Oven Baked Potatoes

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Master the art of the perfect oven baked potatoes! Dive into our guide on how to bake a potato in the oven, ensuring crispy skin and a fluffy interior every time.

overhead view of an oven baked baked potato on a plate

Ever wondered how steakhouses manage to serve up those perfectly crispy-skinned, fluffy-on-the-inside baked potatoes? With our 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.

From choosing the right type of potato to prepping it for the oven, this recipe for oven baked potatoes has you covered. In just a few steps, you’ll be indulging in restaurant style baked potatoes that rival your favorite steakhouse.

About this Oven Baked Potatoes Recipe:

  • Flavor: Potato. That’s what you’re going to taste. The oil on the skin and the salt only enhance the flavor.
  • Texture: Oil makes the potato skins crispy, the perfect texture pairing to the fluffy potato inside, just like a steakhouse baked potato.
  • Method: These potatoes bake in the oven. The time depends on the size of the potatoes, but plan for about 1 hour for them to bake.

We’re talking the best baked potatoes in the oven here today that takes just 5 minutes prep time.

What readers are saying:

โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ Jessica says, “So everyone knows I am not the โ€œBetty Crockerโ€ of my family, although my cooking skills are slowly improving since I have small children nowโ€ฆ.I made these potatoes exactly as your recipe and my mother in law said it was the best baked potato recipe she has ever had. No foil is the way to go! Thanks for the recipe & helping me score some points with the MIL haha!”

โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ Jennifer says, “Honestlyโ€ฆ..the best baked potato Iโ€™ve ever had. It was so freaking good. Like, seriously. And yes I used the bacon grease to coat the outside. Yummy!”

โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ Tim says, “My family loves the taste of these potatoes so much it is now in our regular dinner menu. We add avocados (and ,or guacamole) salsa, shredded cheese and whatever else you can think of and have just potatoes and mega fixings for dinner!”

What are the best potatoes for baking?

For the perfect oven baked potato, you need to start with the best potato for baking. Russet potatoes are the best for baking. And if you can find a Idaho potatoes? Even better.

As you remember from our ultimate potato guide that we shared last year, Russets are a high starch potato that when baked, lend a light, mealy texture.

How to Bake a Potato

If you love the restaurant-style, crispy skin potatoes, here’s 5 quick steps on how to make them:

  • Scrub the potatoes to get off any dirt, then dry them with a kitchen towel.
  • Pierce the potato 2-3 times with a fork or make a slit or two with a sharp knife.
  • Rub olive oil all over the outside of the potatoes.
  • Rub salt (or salt and pepper) on the outside of the potatoes. Be generous with both the oil and the salt. It’s what gives the potatoes that amazing flavor and makes you want to eat the skin.
  • Place the potatoes on a baking sheet (line with parchment paper for easy cleanup) and bake in a preheated oven (425ยบF) for about 50 minutes. We put our pan on the middle oven rack. The exact timing will depend on how large the potato is.
3 large baked potatoes on a baking sheet

Pro Tip

If you are fixing bacon as a 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 several to find which one your family likes best on the oven baked potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it better to bake potatoes in foil or not?

You will often see 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!

Do I have to poke potatoes before baking?

The purpose behind piercing a potato with a fork 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 baked potato recipe goes great with just about any main dish, but we especially love potatoes with ham, roast beef, pulled pork and steak.

How long to bake a large baked potato?

I like to bake potatoes at 425ยบF. It generally takes a large Russet potato about 45 minutes to become tender, but the exact timing will depend on how large the potato is. Plan for at least an hour, but check the potato at 45 minutes. Poke the potato with a fork to ensure that the potato is soft inside.

What should the internal temperature of a baked potato be?

According to the Idaho Potato Commission, the perfect baked potato will be 210ยบ Fahrenheit inside. An instant-read thermometer is perfect for testing this.

closeup of a steakhouse baked potato on a plate

Baked Potato Toppings

Because of the flavor of the olive oil and salt of the oven baked potatoes, I’m happy just topping the baked potato with butter and a little bit of fresh parsley. If I’m feeling fancy, I add sour cream, cheddar cheese, chives and bacon.

Baked Potato Bar Ideas

Loaded baked potato bars are a fun idea for a party. Here’s some toppings ideas other than traditional cheese, sour cream and onions:

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 potatoes alongside our corn casserole for a delicious meal.

Other Potato Recipes to Love

baked potato on a plate with a fork
baked potato on a plate with a fork

Oven Baked Potatoes

4.77 from 313 votes
Wondering how restaurants get those perfect potatoes? Hereโ€™s the hints on how to make the best oven baked potatoes with salty, crispy skin and fluffy potato inside.ย 
Servings 4
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • 4 large Russet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 425ยบF.
  • 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

ย 
  • 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,ย  weigh the potato and search google for the amount of calories that size potato.ย  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
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Calories 410
Keyword best baked potatoes, perfect baked potatoes
About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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4.77 from 313 votes (235 ratings without comment)
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Mary Gail
5 years ago

I have another dish in the oven that needs to be baked at 325. How long should I bake the 6 medium Russets?

Anonymous
5 years ago

5 stars
Always the best with extra virgin olive oil!!

Jennifer B
5 years ago

Iโ€™m pregnant and have been craving potatoes!!! Trying this tonight (Iโ€™m young so I had to go to the internet to what temperature to cook them at, Iโ€™m glad to know about the olive oil and salt though too! Any suggestions on how far down it needs pierced??

Paul Gallagher
5 years ago

What would it be like if you use Rooster potatoes?

Shirlee Dunlop
5 years ago

Hi Julie; I had to comment. Since I am deathly allergic to olive oil [and ANY thing related to an olive] obviously I cannot do this – and since I am not a fan of russet potatoes in any form, I always opt for red or white rose potatoes. Sometimes, I will go for a golden which seems to be a cross of the white rose and the russet. It takes longer to bake – but the outcome is marvelous. I use canola oil or sometimes, when i have just opened a fresh cube of butter, I use the wrapper… Read more »

Jon T.
5 years ago

5 stars
…decided that baked potatoes would go good with grilled chicken breasts. Tried this recipe with large Maine baking potatoes (x-large). The thinner skins crisped up great with ooil and lotso salt + pepper. Delicious!

Erik Larson
5 years ago

5 stars
I used olive oil and sea salt. My oven is a convection oven. The time and temp, 425ยฐ for 45 minutes, was perfect. The only thing I did differently was to place the potatoes directly on one oven rack, located just under the ovenโ€™s middle point, and placed a foil lined baking pan on a rack directly below the rack holding the potatoes.
The potatoes were fluffy inside with slightly crisp skins. My wife said they were the best potatoes sheโ€™s had in a long time.
Thanks for the recipe.

Lisa
5 years ago

I turn to this recipe time after time for the best baked potatoes ever! No foil, just a little a prep, pop them in the oven, and PERFECTION every time! I usually make a couple extra, so I can take them for lunch. Yum!

Tim Ivers
5 years ago

5 stars
Make sure you poke holes in the potatoes. I’m one of the unfortunate ones who has had one explode. You don’t want to see the mashed potatoe mess inside your oven that gets baked on. HORRIBLE!

Paula
5 years ago

5 stars
My mother always made potatoes in the oven. Before microwaves, when she needed them to bake faster, she had stakes she would put through them (not sure exactly what they were – similar to a nail, nut not an actual nail.) I try to actually bake them in the oven myself whenever time permits. Coating them with olive oil and salt definitely takes them up a notch!

Audrey
5 years ago

5 stars
Perfect!

PHILLIP JONES
6 years ago

5 stars
I added a hint of garlic and onion powder for a twist…

Chris 7
6 years ago

Fast, Easy, and delish!!! Always used foil, not any more!

Chrissy
6 years ago

5 stars
Hi. Is it 425 degreeas farenheit or celsius?

Ashita
6 years ago

Hi can you please give details of the oven you using . As I need for restaurant purpose ..thanks in advance