Best Baked Potato
Learn how to make the PERFECT baked potato with this foolproof recipe! These baked potatoes are fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on May 24, 2024
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Meet the baked potato of my dreams! These baked potatoes are fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. They’re exactly the kind of baked potato I’ve been craving. If you share my definition of what a baked potato should be, you could call these potatoes perfect.
I baked potatoes every which way to arrive at this recipe. I tried various baking temperatures, different crisping methods, and even analyzed how and when to slice open those beautiful baked spuds.
If you’re accustomed to run-of-the-mill baked potatoes, this might sound like a silly amount of effort. But if you have savored the glorious contrast between crispy potato skin and fluffy potato interior, you know there must be a trick to it.
The good news is that baking the perfect potato isn’t complicated when you follow this method. There’s not much better than a piping hot baked potato on a chilly day, so preheat that oven already!
How to Bake the Best Potato
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Baked Potato
Russet potatoes are the classic choice for good reason. Russets are high in starch and low in moisture, which makes them nice and fluffy after baking. Their thick skin crisps up well, too.
Choose medium-sized potatoes, each around the same size (about one-half pound) so they’re all done at the same time. Large potatoes will take absolutely forever to cook through.
Prick your potatoes with a fork about six to eight times per potato. You don’t have to aggressively stab the potato. Pricks about 1/4-inch deep will do. Without these ventilation holes, potatoes can explode in the oven—don’t let this happen to you!
Do not wrap your potatoes in aluminum foil. Foil traps moisture, which produces a soggy exterior. We want the excess moisture to escape from the potato during baking. That way, we’ll get crispy outsides and condensed potato flavor on the insides.
Bake at a relatively high temperature (450 degrees Fahrenheit). This is a trick I learned from America’s Test Kitchen that proved true in my recipe tests. They explain that baking in a hot oven prevents a leather “pellicle” from forming underneath the peel.
You’ll know the potatoes are cooked through when you can slide a skewer or fork into the center of the potato with little to no resistance. That’s a reliable indicator that your potatoes have reached an internal temperature of 205 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just right. Baking time to reach this point is typically 45 to 60 minutes for medium potatoes.
For the best baked potato, don’t stop there. Once the potatoes are cooked through, remove them from the oven and brush them lightly all over with melted butter or oil, then sprinkle them with salt. Return the potatoes to the oven on the middle rack for medium-crisp exteriors, or raise the rack by a level or two for ultra crispy exteriors.
This step is key to achieving those crispy, flavorful exteriors. It works so well because we’re adding the butter or oil at the end of baking. Add it too early, and it can burn before the potatoes are done. I found that butter produced a nicer flavor and texture, but oil works well if you’re following a dairy-free or vegan diet. Salting the potatoes enhances the flavor of the crust, and the salt only sticks once we’ve brushed the potatoes with butter or oil.
Bake for 10 more minutes, then slice open promptly to release steam. Serve as desired. You’ll find topping suggestions below.
Watch How to Bake Potatoes
Equipment Suggestions
While you don’t need any fancy equipment to bake potatoes, it is easier to manage multiple potatoes at once if you place them on an oven-safe cooling rack placed within a large rimmed baking sheet (affiliate links). Use them if you have them, or if not, place the potatoes directly on the oven rack with a baking sheet on a lower rack to catch any drips.
Toppings for Baked Potatoes
You can’t go wrong with the classic combination of butter, sour cream and chives, with or without shredded cheddar cheese. Make your potatoes more hearty by adding leftover chili or other thick stews, like my black bean soup. You can even add cooked veggies or greens.
4 Fun Baked Potato Variations
Get creative with your potato toppings! Here are a few delicious suggestions:
- Southwestern Baked Potato – Add black beans, fresh or pickled jalapeño, roasted red peppers, cilantro, green onions, and sour cream or guacamole.
- Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potato – Add steamed or roasted broccoli, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives.
- Colcannon-Style Baked Potato – Add sautéed kale (preferably Tuscan) or collard greens, butter, cream cheese or sour cream, and green onion or chives.
- Indian-Inspired Baked Potato – Top your baked potato with hearty dal makhani or chana masala, plus a dollop of sour cream and fresh cilantro.
Baked Potato Serving Suggestions
If you are serving classic baked potatoes as a side dish, try rounding out your meal with any of the following:
- Best Lentil Soup
- Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
- Greek Lentil Salad
- Homemade Vegetarian Chili
- Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw
- Perfect Roasted Green Beans
- Spicy Black Bean Soup
- Super Simple Arugula Salad
More Potato Recipes to Try
Life’s too short for subpar potatoes, and the secret is always in the method. Try these recipes next:
Please let me know how your baked potatoes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Best Baked Potato
Learn how to make the PERFECT baked potato with this foolproof recipe! These baked potatoes are tender and fluffy on the inside, and wonderfully crisp on the outside. Stuff them with your favorite fillings and enjoy! Recipe yields as many baked potatoes as you’d like, though if you make more than 4 at a time you will need a bit more butter or oil and they might need a little longer in the oven.
Ingredients
- 1 to 4 medium Russet potatoes (7 to 9 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt or kosher salt, for sprinkling
- Desired toppings, such as sour cream, butter, chives, salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle of the oven. Place an oven-safe steel cooling rack in a large rimmed baking sheet, and set it aside on your countertop. Or, you can bake the potatoes directly on your middle oven rack, in which case, place a rimmed baking sheet on a lower rack now to catch any drips.
- To prepare your potatoes, scrub them clean with a vegetable brush under running water. Prick your potatoes with a fork, about ¼-inch deep, six to eight times per potato.
- Place your potatoes on the prepared cooling rack/baking sheet setup, or place them directly on the middle oven rack. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (longer if necessary), until a skewer or fork slides easily into the center of the largest potato.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and brush each one lightly with butter all over. Sprinkle each one lightly with salt all over.
- For ultra crispy skin, raise your middle rack up a level or two higher before putting the potatoes back in the oven. For nicely crisp skin, leave it where it is. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven. Using a paring knife, promptly cut two slits across the top of each potato to form an “X” shape. Using a clean dish towel to protect your hands, gently push both ends of the potato toward the center until the flesh of the potato ribbons up and out.
- Add any desired toppings, and serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen and The New York Times after a whole lot of experimentation.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Use olive oil instead of butter.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Yukon Gold potatoes make a good baked baked potatoes..they have a beautiful creamy yellow colour also.
When I bake a potato I put them in the cold oven…it works just as well, and saves energy.
Baked potato sounds good so I will try.
I tried this recipe tonight for my family and we all loved it. The potatoes were perfect. I cooked them on the cooling rack like the recipe suggested and the skins were crisp just like we like them. Great recipe. I made no changes to the recipe.
Delicious topped with your best queso recipe!
That does sound delicious! Thank you for sharing, Debbi.
I tried this recipe tonight for my family and we all loved it. The potatoes were perfect. I cooked them on the cooling rack like the recipe suggested and the skins were crisp just like we like them. Great recipe. I made no changes to the recipe.
Great to hear, Amy! Thank you for sharing.
I LOVE your recipes – the time spent experimenting to get the best results is amazing – and so APPRECIATED – I can always expect wonderful results when I follow your lead! These potato’s are EXACTLY what a true baked potato fan is looking for – and with the suggested toppings – stand alone as an easy, nutritious meal! My entire family likes all four versions! Favourites are the Southwestern and broccoli!
Thank you for your review, Patricia!
Kate, I just had to have a baked potato this weekend, and then your post came out. I really was after that crisp skin and fluffy inside. I put my oven at 475, cleaned the potatoes and rubbed olive oil on them and then baked. Topped with butter, yogurt, green onions and some cheese!! I’m looking forward to your method, it is definitely baked potato season!!! Yummmmm
I’m glad you tried it already! Thank you for sharing, Trex.
Hey Kate,
I have just this last hour made these awesome baked potatoes. They are so good, fluffy to the bottom crisp skin. When I cut the 2 open the steam rose bringing that baked potato aroma throughout the kitchen. The potatoes by themselves will make a meal but I pared them with Costcos fresh Asparagus & called it dinner. This is a no fail recipe–a Keeper for Sure. Thank You ever so much.
You’re welcome, Barbara!
Yay, it worked. Best baked potato ever! The skin was crispy, and in fact it was such a treat I scooped out the potato and ate only the skin, with some butter and pepper. I will fry the guts of the potatoes tomorrow, as fried potatoes are the best with left over baked potatoes.
Thank you for sharing, Anne!
My now 92-year-old mother taught me to add the salt after washing and pricking the potato. Then pop them in the over at 425 and bake for an hour. Salting the skin while it’s wet keeps the salt on, and that perhaps helps to zap moisture out of the skin while baking. The skins turn out very crispy with this method as well.
For years I’ve tried to figure out how to bake the perfect baked potato. I made this recipe tonight, and yes Kate! It was perfect! Thank you!
Hooray! I’m glad you tried it, Robyn.
These turned out perfectly, and my kids loved them!
Great to hear, Sara! Thank you for sharing.
I love this recipe, it’s the way that I’ve been baking my potatoes for a while now, and they’re always perfect! You have now inspired me for my dinner tonight. I top them with a variety of things, but I really like the basic sour cream and chives.
I’m glad you tried it and loved it, Angela!
I’m 66 yrs old and never had a baked potato so good! Thanks!
Do you have any suggestions about storing the cooked spuds for a few days and how to reheat? Thanks again.
Hooray! I’m delighted to hear that, Jim. Can’t say that I have any particular tricks for storage and reheating. I don’t think the skin will be quite as crisp after storage, but the potatoes will still be nice. I would just cover and refrigerate the potatoes, and microwave just until warmed through.
I tried this method, and it produced the perfect baked potato! Thanks for sharing it!
You’re welcome, Steve-O!
As soon as I received this recipe I ran out and bought potatoes. I made them tonight and they were as wonderful as I had imagined.
Thanks so much. What a great, healthy and delicious comfort food.
I used vegan butter and a bit of pesto, but I was even happy to eat half of one potato without anything – they are that good. (Just to be clear – that was an additional half to the full potato I finished – make several at a time!)
Sounds delicious! I’m so glad you loved them, Oran.
This sounds great. A quick question – could I bake the first round ahead of time and let it cool, and then do the second round in the oven right before serving?
I don’t think you will get the same result as it does still keep cooking once it is cooled. If you try it, I would be interested in your results!
Ah ha! Finally the solution I’ve been looking for. Moving from a 350 degree temp to a 450 degree temp and skipping the aluminum foil wrap made all the difference. Delicious!
Thank you!
I’m glad you loved it, Nipper!
I had the same enlightening experience as you, Nipper! I’d been wrapping the potatoes in aluminum foil and cooking them at 350 degrees. This recipe puts those to shame! Crispy skin, fluffy inside! And to think how much I’ve been missing!
Awesome, glad to hear that you like your potatoes better this way, Geri!
This was excellent. The skin was so crunchy, the inside just steamed. It had so much flavor with greek yogurt and chives it was a steakhouse on a plate (without the steak, which I didn’t miss).
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for your review, Jasmine.
How come when I coated them in butter and put them back in for the last 10 mins the oven started smoking within 2 minutes? Was I supposed to lower the heat? I didn’t even get a chance to move them up to the upper rack. I’ve never seen that before & I am a novice cook so it freaked me out!
I’m sorry that happened to you, Victoria! I haven’t experienced that with just 10 minutes of additional baking time. No, you didn’t need to reduce the oven temperature. Did you use real butter, and a light coating of it? If the potatoes were dripping in butter, it could have dripped onto the oven floor and caused some smoking.
I never realized there was a technique for baking potatoes…till I tried yours! As usual- it elevated the lowly potato to new deliciousness! YUM!
I’m glad you loved it! I appreciate your review, Lisa.
I was skeptical of this recipe at first because I already have a go-to recipe that makes fantastic baked potatoes, but these were seriously the best baked potatoes I’ve ever eaten in my life! I made them with red potatoes because that’s all I had on hand, but I will absolutely be trying this recipe again with russet potatoes. I love your more complex recipes, but your basic tutorials for how to cook various vegetables (especially your guide on spaghetti squash!!) have made the biggest difference in helping me make vegetables that are so good no one’s even thinking about meat!
Fabulous! I have my new “forever” way of preparing baked potatoes. Thank you!!
So.. if I am baking rather large potatoes 8oz-10 oz to serve on a “baked potato bar” how can I get these baked prior to the arrival of guests and keep the crispy skins and fluffy insides?
Will offer variety of toppings so guests can select their fav to add to the baked potato. Thanks!!!
Hi! I recommend cooking as close to serving as possible for best texture otherwise they will over cook (still cook when hot) and skin texture not be ideal. I hope they are a hit!
These potatoes turned out great! I only had potatoes about 14oz in size, but 60 mins in the oven did the trick vs 45.
So crispy on the outside, so fluffy on the inside! We topped them with butter, greek yogurt, cheddar cheese and salt/pepper. Paired it with salad dressed with the liquid gold recipe from your cookbook- perfect easy weeknight dinner!
I love that, Katherine!
This recipe gives you a steakhouse-worthy baked potato. Will always make them this way in the future! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Cathy!
These turned out FABULOUS. Just one question: The heat in my oven comes from the bottom (as most do)… what does moving the potatoes to the upper rack accomplish? I did so but couldn’t tell what the benefit was. (Or should I have turned on the broiler?) Thanks for a winner!
Hi Gretchen! There should be a heat source there too for things to cook evenly. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
The recipe for Best Baked Potato is my favorite and I often try it in my kitchen but with ghee instead of olive oil or butter. What is ghee used for? As it is a baking recipe and ghee is a safer oil for baking than butter or olive oil for its high smoke point, I find ghee is a better option. You can also try this easy baking recipe with ghee and enjoy better taste and cooking safety. Let me know about your cooking experience with ghee.
OMG this is best baked potato. I made it twice now and so good. I wish I could include picture . This is a hit in my house
Great to hear, Sil! Thank you for your review.
Dont use butter on the skins after baking Butter contains water which will make the skins rubbery.
The potatoes were the best EVER! I took a meal in to a neighbor that had just delivered a baby. They LOVED the baked potatoe and BBQ chicken as posted here with a few additional sides of muschrooms, broccholi, salad and fruit. Thanks for the inspiration,
Hooray! I’m glad you think so, Net. I appreciate your review.
I’m 65 and I’ve eaten ALLOT of bagged potatoes that were obviously prepared wrong including by myself. The first time I used your recipe, I figured nothing this simple could make a difference. This is the best baked potato anyone will ever eat. For 6 months only compliments each time I make these. They are fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside and DONE. We eat the insides with butter, sour cream etc and then after take the skins and fill them again with toppings and eat with our hands because the skins are firm. Like little boats you fill up with whatever you like. Often we don’t eat anything else because the double treat of the insides and then the outside skins are SO filling. Thank you so much for posting this. Forget the foil!! I’ll never make baked potatoes any other way!!
I’m so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing, Elana.
I already bought the large russet potatoes so I’m wondering when you say they take “forever” to cook – how much time is that? How long should I cook them?
Hi! I just find they take longer. You can try this method and adjust from there.
So, half way through baking I realized that you said to raise the rack for crispier skin and I thought to myself, did she mean to broil them the last ten minutes? So I went back to re-read the recipe and that’s when I realized that you said to put them on a rack. I already had them on a cookie sheet. They still turned out great, thanks. Next time I’ll use a rack. I am still confused how raising the rack gives it a crispier skin though.
Best baked potato I ever made. Thanks!
I’m glad they still turned out well, Chuck!
High altitude method please! 5000+ ft
The title is spot on! These are the beast! I had to make potato’s for 16 people! Luckily I had two ovens which was helpful. I gave a bunch of youngsters a new found love for the humble baked potato. Added sour cream, cheese, crumbled bacon and chives. I put them straight on the oven rack 45 minutes then 10 more minutes after the butter and salt.
Omg these turned out sooo good!
I love to hear that, Deb! Thank you for sharing.
I made this recipe previously for a group of 8 and was amazing. I need to make for 20 of us (!!!). All may not eat right away. Suggestions for modifying or keeping warm (I know not ideal)? Wondering how many I can put in my standard size oven at once right on the racks as will… will see how many fit while cold.
You can try to just leave warm in the oven or in a covered dish.