Perfect Baked Potato Recipe (2024)

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. For a fully baked Idaho Russet Burbank, the internal temperature should be right at 210 degrees F.

In the examples above you nearly double the cost of the potato for the 50 sheets, and for the 500 sheets add nearly 36% to the cost. NEVER BAKE POTATOES IN FOIL. Foil wraps will not decrease baking time, but will result in a soggy potato interior with wet skin.

Recipe Notes

I haven't personally experienced a potato exploding while baking in the oven, but if you have (or if this is of concern to you), feel free to poke holes in your potatoes before popping them into the oven!

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.

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.

Less time: The baked potato made in the air fryer took less time than when baked in the oven. A 10-ounce potato took 40 to 45 minutes to get tender and crisp, whereas a potato baked in the oven took about 1 hour. Crisper skin: The skin of the air fryer baked potato became considerably crispier.

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.

If the potato is hard, bake it a little longer. Don't exceed the recommended cooking time because potatoes will continue to cook after they're removed from the oven and the skin will get dry. "Another common mistake is letting the potato rest or cool before cutting.

Wash the potatoes and place them directly on the oven baking rack. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until very tender when pierced with a skewer. When the potatoes are done, cut them down the middle and squeeze both ends.

A piece of metal stuck through to its center will conduct heat, thus speeding up the process. Though most potato nails are made of aluminum, there are also stainless-steel versions available.

What happens if you cut a potato before baking? ›

By cutting your potatoes in half lengthwise and placing them cut side down on a greased sheet pan before cooking, you will do two things. One, you have made them half the thickness, so they will cook through in literally half the time.

Wrapping a potato in foil prior to baking traps the potato's natural moisture, steaming instead of baking it. This results is a soggy baked potato, not the light fluffy Idaho Baker that most people prefer.

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.

Bake them for longer than you think.

Many recipes (ours included) recommend baking potatoes for an hour at 425°F. Instead, Jo suggests baking potatoes at 400°F for closer to two hours. The potatoes won't burn at this temperature and the long bake means the skin will be so crisp that it's practically cracker-like.

You can steam potatoes to speed up cook time.

The steam gets hotter than boiling in water, allowing the potatoes to cook faster. After about 15-20 minutes the potatoes should be fork-tender and ready for mashed potatoes.

Some say wrapping baked potatoes in aluminum foil helps them cook faster (aluminum conducts heat, then traps it), and it does keep them hot for longer once they come out of the oven, which is why we think restaurants use this method. Wrapping potatoes will also give you a softer, steamed skin, if that's what you like.

Ideal Temperature Range for Potato Growth

Potatoes thrive in moderate climates. For peak growth, aim for a sweet spot between 60°F and 70°F (15°C and 21°C). It's a tightrope walk; too hot, and tubers turn bashful, refusing to form. Too cold, and you'll find growth at a snail's pace.

Tips for Making a Baked Potato

A hand-sized Russet potato (6-8oz) makes for a great side dish that takes 50-60 minutes to bake through at 425 degrees.