The Best Baked Potato Recipe
Our simple oven-baked potato method never disappoints. These baked potatoes with a salt crust have a crispy and flavorful skin on the outside and a hot and fluffy center on the inside. Enjoy them as a side dish with butter and sour cream or load them up with toppings to make a meal. Here’s why you’ll love this method:
- Simple – This method is not fancy, but the potatoes always turn out delicious. You’ll never want to bake a potato in any other way.
- Flavorful – Coating the potatoes with a crust of oil and salt adds a wonderful flavor.
- Perfect Every Time – This oven-baked method consistently produces tender and creamy potatoes with flavorful crispy skins.
- Make-ahead Friendly – Baked potatoes are great for making a large batch and feeding a crowd, or for preparing in advance.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make the perfect baked potatoes. You can find the full recipe details in the recipe card.
- Potatoes – We prefer baking Russet potatoes, also known as Idaho potatoes, as they have the creamiest texture. Make sure the potatoes are roughly the same size for even baking.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil helps make the potato skins extra crispy in high heat.
- Salt and Pepper – Sprinkle the outsides of the potatoes with kosher salt before baking. You’ll also need additional salt and pepper for seasoning to taste.
- Butter – Butter adds extra richness to the potatoes. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
Pro Tip: To avoid potatoes exploding, remember to poke holes all over the potatoes with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking.
How to Bake a Potato in the Oven
Here’s how to easily make a hot, crispy, and fluffy oven-baked potato:
