Perfect Baked Potatoes Recipe (+ Video)
Perfect Baked Potatoes Recipe (+ Video)
Everyone’s favorite classic baked potato! Crispy on the outside, seasoned, tender on the inside, and topped with all the best toppings—roasted potatoes are a solid dinner option, perfect for feeding a crowd!
Potatoes are a family favorite, and when we’re looking for an easy side or even dinner ideas, baked potatoes are the go-to! The potatoes for this recipe are baked in the oven, but we also have a recipe for slow cooker baked potatoes that’s easy too!
The Best Baked Potatoes Recipe
Who doesn’t love baked potatoes? This is one of our favorite side dishes and a recipe we often make for main meals!
When it’s cooked to perfection and loaded with a variety of delicious toppings, it doesn’t get any better. I’m pretty sure the bacon bits and sour cream were made to top the baked potatoes (a match made in heaven, right??). It’s one of my go-to meals to feed a family or a crowd because it’s easy to cook and it tastes trustworthy.
In fact, potato “sticks” are one of the best ways to feed baked potatoes to a crowd. Roast a steaming pile of potatoes, season them, and set them up with everyone’s favorite toppings! Everyone takes turns going offline and putting all the fixtures on the potatoes. Easiest dinner ever and hardly for you!
This recipe is no fail! ! This is the best because potatoes are always perfect.
How to Roast Potatoes
Prepare the potatoes by washing them thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold water.
Once dry, poke 8-12 deep holes in the surface of the potato with a fork. This helps the moisture escape during cooking. Place the potatoes in a bowl, lightly coat with oil and salt (to give the potato skins more flavor, you can use the same steps in our Parmesan potato skins). Place the potatoes directly on the middle rack of the oven.
Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour. The skin should be crisp, but the meat should be soft. Let the potatoes cool a bit until you can handle it.
Use a fork to draw a dotted line from one end to the other, then squeeze the ends of the potatoes together to break the potatoes apart. Watch out for the steam when it opens suddenly! Add all the toppings you want and enjoy!
Is it better to cook potatoes in foil? Wrapping the potatoes in foil will give you a soft skin, but we prefer to cover it with oil and salt to make it nice and crispy. Putting a potato directly in the oven without anything covering the skin will make it dry and papery.
What kind of potatoes are best for baked potatoes?
You should absolutely know your potatoes before cooking them. The best potatoes are all-purpose—great for mashing, baking, and roasting.
For baked potatoes, use russet, Yukon Gold, blue, or purple potatoes. Be sure to season the outside of the potatoes before roasting them! I always use olive oil, pepper and kosher salt.
Best Toppings for Baked Potatoes
The possibilities for loading baked potatoes are almost endless! I have so many favorite toppings! Here are some of the best toppings to try:
All the different toppings and variations are what makes baked potatoes so popular. They are easy to customize and change, making them a great dinner recipe.
How to store/reheat baked potatoes?
We like to store leftover baked potatoes in an airtight container or repack in foil and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or toss them back in the oven until heated through.
We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! This is a classic and perfect option if you want to feed a lot of people. Just serve baked potato chips with all the toppings and even some meat. Everyone loves it!
For more potato recipes, check out:
main course
American food
Prep time 15 minutes
1 hour cooking time
Total time 1 hour 15 minutes
4 potatoes
Calories 185 kcal
by Lil’ Luna
- 4 potatoes
- 2-3 TB olive oil
- coarse salt
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Wash potatoes with a stiff brush and cold water. Once they are dry, poke 8-12 deep holes in the surface of the potatoes with a fork to allow the moisture to escape during cooking.
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Place potatoes in a bowl, lightly grease with oil and salt. Then, place the potatoes directly in the oven on the middle rack.
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Cook for 1 hour, until the skin is crisp and the meat feels soft.
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Let the potatoes cool a bit until you can handle it. Use a fork to draw a dotted line from one end to the other, then squeeze the ends of the potatoes together to break the potatoes apart. Watch out for the steam when it opens suddenly! Add all the toppings you want and enjoy!