How long do you roast potatoes in the oven

How To Bake a Potato in the Oven

Here’s how to make an absolutely perfect baked potato every time, from choosing the right type of potato to how long to bake it for.

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Credit: Joe Lingemn

The perfect baked potato is crispy on the outside and pillowy in the middle. Cracked open and still steaming, it’s ready to receive anything from a sprinkle of cheese to last night’s stew.

Baking a potato in the oven does require a little more time than zapping it in the microwave, but it’s mostly hands-off. You can walk in the door, throw a few potatoes in the oven, and carry on with your after-work routine until they’re ready to eat. Just don’t forget to set a timer! Here’s how to make an absolutely perfect baked potato every time. 

What’s the Best Potato for Baked Potatoes?

Russets are the best for baking in the oven. The skins are thicker and the starchy interior has a sweet flavor and fluffy texture when baked. Russets are also usually large (about 6 to 8 ounces). One potato per person makes a good side dish or meal on its own.

Do I Need to Wash a Potato Before I Cook It?

Yes, you should scrub the potatoes thoroughly under running water — a vegetable brush is great for this — and pat them dry. You don’t have to remove the eyes, but trim away any blemishes with a paring knife.

How Long Should I Cook a Baked Potato? 

About 50 to 60 minutes at 425°F (220°C).

What’s the Best Way to Store a Baked Potato?

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat the potatoes, place them directly on the oven rack in a 325°F oven until warmed through.

Here’s how to make an absolutely perfect baked potato every time, from choosing the right type of potato to how long to bake it for.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman/Kitchn; Food Stylist: Cyd McDowell

How We’ve Re-tested This Recipe

In November 2019, we pitted six of the most popular baked potato methods from around the web against one another to determine the best. The winner was a technique heralded by America’s Test Kitchen, in which the potatoes are brined before they’re baked. Around the same time, we fell in love with a recipe for British-style jacket potatoes from Cup of Jo, which are baked for two hours, split, then baked again.

Given these newfound methods, we felt it was time to look at our own baked potato recipe to see how it stacked up. To determine whether Kitchn’s oven-baked potato recipe needed an update, I spent an afternoon comparing it to the other two methods.

All three of the recipes — Kitchn’s, Cup of Jo’s, and America’s Test Kitchen’s — baked up crispy-crackly on the outside and tender on the inside. The jacket-style potatoes and the brined potatoes, however, required more time and attention than Kitchn’s. For that reason we still feel our method stands up as the best way to make a basic baked potato.

After further testing, we did decide to streamline our recipe, however. We’re now calling for baking the potatoes directly on the oven rack. This means the air flow is unobstructed, so flipping every 20 minutes isn’t necessary, and it reduces cleanup, too. As a nod to America’s Test Kitchen’s winning technique — and because we really did fall for that seasoned, extra-crispy skin — we’ve included brining instructions in the recipe notes should you want to take that extra step.

— Patty, August 2020

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