The perfect baked potato has a crispy outer skin and a fluffy interior. I have a method that works every time for baking potatoes, so go ahead and load up those spuds!
It isn’t easy to top a perfectly baked potato. The exterior is crisp and brown, with a sea salt crust. When you pierce the skin with your fork, a fluffy, soft interior will reveal itself. You should eat the entire thing right out of the oven. But if you top it with butter or (cashew sour) cream, it will be worth the wait.
You might be surprised when you read this that I was just recently a fan of baked potatoes. I thought baked potatoes were bland by themselves. When I was a child, toppings were the main attraction. This salt-crusted recipe has changed my life. It makes the potato the star of the show. You can serve them as a side dish or eat them for dinner. They’re delicious either way.
How to Bake a Potato
This recipe is best made with russet potatoes because their skin puffs up in the oven and gets crispy. This baked potato recipe only requires olive oil and sea salt. Follow these simple steps once you’ve assembled all your ingredients:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line the baking sheet with parchment.
Prepare the potatoes while the oven is heating up. Wash the potatoes and dry them with a kitchen towel. Poke the potatoes with a small fork to make holes in their surface.
The potatoes are now ready to be seasoned. Rub olive oil all over the potatoes and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with kosher or sea salt, then transfer them into the oven.
Bake the potatoes for 45-60 minutes until they are crispy and puffy. You can easily pierce them with a fork. Remove the baking sheet from the heat using oven mitts.
Let’s dig in! Let the potatoes cool down for a few minutes before you slice them, fluff up their interiors, and top them with your favorite fixings. My favorites are the cashew cream and bacon made from tempeh, chives, salt, and Pepper!
Baked Potato Recipe Tips
- Forget the foil. Crispy skin is vital to a great baked potato. Wrapping the potatoes in aluminum foil will cause the skins to wilt and become soft in the oven. To get the best results, don’t wrap the potatoes.
- Do you like to eat potato peels? If you make this baked potato recipe, you will be! Coating the spuds in salt makes the skins extra-crispy and flavorful. Plus, with some salty skin in each bite, you won’t need to worry about seasoning the potato flesh as you eat.
- Know that the cooking time will vary. In the recipe below, I say to bake your potatoes for 45 to 60 minutes. This is a wide range, but I list it for a reason. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes. Be ready to take them out of the oven when they’re fork-tender, and their skin is crisp. The baking time will be longer for larger potatoes and shorter for small ones.
Oven Baked Potato Serving Suggestions
- You can’t go wrong by serving this oven-baked potato recipe with a pat of butter, salt, and pepper, but a few well-chosen toppings can take it to the next level. I love mine with cashew sour cream, tempeh bacon, and chives, but regular sour cream, “cheese sauce,” Greek yogurt, or cheddar cheese would also be delicious.
- Enjoy this baked potato recipe as a meal, or pair it with your favorite protein. It would also be yummy with a hearty salad like my Caesar salad, broccoli salad, kale salad, roasted broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts.
Equipment
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- Baking Sheets (I use these nonstick ones from USA Pan Bakeware!)
- Parchment Paper (this one doesn’t burn)
Ingredients
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- Four medium russet potatoes
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
Instructions
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- Preheat the oven to 425degF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a fork to poke a few holes into the potatoes. Place on the baking sheet, rub olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until the potato is fork-tender and the skin is crisp.
- Slice open each potato, fluff the insides, and serve with desired toppings.
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