Salty and perfectly roasted on the outside and fluffy on the inside–this post is going to teach you How to Make the Perfect Baked Potato. My Mom’s Classic Meatloaf with a baked potato on the side is one of my favorite meals. I know you might think a baked potato is a baked potato, but I’m here to tell you you’re wrong.
My mom always made baked potatoes by rubbing shortening on them and poking them with a fork. She would throw them right in the oven on the rack. Another really popular method is to wrap the potatoes in tinfoil, which is a great way to also keep them warm if transporting and can also speed the cooking time a little. As fine as those methods are, I was introduced to a different way when I was serving as a missionary in California 21 years ago.
A sweet lady that had us over for dinner served us a baked potato with dinner that was perfection. It had perfectly roasted skin that had just the right hint of salt on it, and the potato was so fluffy. I asked her how she cooked it, and she said that she always baked them rubbed with olive oil and on a bed of rock salt in a baking dish. Hmmm, intriguing.
I wasn’t doing much cooking as a missionary, but I filed that away in my memory recipe bank. When I got home, I started making my baked potatoes by rubbing them with olive oil and sprinkling them with coarse sea salt. (I felt like putting them on a bed of salt was a little overkill/wasteful, and I could get the same flavor with the sprinkling of coarse salt.)
When it comes to baking time, this will vary on the size of your potatoes. I used fairly large russets in these photos, and they took a full hour and a half to cook.
Side note: Did you know they don’t have Russet Potatoes in Germany? I have been missing Russet Potatoes so much. My sweet aunt came to visit from Idaho a couple of months ago and brought me a big bag of Russets in her suitcase. 🙂
Serve your Perfect Potato with…
- Stuffed Meatloaf
- Easy Baked Pork Roast
- Cheeseburger Meatloaf
- Workmans Roast
- Mini Meatloaf
- Baked Lemon Herb Chicken
Step-by-Step Photos for How to Make the Perfect Baked Potato
Tips for the Best Baked Potato
- Pick potatoes that are all relatively the same size so that they will cook evenly.
- Russets and Red potatoes are my two favorite choices for baked potatoes.
- Preheat the oven before adding the potatoes.
- Cook a few extra potatoes to use for hash browns or Baked Potato Soup.
- Make sure to stab each potato with a knife or fork before placing it in the oven.
- Use good olive oil.
- Coarse salt will work better than table salt, but if you don’t have coarse salt, you can generously sprinkle table salt on each potato, making sure to get the bottom, too.
Chef’s Tools:
Popular Recipes with Potatoes
- Olive Oil
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Russet or Red Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Wash and scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt. Pat Dry.
- Place potatoes in a baking dish that is large enough to hold them or on a cookie sheet.
- Stab each potato with a fork or knife.
- Drizzle with olive oil, and then use your hands to rub the oil all over the potatoes.
- Next, sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.
- Serve and Enjoy!
- *We like potatoes with butter, Homemade Ranch Dressing, and salt and pepper.
More "How to" Recipes
Rock salt is to prop the potato off the baking dish not to flavor it