Excellent Baked Potatoes – Barefeet In The Kitchen

Excellent baked potatoes with crispy pores and skin and a fluffy buttery inside are a kitchen staple you’ll want to know easy methods to make. Far out of your common spud, these baked potatoes might be coated in toppings to make a hearty meal or full of butter and cheese for a unprecedented aspect dish.

Right here’s the factor about this excellent baked potato recipe. It’s actually not rocket science, studying easy methods to make baked potatoes within the oven. However, this technique does create spuds which might be deserving of the label excellent. And, that’s not a phrase I throw round flippantly.

This recipe for excellent baked potatoes has been my go-to for years now.

Whether or not I’m utilizing them to make BBQ rooster stuffed baked potatoes for the boys or making a giant, cozy pot of baked potato soup, it all the time begins proper right here. And, I by no means get bored with it.

The Excellent Baked Potato!

In case you’ve tended to shrug off baked potatoes as a boring aspect dish, now’s the time to rethink your stance. I assure you these potatoes can change your thoughts. Too usually baked potatoes end up waxy with robust pores and skin, or else overcooked and mushy. When executed proper although? Oh boy. Buckle up, as a result of these are heavenly.

My youngest son was my helper once I first shot a video prepping these potatoes. I nonetheless grin on the reminiscence of his little fingers drizzling the oil and sprinkling the salt. Belief me, if a 5 yr outdated can do that, you’ll be able to too!

Components and Substitutions

Potatoes – There is just one type of potato in the case of the recipe for one of the best baked potatoes. Russets. All the best way.

Oil – You’re going to wish oil to assist the pores and skin crisp up and get the salt to stay. I desire olive oil. You’ll be able to swap for an additional oil with a excessive smoke level, although.

Salt – I all the time use kosher salt. And, this recipe is an efficient instance of why. Nice desk salt simply vanishes into the oil. Coarse kosher grains are the place it’s at!

The right way to Make Baked Potatoes

Preheating the Oven: Crank it to 400°F. Let it preheat when you prep the potatoes.

Scrubbing the Potatoes: Potatoes develop within the floor (surprising, I do know!), and so you’ll want to clear them effectively earlier than anything.

Drying: After washing the potatoes, I dry them fully. This helps the oil to stay, and retains additional moisture out of the oven.

Poking with a Fork: Stab every potato a number of occasions. You’re making holes for the steam to flee. So, don’t skip this step. We don’t need them to bust open within the oven.

Oiling: I place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle every potato with a couple of teaspoon of oil. Then, I simply rub the oil all them over with my fingers.

Salting: A sprinkling of salt is the ultimate ingredient earlier than you pop these potatoes within the oven. I’m beneficiant with my salt. Don’t skimp on the flavour.

Baking: Into the oven they go. I discover that an hour is the candy spot, baking potatoes within the oven. Give or take just some minutes, and also you’ll have potatoes which might be comfortable all through, with crispy skins that make folks need to rave about them.

Checking for Doneness: In case you’re unsure they’re completed, test them with a fork. The fork ought to pierce the potato simply and slide proper in. The pores and skin ought to look brown and crisp, not soggy in any respect.

Fluffing: When the potatoes are completed, I pull them from the oven and slice every one down the center. Then, I crack them open and fluff the insides with a fork.

Serving: Prime these excellent baked potatoes with the toppings of your selection.

Serving Solutions

I wish to pair an ideal baked potato with garlic butter steak bites at our home. It’s like having a steakhouse dinner at house. And, if you happen to haven’t drizzled cowboy butter excessive of a scorching baked potato but? Do it. Quickly. You’ll not be sorry.

For one thing inexperienced on the plate, sauteed broccoli and asparagus is a good selection. Or, simply set out bowls of toppings and let everybody construct their very own.

Make Forward & Storage

Make Forward: I do that ALL the time. If I’m internet hosting a dinner or prepping for the week, I’ll bake all of the potatoes I want, allow them to cool on the counter, then stick them within the fridge. Executed. Then when I want them, it’s only a matter of reheating them and crisping them again up within the oven. Certainly one of my readers, Tiffany used this technique to bake 50 potatoes the day earlier than a employees lunch!

The right way to Retailer: Allow them to cool first. Then I simply wrap every potato individually (or throw all of them in a giant container with a lid, no matter’s simpler). They’ll hold within the fridge a strong 4 to five days like that. We undergo ours quick, however you may also freeze them to make them last more.

The right way to Reheat: You need to use the oven or the air fryer. You want that dry warmth to get them to crisp up so that they style such as you simply made them. In a pinch, I’ll use the microwave if I’m in a rush.

Extra Potato Recipes

Continuously Requested Questions

{initially printed 4/24/19 – recipe notes and images up to date 4/22/26}