A baked potato is incredibly easy to make, yet it is a surprisingly versatile dish. It is known in many places, but in the United States, as a baked potato, and in the United Kingdom, as a jacket potato, it is considered an iconic dish.
In this recipe, I’ll show you the basic version itself: how to bake whole potatoes in their skins the traditional way, in the oven. At the same time, I’ll also share a few tips on how many different things can turn this simple dish into something really great. This may be surprising—at least I was surprised by all the things people in England use to dress up oven-baked potatoes.
What Kind of Potatoes Should You Use?
When making baked potatoes, one of the most important questions is what kind of potatoes to use. In places where this dish is truly popular, potatoes specifically meant for baking are sold. But even if you can’t get those, the answer is still fairly simple.
Choose potatoes that are as large as possible, starchy, as fresh as possible, and with as few blemishes or sprouts as possible.
In England, for example, they serve incredibly large potatoes, about the size of a hand with the fingers stretched out. But you won’t find those everywhere.
How to Get Wonderfully Crispy Skin
Before baking, rub the potatoes with a little fat or oil, and salt them well too. First, bake them at just 350°F (180°C) so they soften completely, then raise the temperature to 425°F (220°C) for the last 20 minutes.
This makes the skin wonderfully crispy and very tasty—and yes, people eat it. You’ll still want to salt the inside later, but the salt on the skin does it a lot of good too.
Baked Potato Topping Ideas
This dish can be served very simply, but also in an incredibly versatile way. It’s honestly amazing how many different things the British are able to stuff into their baked potatoes.
- The simplest version, and definitely one worth trying, is to serve it with just butter and salt.
- The next step up is grated cheese. If it’s really flavorful, it makes a perfect dish with the potato. I last had it with aged Cheddar, and it was superb.
- In England, it is very popular with the already incredibly common baked beans, meaning beans in tomato sauce.
- From here on, it becomes a contest of who can let their imagination run the wildest. Egg salad, tuna salad, frankfurter salad, mayo-dressed corn—all of these can be mixed with cheese and leafy greens, such as spinach.
Practically speaking, there is no topping a baked potato couldn’t handle. After all, don’t forget that here we are essentially serving a potato on its own. And since potatoes are basically a good side dish for almost anything, almost anything goes with potatoes too.
In any case, you can add butter and/or cheese to any version. When you do, add it first to the hot potato so it melts nicely.
With cheese, you can even put the potato back in the oven, where it will brown a little too—heavenly!
Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 4 large baking potatoes
- 1 tbsp cooking fat or oil
- Salt
Instructions
- To make baked potatoes, first preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Wash the potatoes well, then wipe them dry.
- Pierce each potato with a fork in 5–6 places, on all sides.
- Rub the potatoes with oil or fat, and coat them with salt on all sides. This is what makes the skin tasty and crispy.
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 2 hours. Turn them over roughly halfway through. Raise the temperature to 425°F (220°C) 20 minutes before the end. Don’t forget: the potatoes should be baked whole, with the skin on.
- Take the potatoes out of the oven. With a sharp knife, cut each one lengthwise, quite deeply, then make a smaller cut crosswise as well. Open up the potato with a knife and fork, scrape the inside a little with the fork, and serve with your favorite topping. Be careful, because the potatoes are very hot at this stage. Touch the baking sheet only with oven mitts, and touch the potatoes only with utensils. But don’t let them cool down, because they won’t be as good.
Notes
Baked Potato FAQ
Yes. In American English the dish is usually called a baked potato, while in British English it is known as a jacket potato. Both refer to a whole potato baked in its skin until tender.
In general, plan on about 2 hours of baking time in a 350–400°F (180–200°C) oven.
Yes. In fact, this dish is really delicious with the skin included.
Bake it at 350–400°F (180–200°C) for 2 hours. I recommend 1 hour 40 minutes at 350°F (180°C), then 20 minutes at 425°F (220°C).
It is still a potato, just like any other potato dish. Unfortunately, it is mostly carbs and does not belong among particularly healthy foods, though it is very tasty. But that also depends on what topping you eat it with.
