A Baked Potato is one of life's most simple pleasures! Sharing tips for how to bake a potato, plus tasty serving suggestions.
Sometimes, when life is life-ing, and there’s a million things going on, I remember that Baked Potatoes exist and for a moment, all is right with the world.
Baked Potatoes are one of life’s simple pleasures and I grew up eating them for dinner often, loaded with toppings. This simple and inexpensive meal or side dish always hits the spot!
Tips for Making a Baked Potato
Whether you serve baked potatoes as a side dish with dinner, or add a plethora of toppings and serve it as a main, keep these tips in mind when baking them:
- Baking temperature. A hand-sized Russet potato (6-8oz) takes 50-60 minutes to bake at 425 degrees. That said, you can bake potatoes anywhere between 350 and 450 degrees, adjusting the baking time accordingly. I say this because I’ll often toss them into the oven when I’m baking chicken thighs, or a whole roast chicken – both of which bake at different temperatures than 425 degrees.
- Don’t wrap. I prefer to rub and season my potatoes with oil and salt prior to baking, vs wrapping in foil, which results in a tasty, crispy skin.
- Bake on a rack. I recommend baking potatoes directly on the oven rack with a sheet pan placed underneath to catch any drips. If you’re gluten free, be mindful of what might have been baked on the rack in the past (regular pizzas, etc). To be on the safe side, place an oven-safe cooling rack on top of a foil-lined sheet pan then bake the potatoes on top of the cooling rack for the same effect.
How to Serve Baked Potatoes
Like I said, baked potatoes are extremely versatile. Here’s how we love to eat them!
- Drizzle with homemade cheese sauce, chopped steamed broccoli, and bacon bits.
- Stuff with fajita chicken and vegetables plus guacamole.
- Stuff with stew, or chili and shredded cheese.
- Stuff with shredded chicken, BBQ sauce, shredded cheddar, and green onions.
- Stuff with ground taco meat and all your favorite taco toppers.
How to Bake a Potato
Step 1: Prep the potatoes.
A 6-8oz Russet potato makes for a the perfect baked potato, imo! Additionally, this size of potato will bake through in under an hour, whereas a huge, 1lb+ potato will need to bake for quite a bit longer.
Scrub then dry the potatoes and then choose four “sides” and prick each side three times with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking.
Step 2: Season the potatoes.
Place the potatoes in a bowl then drizzle with a neutral tasting oil like vegetable or avocado oil, and then add a big pinch of salt for each potato you’re baking.
Use your hands to rub the potatoes to coat then place on a cooling rack set atop a foil lined baking sheet. Alternatively you can bake the potatoes directly on an oven rack set in the center of your oven – be sure to place a baking sheet underneath to catch oil drips.
Step 3: Bake the potatoes.
Bake the potatoes for 50-60 minutes or until a knife or toothpick can be EASILY inserted into the center of the potato, flipping the potatoes with tongs halfway through.
These babies stay super hot for quite awhile so whenever you’re ready to eat, slice open, add a pat of butter (or five) plus any of your favorite fixin’s, and DIG IN! I hope you love this simple easy side dish – enjoy!
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
- Healthy Chickpea Salad
- Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Orzo
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans with Bacon
- Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic and Herbs
- The BEST Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6-8 oz Russet potato, scrubbed and dried
- neutral tasting oil like vegetable or avocado
- sea salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees then line a half or quarter sheet pan with foil and place a cooling rack on top. (Alternatively you can bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack – place a sheet pan underneath to catch oil drips.)
- Use a fork to make shallow pricks all over the potato (I usually choose 4 “sides” to the potato then make three pricks in each side) then place in a bowl and drizzle with oil and add a big pinch of salt. Rub to evenly coat then place potatoes on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the potato for 50-60 minutes, using tongs to flip the potatoes halfway through, or until a toothpick or knife can be easily inserted into the center. Let cool for 5-10 minutes then serve.
Notes
- You can make as many baked potatoes at one time as you like, however the more you bake, the longer they will take. Additionally, if your potatoes are larger than 6-8oz, they will take longer to bake. Using the convection setting on your oven will help speed up the baking process if you are baking several potatoes at a time.
- Pair baked potatoes with my easy cheese sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Excellent recipe. Very good I usually start my baked potatoes in the microwave to cut down in the time it takes to cook them. However, I do need to add that you should never keep your potatoes in the refrigerator. It drastically change the taste and texture.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this method, Mj!
I learned this method years ago from my sister who learned it with one of the chefs she worked with. The secret to perfect is to bake it to an internal temperature of 210d farenheit. It will be perfect every time no matter what size it is.
The best, easiest and less expensive way to “bake” a potato is to wrap your potato in Saran wrap and place the potato(es) in a microwave oven for 8 minutes for one and 12 minutes for two. They come out perfectly every time.
I was going through all my pinterest recipes during “shelter at home” and I came across two of your recipes that I love from way back when–2011! But when I click on the links now (one is for salmon and cous, the other for a steak pasta salad) they take me to a different post! Did you take these two recipes down? Or know where I can find them? (Even better!) Thank you and love your recipes!
https://iowagirleats.com/2011/05/31/under-15-minute-meal-for-one/
https://iowagirleats.com/2011/06/26/one-year-later/
Not sure if you read a blog post from not that long ago, but she mentioned that she went back and deleted some old posts/recipes. If you email her, I bet she would get them for you. I hope that helps. Stay safe.
You bet, Jo! I’ll get those emailed over to you now!
I’m making these right now for the first time and it is smelling awesome! I’ve never made baked potatoes this way before, but I think that I am converted. Thanks!
Amazing!! I hope you loved them, Kathy!
Perfect! I have an 8 lb bag starting to go bad. We’re dressing ours up with bacon, cheese, and sour cream!
Bake extras for fried potatoes the next day!
Wooo! Can never go wrong with bacon and cheese!
I freakin love a baked potato!!! Thank you! (And dear me, I remember when your niece was born??♀️??♀️❤️)
Right? ?Where is the time going. Although the past three weeks have felt like 8 years themselves. ?
Thanks, Kristin! Love this and plan to add a few extra in the oven and make baked potato soup in a day or two, as well!
Yum – great idea!! I’m going to try making gluten free gnocchi with them sometime soon! :)
Kristin, I highly recommend topping a baked potato with your Skillet Shepherds Pie filling. It’s totally delicious.
BRILLIANT, Nancy! I know what’s for dinner tonight!!!
I bake potatoes the way my mother did: scrub well, put in 350 oven for an hour, no pricking, no oil, no salt. I am very old and have always loved the crisp skin as well as the soft, puffy insides.
Why is this such a hard concept to grasp?
Like I said, pretty hard to screw up a baked potato! Pretty delicious any way you make it! :)
Matt Lucas is a British comedian/performer. He recently wrote this masterpiece. https://youtu.be/SHrOvO7hWhA
HAHA – love it!