Perfect Baked Potato Recipe (2024)

Table of Contents

Baked Potato Making it Salted How to Make Baked Potatoes Make-Ahead and Storage chef notes + tips More Potato Recipes Perfect Baked Potato Recipe Ingredients Instructions Notes Nutrition Elevate Your Every Day Cooking Add a comment 56 comments FAQs References

Published June 7, 2021.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Learn how to make the perfect baked potato every single time while making it salt-crusted and crispy on the outside and deliciously tender on the inside.

I can never say it enough, but we love side dishes. To us, the more options we have the better, so if you’re anything like us then definitely check out my Polenta or Cauliflower au Gratin.

Baked Potato

A baked potato is one of the most basic things to cook. It is essential that a potato is baked in the oven until it is crisp on the outside and cooked and tender in the middle. There are several ways to bake a potato believe it or not, and heck I’ve even seen people cook it in the microwave, although I don’t advise doing that.

Here are a few things you do not need to do when baking a potato:

Pierce with a fork – doing this is supposed to allow air to escape so that it does not explode. Doing this can dry out your potato while the chances of it exploding are very low.
Wrap in foil – This is not needed when baking it and doing so will cause you to lose out on the outer crisp skin.

Making it Salted

I truly believe the way to achieve the best-baked potato is by salting it. It’s a simple process of coating it in olive oil and salt and baking it. This will ensure the entire potato is seasoned from the outside in. I really like salt as I believe it enhances the flavor of food to another level, but if you don’t like it as much, no problem as you can brush quite a bit of it off after it is done baking.

How to Make Baked Potatoes

Follow these simple instructions for making the perfect baked potato:

Wash the them on all sides and dry with a towel.

Coat each potato in a bowl of salted olive oil until it is completely coated.

Place the salted baked potato on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 375° for 60 minutes.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten within an hour of making them.

How to Reheat: Place them in a pan or on a metal tray and bake in the oven at 350° for 15 minutes or until warmed. Likewise, you can microwave it until warm.

How to Store: Cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. These do not freeze that well, so I advise against it.

chef notes + tips

If you have a lot of leftover baked potatoes, they are excellent for making hash browns.
You do not have to salt the potatoes at all, but I do advise you to at least coat in oil before baking.

More Potato Recipes

Twice Baked
Mashed
Au Gratin
Scalloped
Oven Roasted

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Perfect Baked Potato Recipe

5 from 36 votes

Learn how to make the perfect baked potato every time while making it salt-crusted and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Servings: 5

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Ingredients

5 large baking potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°.
Rinse the baked potatoes under cold water and rub with your hands to remove any dirt. Dry with a towel.
Mix together the oil and salt in a medium-size bowl until combined.
Taking one potato at a time add it to the bowl and completely coat it in the oil and salt.
Place the potatoes once coated onto a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 375° for 60 minutes.
When they are done cooking serve whole, or slice in the center and push the outsides to the middle and serve.

Notes

Make-Ahead: Baked potatoes are meant to be eaten within an hour of making them.

How to Reheat: Place the baked potato in a pan or on a metal tray and bake in the oven at 350° for 15 minutes or until warmed. Likewise, you can microwave it until warm.

How to Store: Cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. These do not freeze that well, so I advise against it.

If you have a lot of leftover baked potatoes, they are excellent for making hash browns.

You do not have to salt the potatoes at all, but I do advise to at least coat in oil before baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 1406mgPotassium: 889mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 2mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, French, latin

Author: Chef Billy Parisi

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56 comments

MARy THORPE

April 4, 2024
Just did this last night. I am a little lazier than Chef Billie so I just coat the potatoes in olive oil and sprinkle generously with garlic salt. I use the roast setting on my air fryer and 45 minutes later the potato is done! Glad I am close to your technique.
Reply
- April 6, 2024
  Excellent!
  Reply
sue

February 24, 2024
Thank you ChefBilly tasty eaxtra’ good 😁😋
Reply
sue

February 24, 2024
Fabulous ChefBilly thank you😁😋
Reply
Sue

February 24, 2024
Thank you ChefBilly yummy recipe 😁🤩
Reply
sue

February 24, 2024
Enjoyed your recipe thank you ChefBilly 😁😋
Reply
sue

See Also
Fried Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Mom's Chili Fish Sauce Kladdkaka (Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake) - Recipes From Europe Sheet-Pan Sausages and Brussels Sprouts With Honey Mustard Recipe Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe - BEST EVER! (vegan, low FODMAP)
February 24, 2024
Thankyou Chef Billy loved recipe &your teaching 😋😁
Reply
sue

February 24, 2024
Thank you ChefBilly 😁😋👏
Reply
sue

February 24, 2024
Thank you ChefBilly love them crispy etc 😋😁
Reply
sue

February 24, 2024
Thank you ChegBilly 😁😋
Reply
sue

February 24, 2024
Thank you ChefBilly yummy 😋 B….potato 😁🥔
Reply
sue😁

February 24, 2024
Thank you ChefBilly so enjoyed them this way 😁😋
Reply
sue😁

February 24, 2024
Thank you ChefBilly tasty Baked Potatoes 😁😋
Reply
Pam Williams

February 24, 2024
This Is the way to make the best baked potato.
Reply
Henry Meilman

February 24, 2024
I use a temp probe to make sure the internal temperature is at least 195. Try to stay under 205
Reply
Sue Moore

January 19, 2024
Love to olive oil and salt the potato, then put it on the grill until the skin gets a little char and crispy. Yummy!
Reply
Donna Pullman

January 19, 2024
Love this recipe
Easy peasy & delicious
Reply
sue 😁👋

January 18, 2024
Thank you so much wonderful learning’s teaching …tasty ChefBilly 🙏👋😋🤩
Reply
sue 😁😋

January 18, 2024
Thank you enjoying your teaching learning sooogood video fab ChefBilly 😁😋👋🤩
Reply
sue 😋😁

January 18, 2024
Delicious out come thanks ChefBilly😁😋🤩👋
Reply
sue 👋😁

January 18, 2024
So appreciate you help fabulous ChefBilly recipes 😁👋😋🤩
Reply
sue 😁

January 18, 2024
Thank you ChefBilly loving this help the extras bits 😋😁🤩👋
Reply
sue 😁👋

January 18, 2024
Thank you for you knowledge &helpChefBilly yummy 😋 😁👋
Reply
sue 😁

January 18, 2024
See Also
Easy Vegan French Toast Recipe (Only 5 Ingredients!) | Kara Lydon
Love this ChefBilly thank you 😋😁👋🤩
Reply
sue 😋

January 18, 2024
Thank you so for your tasty recipe love potatoes ChefBilly have a wonderful day 😁😋🤩🍰
Reply
Thomas Murin

January 18, 2024
Always on point!
Reply
Gloria Martino

January 18, 2024
Perfect baked potato crispy skin soft fluffy potato inside thank you
Reply
Carol Baumgartner

September 5, 2023
Thanks for this, Chef! I made them this way for the family and now everybody wants to have another baked potato party! Best ever!
Reply
- September 15, 2023
  perfect!!
  Reply
Carla

August 29, 2023
The best baked potato! Perfect inside and out. Love them.
Reply
- August 30, 2023
  yes indeed!
  Reply
MB

June 6, 2023
Perfect also for twice baked
Delicious and easy
Reply
- June 10, 2023
  so good!!
  Reply
Lindley Sharon

June 6, 2023
Very good!
Reply
- June 10, 2023
  Perfect!
  Reply
Jean

June 5, 2023
Best baked potatoes ever…must try you certainly will not be sorry!!!
Reply
- June 10, 2023
  thank you so kindly!!
  Reply
White Ronda

June 5, 2023
This is how I do it every time! Yummy
Reply
- June 10, 2023
  Perfect!
  Reply
Sheila

May 4, 2023
Beat baked potato. My new go to recipe!
Reply
- May 13, 2023
  awesome!
  Reply
Virginia Ardolino

April 26, 2023
Just a delicious potatoe !
Reply
- May 3, 2023
  yes!
  Reply
Nanci Robison

April 25, 2023
Have you tried thee same recipe but in an air fryer…. they really turn out great!! Your recipe is wonderful!!
Reply
- April 25, 2023
  I have not. I actually do not own an air fryer.
  Reply
Jean

April 21, 2023
Made these and they were the best baked potatoes I’ve ever made. What a difference the evoo and salt did.
So very tasty. Only way to do it now. Thanks Chef.
Reply
- May 3, 2023
  That’s awesome!
  Reply
Pamela

April 21, 2023
Excellent..in every way..
Thank you.
Reply
- May 3, 2023
  Great!
  Reply
Sandy Dutton

April 21, 2023
So yummy!!
Reply
- May 3, 2023
  so good!!
  Reply
Mary

September 16, 2022
Your potatoes came out great I even added more sea salt to the potatoes before baking them.My new way of doing bake potatoes I opened them up put some sharp cheddar cheese and real butter and Italian seasoning on them .Thanks for the recipe
Reply
Fred Sanchez

November 14, 2021
Thx they were awesome 😎
Reply
Pat

September 17, 2021
I tried your recipe for baked potatoes. They were delightful but a question? Is it really 2 tablespoons of salt? And any particular type of salt? I used 2 tablespoons of regular table salt and found I had to brush the salt off after the potatoes were baked as they were just too salty.
Reply
- September 18, 2021
  I prefer sea salt. It’s also definitely ok to scrape off some of the salt.
  Reply
Betty

June 7, 2021
Billy, I tried your recipe for the “baked potatoes, they turned out perfect. I received excellent comments on them. Thank you so much!
Reply

FAQs

Is it better to bake a potato at 350 or 400? ›

We recommend baking potatoes at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Smaller spuds might take a little less time, while larger baking potatoes over 1 pound might take a little more.

What is the ideal temp for baked potato? ›

3. Use an Oven That's Hot (But Not Too Hot) Potato baking temperatures range from 350˚ to 450˚F. The sweet spot seems to be at 400˚F, a temperature that cooks the potato all the way through and crisps the skin without singeing it.

Should baked potatoes be wrapped in foil? ›

"I see a lot of people using foil to wrap their potatoes in but this is a big no-no and causes soggy skins!" he says. Foil holds in moisture and steams the potatoes, resulting in a "boiled" taste and texture. Plus, without the use of foil, the skin will get extra crispy and flavorful.

Should you poke holes in potatoes before baking? ›

Rumor has it that an un-pricked spud will explode in the oven—but in all actuality, that's unlikely.

Can you overcook a baked potato? ›

Visual signs: The potato skin will start to wrinkle when over cooked. The potato, when wrapped in foil or placed on the bottom of a pan will have a dark brown spot on the bottom, a sure sign of over cooking. Foil traps the moisture in the potato causing the skin to be wet and the inside flavorless or gummy.

See Details ›

How long does it take to bake a large potato at 400 degrees? ›

How long should you bake a potato for? Depending on the size, 50 minutes to 1 hour at 400 degrees should do the trick and result in perfectly fluffy flesh with crispy skin.

Why is my baked potato still hard? ›

You don't check the temperature

A temperature between 205F to 212F inside the potatoes mean that they are cooked. If the temperature is below that, the potato may be too hard still inside, and if you go above it, they may become gummy.

See Details ›

Do potatoes cook faster with foil on or off? ›

Wrapping potatoes in foil does not hasten baking. On the contrary, since the foil itself has to be heated before the potato begins to bake, cooking times increase slightly. Not only do you get better baked potatoes when you bake them unwrapped, you also save money.

Discover More Details ›

How to wash potatoes before baking? ›

Using a circular motion, scrub potatoes with a vegetable scrubber or vegetable brush. You can also use a kitchen scrub brush, exfoliating gloves, or a kitchen towel, as long as they're clean.

Why do baked potatoes taste better in restaurants? ›

The olive oil helps the seasonings adhere to the surface of the potato. To save time, restaurants often apply the oil with a spray bottle. Thanks to their naturally high starch content, which creates a plush texture under heat, Russet potatoes make a good fit for baking.

View Details ›

Why do you need to soak potatoes before baking? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Show Me More ›

Why do restaurants put salt on baked potatoes? ›

Why is it common to salt the exterior of a baked potato? A: Chefs started doing this years ago to allow the salt to absorb or draw out the moisture of the potato while baking, which results in a dry, fluffy potato. They used to do something similar with prime rib, sometimes baking it over rock salt.

Read On ›

Can you overcook a baked potato in the oven? ›

Over baking the potato -

Visual signs: The potato skin will start to wrinkle when over cooked.

Is it faster to bake a potato in the oven or air fryer? ›

To really examine the differences, I made one baked potato in the air fryer and one in the oven and noticed several advantages with the air fryer. Less time: The baked potato made in the air fryer took less time than when baked in the oven.

See Details ›

What is the most efficient way to cook potatoes? ›

You can steam potatoes to speed up cook time.

Place a lid on top and turn the heat to medium-high. The steam gets hotter than boiling in water, allowing the potatoes to cook faster.

Keep Reading ›

How long does it take a potato to bake at 375 degrees? ›

Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a fork is able to pierce the potato with little resistance.

Learn More ›