Perfect Baked Potato

by Jessica | January 21, 2026 9:37 pm

okay so I need to tell you about the time I spent like 30 years of my life making terrible baked potatoes before finally figuring out what I was doing wrong.

seriously I used to just wrap them in foil and throw them in the oven at whatever temperature and they’d come out either rock hard or weirdly steamed and soggy. my dad would eat them anyway and say they were fine but I knew they sucked. then last year I was scrolling Instagram at like 11pm and saw this video about how restaurants make baked potatoes and my whole life changed lol.

turns out I was doing literally everything wrong. the foil was steaming them instead of making them crispy. I wasn’t using enough salt. wasn’t even poking holes in them so they’d explode sometimes which was always fun to clean up. first time I tried the right way I was honestly shocked at how crispy the skin got and how fluffy the inside was.

now I make them like twice a week and my husband asks for them specifically which never happens with anything I cook. he’s usually just like “this is fine” about everything but these he actually gets excited about. wild.

Why this method actually works

the oven gets hot enough that the skin crisps up while the inside steams itself

no foil means air can circulate and dry out the skin which is what makes it crunchy

poking holes lets steam escape so they don’t explode in your oven and make a mess

salt on the outside makes the skin taste amazing instead of bland and papery

high heat for a long time breaks down the starches inside and makes it super fluffy

What you need

literally the simplest ingredient list ever:

How to make them

 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. or 400 if your oven runs hot like mine does. takes like 10 minutes to heat up so do this first.

 

Scrub your potatoes under running water. they grow in dirt so they’re usually pretty dirty. I use a vegetable brush but honestly just your hands work fine too.

 

Dry them really well with a towel. this is more important than you think because wet potatoes won’t get crispy.

 

Poke holes all over each potato with a fork. like 6-8 holes per potato. I forgot this step once and one exploded in my oven and potato guts were everywhere. not fun.

 

Rub each potato with oil. just drizzle a tiny bit on and rub it all over with your hands. gets messy but whatever.

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt all over each potato. I probably use like a teaspoon per potato but I don’t measure. just make sure the whole outside is covered.

 

Put them directly on the oven rack. not on a pan, just right on the rack. I know it seems weird but trust me. you can put a sheet pan on the rack below to catch any drips if you’re worried.

 

Bake for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes depending on how big your potatoes are. mine are usually huge so they take longer. you’ll know they’re done when you can easily stick a fork or knife through the center.

 

Take them out and let them cool for like 5 minutes because they’re literally lava hot right out of the oven. I always burn my fingers trying to cut them open too early.

 

Cut a slit down the middle and squeeze the ends together so the inside puffs up. this is the satisfying part where you see all that fluffy potato.

 

Load them up with butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon, whatever you want. I usually go overboard and put way too much stuff on but that’s kind of the point right?

Tips and stuff

• Use russet potatoes not red potatoes or Yukon golds. russets have the right starch content to get fluffy inside. I tried this with red potatoes once and they were waxy and weird.
• Pierce the potatoes right after they come out of the oven to let more steam escape. makes them even fluffier. saw this on TikTok and it actually does help.
• Make extra and use the leftovers for breakfast hash or twice baked potatoes. I did this last weekend and it was genius meal prep.
• Add garlic powder or other seasonings to the salt before you put it on the outside. my neighbor does this with garlic powder and paprika and they smell amazing.

Storage notes

honestly these are best fresh but you can keep them in the fridge for like 3-4 days. just wrap them in foil or put them in a container.

reheat in the oven at 350 for like 15-20 minutes to crisp up the skin again. microwave works too if you’re in a hurry but the skin gets all soft and sad.

you can freeze them but I’ve never done it because they take up so much space in the freezer. plus they’re easy enough to just make fresh.

found a potato in my fridge last week that I thought was from Sunday but turned out to be from like 10 days ago. smelled fine, tasted fine, no regrets. probably shouldn’t admit that but whatever we’ve all been there.

Nutrition per potato

for one large potato without toppings:

these numbers are for plain potato with just oil and salt. add butter and cheese and sour cream and bacon and you’re probably looking at like 600+ calories but who’s counting.

Questions people ask

 

Do I really need to skip the foil

yeah if you want crispy skin. foil traps moisture and steams the potato which makes the skin soft and weird. if you don’t care about crispy skin then sure use foil I guess but you’re missing out

 

How do I know when they’re done

stick a fork or knife in the center and if it goes in easily with no resistance they’re done. or squeeze them gently with an oven mitt and if they give a little they’re ready. mine usually take about 75 minutes for big potatoes

 

Can I microwave them instead

you can but they won’t have crispy skin and won’t be as fluffy. if you’re really rushed you can microwave for like 5 minutes then finish in the oven for 20 minutes to crisp the skin. not as good but better than just microwave

 

Why did my potato explode

you didn’t poke enough holes or any holes. steam builds up inside and has nowhere to go so it explodes. happens to everyone at least once. just poke like 8 holes with a fork next time and you’ll be fine

Source URL: https://ladysuniverse.com/perfect-baked-potato/

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