potato. Then press gently on the two ends to open up the potato so that it’s ready for your favorite baked potato toppings.
Serving Suggestions
Baked potatoes are an easy side dish and can also be a main course for lunch or dinner. They’re a classic side to pair with a grilled steak or Air Fryer Steak, and we also love them with Baked Pork Chops and Baked Salmon. To make a loaded baked potato a meal, add your favorite baked potato toppings:
- Classic: Add Baked Bacon or Air Fryer Bacon, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheddar cheese and green onions or chives.
- Chili: Top them with Instant Pot Chili or Turkey Chili and cheese.
- Broccoli Cheese: Cook up some roasted broccoli or steamed broccoli and sprinkle on shredded cheddar cheese.
- Mexican: Black beans and/or ground beef taco meat, corn, salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
- BBQ: Top potatoes with Instant Pot Pulled Pork or Crockpot BBQ Chicken.
- Veggie: Load them up with your favorite veggies. Try air fryer broccoli, chopped bell peppers, roasted zucchini, corn, or whatever you have to use up in your produce drawer. Add some cheese, sour cream, salsa or guacamole for extra flavor.
More Potato Recipes
- Sloow Cooker Baked Potatoes
- Potato Soup
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Potato Salad
- Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Oven Baked French Fries
Best Baked Potato Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- coarse kosher salt or flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scrub potatoes and pat them dry. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Prick potatoes a few times with a fork.
- Rub olive oil over the potatoes. Sprinkle all sides generously with salt.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-70 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. The cook time will depend on the size of the potatoes.
- To split potatoes open, cut lengthwise through the top and then press gently on the two ends. Serve potatoes with toppings, as desired.
Notes
- You can use this recipe to make more or less baked potatoes.
Thank you for the recipe for a plain potato and for the other recipes and ideas.
Is there a reason why you baked it on parchment paper? I’m only asking because that would be a great idea when I bake sweet potatoes to catch the crusty stuff that “falls to the bottom of the oven” and makes a mess to clean.
I use parchment paper to make clean up easy.
You can also pre cook the potatoes in the microwave it lessens the baking time especially if the potatoes are large.
If I am taking these somewhere for dinner, should I still “cut them open” after baking to help them not be soggy? Thanks!!
No, it’s not necessary to cut the potatoes open ahead of time.
Delicious potatoes! A tip: before rubbing w olive oil and salt, poke holes in clean potatoes, place in microwave and cook on high in 1 minute increments until potatoes are slightly squeeze able or barely soft, then follow recipe instructions for oil, salt, baking. Shorten baking time to 25-30 minutes. This method results in fluffy insides, crispy skin in half the time.
Thank you for the clear instructions. I definitely want the crispy skin! The past couple of years I have started using fried cut up kielbasa for a topping, and it is an outstanding flavor on the potatoes.
Great recipe! Easy and delicious! Thank you!
PS: It’s nice to see a website that doesn’t give you half the recipe and then ask for your email to continue.