How to Bake Potatoes

A plate with a baked potato topped with sour cream, a steak topped with butter, and a bowl of balsamic mushrooms on a plate.

Simple and satisfying, the best baked potato needs little more than a pat of good butter and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Here’s how to bake potatoes perfectly, with only the fluffiest results.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Cook Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings servings (1 potato each)

Calories 241kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

4 large russet potatoes scrubbed and dried (2 pounds, see note 1)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Butter for topping, optional
Sour cream and sliced chives, for topping, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Microwave shortcut (30 minutes total):

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Poke a few holes in each potato with a fork.
Microwave on HIGH power for 8 to 12 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through the cooking time.
Remove the potatoes from the microwave and rub each all over with olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper.
Transfer potatoes to preheated oven and bake directly on oven rack until tender when pierced with a small knife, about 20 minutes longer.

Oven-only method (60 minutes total):

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke a few holes in each potato with a fork.
Rub each potato all over with olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper.
Transfer potatoes to preheated oven and bake directly on oven rack until tender when pierced with a small knife, about 1 hour.
Slice open each potato, fluff with a fork, and add your favorite toppings such as butter, sour cream, chives, salt, and pepper.

Video

Notes

Potatoes: Technically, you can bake any potato. But for the ultimate baked potato, choose a russet which has a higher starch content and makes a fluffier potato. Sweet potatoes work, too.
Yield: This recipe makes 4 baked potatoes.
Storage: Store leftover baked potatoes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Slice up leftover baked potatoes and fry in bacon fat, add to scrambled eggs, or make a small batch of potato salad.

Nutrition