How to Bake a Potato

Article by Martha Tinkler

There are many ways to make baked potatoes in the oven, and for good reason: whether your baked potato is on the side of a steak with butter or the main event with all the trimmings, this humble spud turns into a culinary classic with very little effort. We tested and tasted to make sure this simple recipe will give you the perfect baked potato every time.

How to Make Baked Potatoes In the Oven like a Pro

Best Potatoes for Baking

Russet potatoes are the undisputed king of bakers. While all potatoes will bake in the oven, the starch levels in Russet potatoes make them the only ones that have a fluffy interior we want for a baked potato. Sometimes called Idaho or baker potatoes, these are usually large potatoes with brown skin. They need a solid scrub before baking, but once clean the skin can be delicious. Make sure to buy potatoes that are all around the same size, so that they take the same time to cook.

Do You Need to Prick Your Potatoes?

For years, everyone has been pricking their potatoes with forks and knives before baking. While this will not harm your potato in any way, it’s not necessary when baking in the oven. Our tests showed that there was no difference between the pricked and un-pricked potatoes once baked. Save the time and effort and leave them whole.

For the Best Flavor, Add Oil and Salt

Rubbing your potato with oil and salt before baking not only seasons the skin but makes the whole potato more flavorful.

Follow Food Network’s Favorite Method for Baking (Here’s Why We Love It)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the oven racks in the middle of the oven.

Many people opt to place oiled potatoes directly on the center rack with a baking sheet on the rack underneath to catch drips. While the potato will get lots of air circulation and thus crispy skin, this technique can be cumbersome and a little dangerous. It requires handling each hot potato and pulling racks in and out rather than just one baking sheet.

Instead, here’s how we prefer to make baked potatoes: Place them on a baking sheet. The baking sheet will save time and hassle with negligible difference. Don’t wrap your potato in foil, however. Doing so will steam the skin and make it soft and damp, and then there is always a chance of a little bit of foil ending up in your potato. Not worth the risk.

How Long to Bake a Potato

Normally in a recipe we like to give a cooking range of 5 to 10 minutes. Saying that a potato will take 45 minutes to an hour seems vague, but sadly it’s the best we can do. Because they are all slightly different in size, starch, water content, temperature and age, all potatoes are going to cook a little differently. After 45 minutes, use oven mitts or a clean, dry towel to give the potato a gentle squeeze. When it is ready, the potato will feel soft and tender, easily squishable. You can also insert a fork or knife into the center of the potato, it should slide in and out easily when ready. If it is not quite ready, put it in for another 10 minutes or so and check again. Better for it to be slightly over cooked than slightly under. A hard baked potato is not worth eating.

Oven Baked Potato Toppings

• Butter: This is one occasion where salted butter is appropriate!
• Sour Cream: In a pinch you can use plain Greek yogurt or Mexican crema as a substitute, and there are lots of good plant-based sour creams available.
• Cheese: Shredded cheddar is the classic, but we have yet to find a cheese we don’t like on a baked potato.
• Bacon: Whether it is uncured from a local farm or in bits from a jar, bacon goes great with potatoes. Learn how to cook it in the oven.
• Chives and Scallions: These little green stalks pack a big bunch. Not only to they provide onion flavor much needed by the potato, but also, they add a pop of green on a drab canvas.
• Broccoli. While it might not immediately spring to mind, broccoli and cheese is a classic pair to go on a baked potato.
• Chili. If you are looking for a meal rather than a side, a scoop of chili takes a baked potato into the entrée course.