It isn’t easy to top a perfectly roasted potato. The exterior is crusted with sea salt and is dark and crunchy. When piercing the skin, your fork gives access to a delicate, fluffy interior. Even though it might be challenging to resist devouring the entire dish as soon as it comes out of the oven, you won’t be able to argue that it wasn’t worth the wait if you take the time to top it with a pat of butter or a dollop of sour cashew cream.
The potatoes themselves, wilted and squishy, would be inadequate carriers for the sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon. But this recipe for salt-crusted baked potatoes made everything different for me. The potato takes center stage in it.
But the potatoes come out of the oven with perfectly crispy, flavorful skins and creamy, piping hot interiors that taste fantastic just as they are. Don’t get me wrong, a little butter or sour cream goes a long way here. You can fill them up and eat them for supper or serve them as a hearty side dish. In either case, you’ll adore them!
How to Bake Potato?
Baking a Potato
Russet potatoes are ideal for this recipe since their skin puffs up and gets crisp in the oven. All you’ll need except the potatoes for this baked potato recipe is salt and olive oil. Once you’ve put your ingredients together, take these quick steps:
- Set the oven’s temperature to 425 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the potatoes while the oven is heating up. The potatoes should be thoroughly scrubbed and dried with a kitchen towel. Next, make a few shallow holes in the potatoes’ surfaces by poking them with a fork.
- Season the potatoes next. After rubbing them with olive oil, put them on the baking sheet. Before baking them in the hot oven, liberally season them with sea salt or kosher salt.
- Bake the potatoes for 45 to 60 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork and the skins are crisp and puffy. Put on oven mitts to remove the hot baking sheet from the oven.
- Get stuck in now! Before cutting open the potatoes, fluffing up the insides, and adding your preferred toppings, let them cool for a few minutes. We enjoy tempeh bacon, chives, sour cashew cream, and salt & pepper!
Baking Potatoes in a Conventional Oven
First, prick the potatoes with a fork to bake a perfectly cooked baked potato. Then, place them on a baking sheet—Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. After an hour, you may need to check the potatoes using an instant-read thermometer, but the internal temperature should be around 200degF.
If the potatoes do not reach this temperature, you can continue cooking for another 15 minutes. To get a perfectly baked potato, begin by cleaning the potatoes thoroughly. Be sure to poke holes in the skin of each one. Once the potatoes are clean, place them on the rack or baking sheet.
A conventional oven is not as effective at even cooking, and try using a convection setting for the best results. Make sure to remove the potatoes from the oven carefully using an oven mitt. Wrapping the potatoes in foil may help, but it will trap moisture inside.
While this may work in the short term, the potato will have a soft and mushy texture. Instead, wrap the potatoes tightly with foil, or use a rack and allow some air to circulate underneath. Also, turn the potatoes halfway through baking so that the skin is evenly cooked on both sides.
Baking Baked Potatoes in an Air Fryer
If you’re in the mood for a greasy, crispy fried potato, you’ve come to the right place. You can prepare this favorite American food at home with minimal effort. The main ingredient is potato, so prepare it as you would any other recipe. You can use olive oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil. Ensure the oil you choose has a high smoke point so it doesn’t release excessive smoke while cooking. You can add your favorite seasonings to the potatoes, such as salt or pepper.
For the best results, you should use russet potatoes. You can add any toppings you like to make the baked potatoes as tasty as possible. Alternatively, you can top them with pulled pork, butter, salt, and pepper. Ensure that your potatoes aren’t crowded, which can cause uneven cooking. Check the potatoes at the halfway mark and flip them over as needed. Baking baked potatoes in an air fryer can take 30 minutes, so there’s no reason not to try it.
The crispy skin of air fryer baked potatoes is a perfect combination of sweet and savory. They are perfect for serving as a side dish or main dish. The potatoes will cook much faster than in the oven, and their crispy skin will leave you begging for more. In addition, they are healthier than deep-fried ones, making them perfect for meal prep. And don’t forget about the fun toppings! You can even make stuffed baked potatoes like Buffalo Broccoli Baked Potatoes.
Baking Baked Potatoes in a Microwave
Microwaves do not evenly heat foods. As a result, some areas of your baked potatoes will cook faster than others. For this reason, you must check the potatoes regularly and poke holes in them to release steam. The microwave can also cause potatoes to burst. To avoid this, cover the microwave dish with a damp towel while cooking. That way, the potatoes will stay moist and cook more evenly. When baking potatoes in the microwave, you can follow the tips below.
For the best results, use russet potatoes. These types of potatoes are starchy on the outside and fluffy inside. Choose medium-sized potatoes. Medium-sized ones should be scuffed to allow steam to escape. Cooking them longer will result in a mealy Russet. Shorter times will keep the potatoes tender and retain their original texture. This method is also ideal for reheating leftover baked potatoes.
You must prick the skin with a fork to make your microwave-baked potatoes crisp. Once you’ve done that, you need to cover the potato with a kitchen roll and microwave it until it wrinkles. This method may not produce crispy skin, but it will yield perfectly baked potatoes in minutes. So, try baking them in the microwave and reap the benefits! It will save you time and money.
How to Top a Baked Potato?
The wonderful thing about roasted potatoes is how adaptable they are! This entails that you can choose to top them with as many or as few toppings as you’d like (a plain potato is perfectly OK). We adore adding butter, sour cream, chives, cheese, bacon, and even chili to baked potatoes as a topping. Use your imagination to the fullest here!
Storing Baked Potatoes
Any leftover baked potatoes should be refrigerated in a metal or glass dish wrapped in foil or plastic. Bake the baked potato for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When it’s time to reheat it. It can also be heated for two to three minutes in the microwave while being covered with a damp paper towel.
Four Creative Baked Potato Variations
Be inventive when you top your potatoes! Here are a few mouthwatering ideas:
- Black beans, fresh or pickled jalapenos, roasted red peppers, cilantro, green onions, and sour cream or guacamole can all be added to a baked potato for a Southwestern-inspired dish.
- Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potato – Include cheddar cheese, sour cream, chives, and roasted or steamed broccoli.
- Baked potato in the Colcannon style with butter, cream cheese, sour cream, sautéed kale (preferably Tuscan), collard greens, green onions, or chives.
- Baked Potato with an Indian Influence – Top your baked potato with a generous serving of hearty dal makhani or chana masala, some sour cream, and fresh cilantro.
Recipe Advise for Baked Potatoes
- Omit the foil! Getting the skin to be incredibly crispy is essential to making an excellent baked potato. The potato skins will fade and soften in the oven if they are wrapped with foil. Leave the potatoes uncovered for the best results.
- Make sure to use enough salt. Are you a fan of eating potato skins? You will be if you try this recipe for roasted potatoes! The skins of the potatoes become extra-crisp and tasty when they are salted. Additionally, you won’t need to worry about seasoning the potato flesh as you eat because each bite will contain a small amount of the salty peel.
- Be aware that cooking times can vary. We recommend baking your potatoes for 45 to 60 minutes in the following recipe. Although this range is broad, We list it for a reason. Depending on the size of the potatoes, the cooking time will change. When their skin is crispy and fork-tender, be prepared to remove them from the oven. Larger potatoes will require more time to bake than smaller ones.
Can I Prepare Baked Potatoes in an Instant Pot?
You can, but they won’t have the same crisp exterior and fluffy interior as those made using the oven. Instant Pot Baked Potatoes is the easiest and fastest way to cook a ‘baked potato.’ This method is perfect for making a loaded baked potato, or for use in Gnocchi or Creamy Potato Salad.
What Happens if I Run Out of Coarse Kosher Salt?
No worries, top with a bit of acceptable sea salt. On occasion, We also season my potato skins with traditional seasoning, and it is excellent! Coarse sea salt or Himalayan pink salt are best substitutes for kosher salt. Because of the size of the coarse grains, you can use flaky sea salt as a 1:1 replacement for kosher salt. For more on the similarities and differences between the two, head to Kosher Salt vs Sea Salt.
Do Potatoes Need to be Boiled Before Baking?
You can ensure that your potatoes have a gorgeous, crisp exterior by briefly boiling them before roasting. The outside peel of your potatoes will remain rough if you don’t parboil them, making it impossible for any fat you use to penetrate the fissures.
Why are Potatoes Soaked in Water Before Being Cooked?
Potatoes can be soaked in water to help eliminate extra starch. Extra starch might make your potatoes’ exteriors sticky or gummy, preventing them from cooking evenly. Because hot water would activate the starch and make it more difficult to remove from the potatoes, cold water is used instead.
Conclusion
This may seem like an absurd amount of work if you are used to typical roasted potatoes. But if you’ve ever enjoyed the delicious contrast between fluffy potato interior and crispy exterior, you know there must be a secret. The good news is that using this technique makes baking the ideal potato simple. On a chilly day, nothing tastes better than a nice baked potato, so get the oven going!
