Name: Perfect Baked Potato
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 91 min
Ingredients: 1 medium baking potato; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 0.5 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons butter; 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper; 0.25 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

close up view of a baked potato, garnished with with chives on a white plate, with a fork, butter and chives in the background

Prep Time:

1 mins

Cook Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 31 mins

Servings:

Yield:

1 baked potato

Jump to Nutrition Facts

If you've been searching for the perfect baked potato that everyone will love, your search ends here! This baked potato recipe yields a baked potato that's crispy on the outside, but fluffy on the inside — just like the perfect baked potato should be.

Plus, it's made with just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. What could be any better than that? Be sure to save this recipe because you'll want it for every potluck, barbecue, and even weeknight dinner!

How to Make Baked Potatoes

The best part about this recipe is that it's so incredibly easy! You'll find the full recipe below, but here's what you can expect when making the perfect baked potato:

Season the Potatoes

Start off by rinsing and scrubbing the potatoes. Then, pierce each potato with a fork or knife so that steam can escape when baking. Coat the potato with olive oil (you can use your hands to rub it all over the skin or place the potato and oil in a zip-top bag and shake it up) and season with salt.

Bake the Potatoes

Bake in a 300 degree F oven until the potatoes are tender and golden brown, about 90 minutes.

Top Potatoes

Slice the potatoes and fluff the center. Then top with black pepper, butter, Cheddar cheese, chives, sour cream, or anything else you like.

How Long to Bake Potatoes

The baking time for baked potatoes will depend on the size of the potatoes. It can take anywhere between 50 minutes and 1 ½ hours.

You'll know the baked potato is done when you can stick a fork in the potato and it easily pierces through the skin. If the potato is still hard in the middle, keep baking it for a little longer.

When in doubt, pull out your digital thermometer — baked potatoes are done when they have an internal temperature of 210 degrees F.

Learn more: The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make When Baking Potatoes

How to Top Baked Potatoes

The great thing about baked potatoes is that they're so versatile! This means you can top them with as many toppings as you like — or as few as you like (there's nothing wrong with a plain spud).

We love to top our baked potatoes with butter, sour cream, chives, cheese, bacon, and even chili. Let your imagination run wild here!

How to Store Baked Potatoes

Store any leftover baked potatoes in a metal or glass pan covered with plastic wrap or foil in the fridge.

When it's time to reheat the baked potato, bake it in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also reheat it in the microwave (covered with a damp paper towel) for 2 to 3 minutes.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Cooked 4 large potatoes. Scrubbed & pierced, coated with the olive oil, rolled them in kosher salt then put in a 375 degree oven for 60 minutes. The potatoes cooked perfectly. We had 2 the first night with leftover pot roast as the topping for our dinner. The next day we had the 2 remaining potatoes with all the traditional fixings to accompany our country style ribs," raves stachman.

"I never tried rubbing olive oil on potatoes before baking them before, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I used 2 very large russet potatoes, threw them in a Ziploc bag with olive oil and shook the bag to distribute it all over. Then I sprinkled some salt, pepper and garlic powder on top of the potatoes, pricked them a few times with a fork, wrapped them in foil and cooked them about 2 hours at 325 degrees. They were very yummy," according to Jennifer Storemski.

"You can't mess up this potato! After reading reviews I gave the two potatoes I had a 5 minute head start in the microwave because they were huge and I was afraid they would take forever. I upped the temp to 350 and set them directly on the upper oven rack, no foil, and they were absolutely perfect after 45 minutes! Make sure to put a pan or foil on the bottom rack to catch drips," says madkj84.

Editorial contributions by Bailey Fink

Ingredients

1 medium baking potato
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Scrub the potato, and pierce the skin several times with a knife or fork. Rub the skin with olive oil, then with salt.
Place the potato in the preheated oven, and bake until slightly soft and golden brown, about 90 minutes. Slice the potato down the center, and serve with butter and black pepper. Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese over the top, if desired.

Rita

Variation

For a treat, try slicing the very top of the potato off rather than slicing it in two, forming a 'lid'. Scoop out the fluffy contents of the potato, keeping the skin intact. Mix the potato in a bowl with butter, grated cheese and black pepper, then spoon the mixture back into the skin. Replace the lid and serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

419	Calories
25g	Fat
38g	Carbs
13g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 1
Calories 419
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 25g	31%
Saturated Fat 13g	66%
Cholesterol 58mg	19%
Sodium 1448mg	63%
Total Carbohydrate 38g	14%
Dietary Fiber 5g	18%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 13g	26%
Vitamin C 42mg	47%
Calcium 282mg	22%
Iron 2mg	12%
Potassium 946mg	20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.