Description
This Perfect Baked Potato recipe delivers crispy skin and fluffy interiors, making it an ideal side dish for any meal. Using simple ingredients like russet potatoes, olive oil, and kosher salt, you can create a delicious and comforting baked potato with customizable toppings to suit your taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Optional Toppings
- Butter
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped chives
- Crumbled bacon
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 425°F (220°C) to ensure it reaches the perfect temperature for baking crisp-skinned potatoes.
- Prepare the potatoes: Scrub each potato thoroughly under running water to remove dirt, then dry them well with a towel.
- Poke the potatoes: Use a fork to poke each potato 5 to 6 times all over. This allows steam to escape during baking, preventing the potatoes from bursting.
- Oil and salt the potatoes: Rub each potato evenly with olive oil, then sprinkle kosher salt all around to enhance the flavor and texture of the skin.
- Place in oven: Put the potatoes directly on the oven rack or place them on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack to allow heat circulation.
- Bake: Bake for 45 to 60 minutes depending on their size, until the skins are crisp and a knife slides easily into the center.
- Rest: Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes, allowing the insides to fluff up.
- Serve: Slice open the top of each potato, gently squeeze the ends to fluff the inside, and add your favorite toppings such as butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon, and black pepper.
Notes
- For extra crispy skin, do not wrap the potatoes in foil before baking.
- To keep a large batch warm, store them in a low oven set to around 200°F until ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 potato
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 310mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
