Making Perfect Baked potato is easy, with crisp skin that is moist and fluffy inside. It is served as a side dish or it can be a meal in itself.
Baked potato rubbed with oil and salt is good but to enhance its flavor more, add your favorite toppings.
Classic toppings are butter, sour cream, chives, bacon bits and cheese.
Years ago, Wendy’s used to carry a delicious Sour Cream and Chives Baked Potato.
It was walking distance from school and it became a routine, a few times a week to have this potato for lunch.
It was a treat especially on a cold winter day. Their baked potato was huge, cheap, delicious and it filled me up.
There are a few ways of cooking potato, either baked, microwaved or grilled.
When pressed for time or no patient to wait, cooking it in the microwave is the quickest way to do it.
What potato to use
Russet potato is most suitable for baking due to its high starch properties, when cooked it is light and soft. If cooked right, the skin is crisp, chewy and edible.
Bake in the oven
Baking potato in the oven renders a crisp skin with soft and fluffy interior. It takes an hour to cook a large russet potato in the oven.
- Scrub potato in running cold water to get rid of dirt. Pat dry.
- Use a fork to prick potato a few times so steam can escape while cooking. Potato can explode if not prick and you’ll have a big mess in your oven.
- Rub potato with olive oil or grease rendered from frying bacon.
- Sprinkle Kosher salt all around potato.
- For a crisp skin, do not cover with foil. Put potato directly on the oven rack. If wrapped in foil, it will retain moisture but with a soggy skin.
- Baking time will depend on the size of potato. A large russet potato takes an hour to bake.
- Use a fork to check if cooked through or use a thermometer and it should reach 99 °C or 210 °F.
- Serve with or without topping.
Cook in the microwave
- Clean and scrub potato in running cold water and pat dry.
- Prick potato a few times using a fork to release steam. Do this to avoid potato from exploding. You’ll end up cleaning your microwave instead of eating this delicious potato. Who wants that!
- If you fried bacon as topping, you can use bacon grease or olive oil and rub it all over potato.
- Sprinkle regular salt or Kosher salt all over potato.
- Do not cover potato with foil when using microwave.
- Place it in a plate and cook for 4 - 6 minutes each side depending on your microwave power and potato size.
- Be careful when removing from microwave as it is very hot.
- Poke with a fork to check if cooked through. If it needs more time, put it back in the microwave for another minute or so.
- Use any topping you prefer.
Baked Potato is a great side for ham, steak, fried chops or chicken.
Looking for a quick, delicious and easy potato side dish for the holidays, try my Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes recipe.
Recipe
Perfect Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 2 Large Russet Potato washed & scrubbed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or bacon grease
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes with a brush under running cold water and pat dry.
- Poke deep holes all over potato using a fork.
- Rub potato with olive oil or bacon grease.
- Sprinkle Kosher salt or regular salt.
- Bake at 425 deg F for 50 to 60 minutes depending on potato size. Use a fork to check if it cooked through.
- Remove from oven.
- If adding topping, slice center lengthwise. Use oven mitts and slowly squeeze both sides together to open up baked potato. Score top flesh on each half and add your favorite topping. Add butter 1st so it melts inside. Enjoy!
Notes
- Toppings I added are butter, sour cream, bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese and minced chives.
- You can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt. Sprinkle pepper, if desired.
- Nutritional facts does not include toppings.
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