Oven Baked Potatoes

How to Bake a Potato Perfectly

This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.

1. Scrub the potatoes to remove the dirt. Thoroughly dry them with paper towels. Prick them several times with a fork.
2. Using your hands, rub oil all over them. Sprinkle coarse kosher salt all over the outside of them.
3. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
4. Bake in a preheated oven until fork-tender. Time will run anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.
5. Once done, use a fork to cut across long ways. Press the ends of the potato just slightly to open it up.

What to Top Baked Potatoes with

Everyone loves a fresh oven-baked steakhouse potato, but the fun comes with the toppings. We love crisp bacon, butter, sour cream, chives, cheddar cheese, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Some other great potato toppings include broccoli, chili, green onions, guacamole, black beans, and salsa.

How Long to Bake a Potato

At 400 degrees, medium to large baked potatoes will take anywhere from 45-60 minutes, depending on their size. If you increase the oven temp to 450 degrees, the done time will drop to between 40-45 minutes. If you decrease the oven temp to 350 degrees, the cooking time will increase to between 60 and 75 minutes. The best way to tell when a potato is done is that the internal temperature will have reached 210 degrees, and it will be fork-tender.

How to Pop a Potato

Using a fork, run the length of the potato, poking holes in a straight line. Then make another short straight line down the center of the width of the potato. Gently push the sides of the potato together to lightly fluff it up.

Preparation Tips

• Hands down, russet potatoes are the best for baking. Their thick skin and high starch content make them the perfect choice.
• Use coarse salt. I have an inexpensive salt grinder that I bought at Costco, and it really comes in handy with these baked potatoes.
• I have used olive oil and vegetable oil. Both of them help produce a nice crispy skin.
• Baked potatoes are best served promptly, so try to coordinate the rest of the meal accordingly.

Recipe:

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 medium russet potatoes
• olive or vegetable oil
• coarse sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Wash and dry the potatoes thoroughly. Prick them several times with the tines of a fork. Rub with oil and generously sprinkle with sea salt.
• Place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake until fork tender or until the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees; approximately 45-60 minutes.
• For best results, serve promptly.

Notes

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
• For an airfryer reheat at 350 to 400 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes.