Julie Clark
Updated:
Oven Baked Potatoes
May contain affiliate links. Terms of Use Policy.
This baked potato in the oven has crispy, salted skins and fluffy insides, just like a steakhouse potato. With only 5 minutes of prep and about an hour of bake time, it’s a simple method that lets the natural potato flavor shine.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Jennifer says, “Honestly…..the best baked potato I’ve ever had. It was so freaking good. Like, seriously. And yes I used the bacon grease to coat the outside. Yummy!”
Oven baked potatoes are delicious with our spinach artichoke dip served on top.
The secret to the best oven baked potatoes.
Ever wondered how steakhouses manage to serve up those perfectly crispy-skinned, fluffy-on-the-inside baked potatoes? With this guide on steakhouse baked potatoes in the oven, you’ll realize that achieving the best baked potato at home is not only doable but remarkably simple.
The secret? It’s all in the choice of potato and the baking technique.
For the perfect oven baked potato, you need to start with the best potato for baking. Russet potatoes are the best for baking since they are a high starch potato with a light, mealy texture.. And if you can find a Idaho potatoes? Even better.
If you are fixing bacon as a loaded baked potato topping, cook it in advance and rub bacon grease on the outside of the potato rather than oil. It’s amazing!
An alternative is to use coconut oil or butter for rubbing on the outside. Each fat gives just a little bit of a different flavor.
Try a few of our favorite potato recipes: potato skins, potato cakes and potatoes romanoff.
Enjoy! -Julie
Oven Baked Potatoes
Wondering how restaurants get those perfect potatoes? Here’s the hints on how to make the best oven baked potatoes with salty, crispy skin and fluffy potato inside.
Servings 4
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 large Russet potatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Wash and dry the potatoes. Pierce the potato 2-3 times with a fork.* 4 large Russet potatoes
- Rub oil all over the potatoes (or choose one of the other options above to rub on the outside). ¼ cup olive oil
- Rub salt all over the potatoes. Choose coarse sea salt or pink Himalayan salt. 1 tablespoon salt
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes. The exact baking time will depend on how large the potatoes are. The potato should be tender inside if you poke a fork into it.
Video
Notes
- The purpose behind piercing a potato with a fork is to let the steam escape and prevent the potatoes from exploding while baking. I’ve never had a potato explode on me. But…for safety, pierce the potatoes.
- Serve with butter, cheese, chives, sour cream and all of your favorite toppings!
- The calories shown are based on one potato with no toppings, but all potatoes are a different size. To get an exact calorie count, weigh the potato and search google for the amount of calories that size potato. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1762mg | Potassium: 1538mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3.3mg
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to bake potatoes in foil or not?
You will often see oven baked potato recipes that wrap a potato in foil. Although this works, we don’t believe this is best. The potato actually gets steamed and the skin will not get crispy if it is baked wrapped in foil. For that reason, we say no foil is best! All you need is that oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper if you’d like.
Do I have to poke holes in potatoes before baking?
The purpose behind piercing a potato with a fork or sharp knife is to let the steam escape and prevent the potatoes from exploding while baking. I’ll be honest that I don’t always poke the potatoes before I bake them. I’ve never had a potato explode on me. But…for safety, I do recommend piercing the potatoes.
What goes good with baked potatoes?
This oven baked potato recipe goes great with just about any main dish, but we especially love spuds with ham, roast beef, pulled pork and steak.
How long to bake a large baked potato?
I like to bake potatoes at 425ºF. It generally takes a large Russet potato about 45 minutes to become tender, but the exact timing will depend on the size of the potatoes. Plan for at least an hour, but check the potato at 45 minutes. Larger potatoes will take longer.
What should the internal temperature of a baked potato be?
According to the Idaho Potato Commission, the perfect baked potato will be 210º Fahrenheit inside. An instant-read thermometer is perfect for testing this.
Baked Potato Topping Ideas
Salt-crusted oven baked potato bars are a fun idea for a party. Here’s some potato toppings ideas other than traditional compound butters, cheddar cheese, sour cream and scallions:
- Leftover Chili
- Broccoli cheddar soup
- Pizza potatoes
- Taco meat
- Blender salsa
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Buffalo Chicken Dip (don’t knock it until you try it!)
Try this method with our oven baked sweet potato recipe. You may also love our air fryer baked potatoes and Instant Pot baked potatoes.
Serve these classic oven baked potatoes alongside our corn casserole for a delicious meal.
I rubbed the skins with bacon drippings!!
The only time we wrapped baked potatoes in foil was after baking to keep them hot and fresh. Cooking a foil-wrapped potato results in a steamed potato.
The flash point of olive oil is around 400 degrees, isnt this dangerous? I dont want to set my stove on fire?
We loved your recipe! They were so good and we all ate the skin because it was so flavorful and delicious!
Do you know if these can be cooked in an air fryer?
I didn’t use exact measurements, and I used 6 Russet Potatoes. I coated them in Olive Oil and fine sea salt. The potatoes took about 2 hours to fully cook through, and they were by far the best baked potatoes that I ever had! This time around, I ate them with sour cream and chives. Thank you for this recipe. I’ll be using it again.
Look yummy! One of my favorite baked potatoes, nice to see your recipe, easy to follow, will cook this for family this weekend. Thank you!
Wow, your recipe is so awesome. I have never known this recipe. Thanks for sharing. I will try to follow your recipe and I hope it looks delicious as your picture. I will share this recipe for my friends and my family. I think they love it too.
I made these on a gas grill, using indirect heat. I prepared the potatoes as directed and placed them into a grill-friendly pan for about 45-minutes. The potato skin was nicely dry and slightly crispy. The best was the actual potato. They were so creamy! I put a small amount of butter and sour cream on top, but honestly didn’t need the sour cream.
Seriously the best baked potato ever! I just place ours on the rack with baking sheet under it, but they’re incredible! Himalayan pink salt is a must 👏🏼
Made it according to recipe. I decided to poke with a fork once or twice. I turned them halfway through cooking time. Then I poked other side once. They were delicious. You could smell and taste the olive oil…Excellent!!
Can I bake these potatoes along with my meatloaf? at the same time
Came out great
Best baked potatoes I’ve ever made, my family loved it, thank you!
Look yummy! One of my favorite Oven Baked Potatoes, nice to see your recipe, easy to follow, will cook this for family this weekend. Thanks you!
Only way to prepare a baked potato! Outstanding!!!