January 11, 2023
How To Bake A Potato: Russets or Sweet Potatoes
Each day, thousands of people search “how to bake potatoes.” So please, don’t be embarrassed to be here — you’re definitely not alone. We love potatoes in every form, but oven-baked potatoes will forever hold a special place in our heart. An easy side dish to any dinner, they really don’t need anything else besides a bit of butter and salt for a stellar side. Not to mention they’re the perfect base for a more filling meal and an awesome Baked Potato Bar.
Just load them up with bacon, cheese, and sour cream for a loaded potato dream, or if you’re feeling fancy pour homemade chili over the top and enjoy.
How To Bake A Potato: Russets or Sweet
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes or sweet potatoes (scrubbed and dried)
- extra-virgin oil, optional
- kosher salt, optional
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Let's BAKE A Potato! (Option 1- The Oven)
- Preheat the oven to 375-400 degrees. Depending on your oven and your comfortability. Pierce potatoes all over with a small pairing knife or fork. According to the Idaho Potato Commission, potatoes are about 80 percent water. As your potatoes bake, some of that water converts to steam and exits through the tiny channels you poked in them. This moisture loss is a good thing. Outside of preventing explosions, it delivers lighter, fluffier baked potatoes.Rub them with oil and season generously with salt and pepper (do not pepper the Sweet Potato if going the sweet topping route). Place on a baking sheet. Or on an oven rack (cooling rack) inserted inside a baking sheet, especially if baking sweet potatoes. Due to their high sugar content, the sugars are released while baking and will often drip. The baking sheet will catch those drips, avoiding a huge mess in your oven.
- Bake until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. To make sure they're fully cooked, use an instant-read talking kitchen thermometer to measure the internal temperature; it should be 205°-210°F. Sweet potatoes cannot keep a secret. When they’re done, the whole world will know it. (Well, figuratively, that is). They start to ooze out their sweet caramelized juice, wrinkle up a bit and when pierced with a knife or fork should slide in easily when a sweet potato is fully cooked. See Notes.
Break Out The Air Fryer! (Option 2)
- It may be one of the longer air fryer cook times, but it's a little shorter than the oven if you need to save some time. Prep the potatoes the same way you would for the oven by scrubbing them clean, patting dry, and piercing steam holes all over with a fork or pairing knife.
- Place them in the basket of an air fryer at 400° for 40 minutes and you'll have tender, crispy potatoes.
Make a Baked Potato in the Microwave (Option 3)
- While this isn’t my favorite method, because you don’t have the great crusty crispy potato skin, it sure is faster. And yes, it’s not really “baked”. However, if you’re not into eating crispy skin – this method is awesome and a favorite of Stan’s❣️ You want to scrub and dry your potatoes. Then pierce them with a fork or pairing knife creating steam holes – this is very important, even more so in a microwave than in an oven (though it’s important there, too). Steam builds up in the potato as it heats and without these little holes to release the steam it could explode – not all that fun to clean.
- Microwave your potato for 5 minutes, then turn it upside down (hopefully you have a rotating tray, if not, turn it around on the tray as well), and microwave it for another 4 minutes, and check to see if it’s soft enough.
- Add more time as needed, 1 minute at a time. If you are microwaving more than one potato at a time it may take longer. Never put foil in the microwave!
Notes
- A fully baked potatoes will have slightly wrinkled skins.
- Potatoes may make tiny hissing sounds, if you listen carefully.
- If you lightly squeeze a potato, it should yield to the pressure of your fingers, and possibly even crack open a little.
- You should be able to slide a fork or skewer deeply into the potato with minimal resistance.
Leftover Potatoes
I often bake a few more potatoes than I need. They become building blocks for future meals: hash, gnocchi, loaded potato skins, twice baked potatoes, improvised baked potato soup.Tips and Trick for the Best Russets and Sweet Potatoes
- Choose potatoes that are roughly the same size and shape so cooking time will be the same.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up.
- Let potatoes cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
The Best Types Of Baking Potatoes
It’s controversial! However, Russet potatoes or Sweet Potatoes make great baked potatoes because of their thick skin and starchy, fluffy interior. Contrast that with waxy potatoes like Yukon gold, red potatoes, or fingerling potatoes: these are best for roasting and mashing.
Why You Need To Scrub Them
Those Russets you’re about to eat came from the ground and are probably still covered in a considerable amount of dirt. Give ’em a good scrub and rinse, friend!
Poke Steam Holes
Before baking, make sure to pierce your potatoes all over with a fork or a small pairing knife. This will help to release steam in the oven and prevent your potato from bursting (yes, you heard that right). You want to be really careful when poking holes – take your time!
The Key To Crispy Skin
Dry skin = crispy baked skin, and you definitely want to eat the skin — it’s got all the flavor (if eating the skin/peel is your thing). After you give the potatoes a good scrub, make sure to dry them thoroughly with a clean dish towel or paper towels: Moisture will result in soggy sadness. You’ll also want to rub them with olive oil. Not only does it help the skin crisp up even more, but it makes it taste better. However, oil is totally optional! season generously before baking. Without enough salt, they’ll taste boring and plain. However, salting a potato is totally optional. If you are maintaining a salt-free or low-salt lifestyle. You’re awesome!
No need to wrap them in foil!
Wrapping your potato in foil keeps the moisture in, leaving you with soggy skin instead of the crispy exterior most people enjoy. If you prefer a softer skin, then you can wrap the potatoes in foil before baking.
To Rack Or Not To Rack
If you have an oven-safe rack that fits inside a baking sheet, cook the potatoes on it. The greater the circulation under the potatoes, the better the results.
What Temperature To Bake Potatoes
High heat makes all the difference in the world. The baked potato oven temp is actually pretty fluid, from 375 to 400°F, so if your oven is set at a different temperature go ahead and cook the potatoes at that temperature, just know they might take a little shorter or longer to become tender. There are many recipes that call for a higher baking temperature: some as high as 450 degrees. These temperatures depend on your oven, your comfort and safety. You will need to gauge your cooking time accordingly – It’s your call!
How Long To Bake Potatoes In The Oven
One hour is about right; you may have to go a bit longer. BUT, to get a really good gauge when they’re done, measure the internal temperature. A fully cooked baked potato should register 205°-210°F. Confirm with your instant-read talking kitchen thermometer. Just insert it right into the middle of the potato. And once cooked, slice them open partially to release steam (and therefore to avoid gumminess).
Storing Leftovers
Baked potatoes taste best straight from the oven. But if you want to make them in advance, let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To reheat the potato, take it out of the refrigerator and allow it come to room temperature. Then, bake at 350° until it’s warmed through, about 15 minutes. Alternatively can reheat in microwave until desired temperature is reached.
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