Here’s the perfect baked potato 🥔—crispy skin, fluffy inside, and super simple.
Classic Oven-Baked Potato
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes (1 per person)
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Optional: butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven
- 425°F (220°C).
- Prep potatoes
- Scrub potatoes clean and dry well.
- Pierce each potato 4–5 times with a fork.
- Rub lightly with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt.
- Bake
- Place potatoes directly on the oven rack (or on a baking sheet).
- Bake 50–60 minutes, until skin is crisp and a knife slides in easily.
- Fluff
- Slice open, squeeze ends to fluff the inside.
- Add butter and desired toppings.
Tips for the Best Baked Potato
- Russet potatoes give the fluffiest texture.
- Don’t wrap in foil if you want crispy skin.
- Salting the skin makes it extra flavorful.
- For ultra-fluffy insides, bake until internal temp hits ~205°F.
Quick Variations
- Crispier skin: Brush with oil halfway through baking.
- Microwave shortcut: Microwave 5–7 minutes, then finish in oven 15–20 minutes.
- Loaded baked potato: Add cheese, bacon, sour cream, chives.
- Twice-baked style: Scoop, mix with toppings, refill, and rebake.
If you want, I can also give you a restaurant-style baked potato, a foil-wrapped version, or a weeknight shortcut method 🥔✨
