The secret to a quicker, perfect Baked Potato? Cut it in half! Roasting halves instead of whole potatoes saves time and gives you caramelized edges with a soft, fluffy center.
The Best Baked Potato
We’re all about potatoes at my house, and there’s nothing easier than loading up a baked potato and calling it dinner—with a side of Italian salad, of course!
It’s even better when the potato cooks in 35 minutes instead of an hour. The trick? Cut the potatoes in half before baking. I use this method for sweet potatoes too, and it works perfectly with Yukons and Russets. The edges caramelize, the skin gets crispy, and the inside is soft and fluffy.
Quick Tip
Wrapping potatoes in foil is easy, but it has drawbacks. The foil traps moisture, causing the potatoes to steam instead of roast, leaving the skins soft instead of crispy. It also takes longer to cook, and some prefer not to bake with foil.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make these easy Baked Potatoes:
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes: These are great for a soft, fluffy inside and crispy outside. Yukon Gold is my personal favorite!
- Olive oil: Helps make the skin crispy and keeps the inside moist. It also helps the seasoning stick.
- Salt & Pepper: Brings out the flavor of the potatoes. Season both the flesh and skin.
- Optional toppings: See below!
Topping Baked Potatoes
- Simple: Butter, salt, and pepper make a great side dish.
- Add More Flavor: Top with sharp Cheddar, bacon, green onions or chives, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt).
- Make it a Meal: Try a Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potato or add a few scoops of Crockpot Chili.
- Taco Style: Top with taco meat, Cheddar cheese, lime, and sour cream.
- Sloppy Joe: Use the filling from my Sloppy Joe recipe.
- BBQ: Add leftover BBQ Pulled Pork or chicken.
- Vegetarian: Baked beans and Cheddar cheese make it a full meal!
For a crowd, set up a baked potato bar! Just bake the potatoes, lay out all the toppings, and let everyone pick their favorites!
How to Bake Potatoes in the Oven
- Wash and Cut: Clean the potato, dry it, and cut it in half.
- Poke: Pierce the skin 3-4 times with a fork.
- Add Oil: Drizzle oil over the potatoes.
- Rub Oil: Rub the oil on both sides.
- Season: Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
- Bake: Place the potatoes cut-side-down and bake.
Storage
Leftovers?
- Store: Let the baked potatoes cool, then wrap each one in foil or plastic wrap. Put them in an airtight container or bag and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Unwrap and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or microwave for 1-2 minutes.
More Veggie Side Dishes
- Roasted Vegetables all on one sheet pan
- Reader Favorite! Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Roasted Broccoli with crisp and caramelized edges
- Savory and Sweet Variations: Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Carrots made 2 ways
Baked Potatoes
By cutting these Baked Potatoes in half before roasting, you can save time, and achieve both beautifully caramelized edges and a soft, fluffy interior.
Equipment
- Sheet pan lined
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a large, dark sheet pan with parchment paper. Don't skip the parchment paper; it really helps the potatoes cook evenly without the cut side getting too hard.
- Thoroughly scrub the potatoes using cold water to remove all the dirt and any debris. Completely dry the potatoes and cut the potatoes in half lengthwise.
- Place the potatoes, flesh side down, on the sheet pan. Pierce the skin of each potato 3 times with the tines of a fork. Flip the potatoes flesh side up. Drizzle the oil over all the potatoes and take your time to rub the oil into both sides of the potatoes so all parts of the potatoes are sufficiently covered.
- Evenly sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper over all the potatoes. Remember, that amount of salt and pepper is for all the potatoes, not each of them. Now flip again, so the potatoes are flesh side down. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper over the skins.
- Bake flesh side down for 35–45 minutes, checking at 35 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a fork into the biggest potato. If it goes in easily, the potatoes are tender and ready! If not, add an additional 5 minutes. Cook until fork tender, checking every 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite toppings. We like a pat of butter, Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions or chives. See the blog post for more ideas. Make sure to taste the potatoes and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: While 6-9 ounce potatoes are preferable, I have also tested this recipe with potatoes that are 9-13 ounces in size. Add an additional tablespoon of oil and they bake for about 10 minutes longer. You’ll need to add an additional sprinkle of salt and pepper on the larger potatoes after baking (taste first). Also, while you can cook more than four potatoes at a time, remember that the more potatoes on the sheet pan, the longer the overall cooking time will be.
Note 2: Serve with your favorite toppings. I love freshly grated Cheddar cheese, butter, green onions or chives, sour cream, and cooked and crumbled bacon.
Nutrition: The nutrition information does not include the toppings.
Storage: Allow the baked potatoes to cool completely, then wrap each potato individually in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Place the wrapped potatoes in an airtight container or zip-top bag, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, unwrap and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 15–20 minutes, or microwave on high for 1–2 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 597mg | Potassium: 1245mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I followed this recipe exactly. I used Yukon Golds because I love their buttery flavor. My husband told me they were the best he had ever had in his life! Instantly a favorite!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear! Thanks Lindsie! 🙂
So amazing. Made duck breast and took them out jsut a tiny bit early so i could pan fry them face down in the duck fat and dWOW it was amazing . would recommend without the pan fry though all together great recipe!
Woah!! Sounds amazing 🙂
Made these tonight and they turned out great. I used gold (Yukon?) potatoes. I didn’t have parchment paper so I used a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet. Thanks!
Great idea! 🙂
These were so good and so easy! Very special and delicious looking. The treat was they tasted special but convenient enough to do everyday. I cheated a little and put the potatoes in the microwave for about three minutes before baking since I was also cooking a flank steak and corn. Fantastic dinner, thank you for this recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed! Thanks Patty 🙂
Easy and delicious. I live in Kenya and we don’t have Russets, but I got my hands on some large, pink-skinned potatoes and followed your recipe exactly and was very happy with the results. Thank you!
I am so happy to hear this Lauren! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Coincidentally, I can get filet very affordably here, and when I make it, I do a method where I season it, then sear it on each side for 2 min on high heat (stovetop with butter in a cast iron skillet) then finish in the oven – 5 min on 400*, then let it rest 10 min on a plate before serving. So tonight, I’ll bake my potatoes first then cover them with foil to rest as I replace them with the filet in the already hot oven, While the filets rest, I’ll get all my toppings in order and stir fry my green beans to perfection, adding a little garlic and lemon juice at the end to perfection. It’s going to be a gourmet meal prepared in minutes. Mmmmmmmmm! Thank you for this great recipe.
That sounds AMAZING! Wish I was eating at your home tonight 🙂
Hi! I made these with dinner tonight, using Yukon Gold potatoes and my family LOVED THEM! So simple and easy but so delicious!
My daughter absolutely loved them and she is so picky!
I am sooo happy to hear this!! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
My mother did her potatoes this way. The only thing she did differently was she topped them with butter and not oil as they baked. They were the best! She passed when I was 12. I am now 50. Thank you for reminding me of this.
What a sweet tribute; thanks so much for sharing Kim! <3 And butter does sound good!
Mmmm, less time and still delicious, thanks for sharing all your great recipes and tips?
Thanks so much Shirleen! 🙂 Appreciate your comment and support!
i DO BAKED POTATOES IN AIR FRYER, AVERAGE TIME 20 MINUTES, WHOLE POTATOES TASTE AWESOME, TRY IT
Awesome! I don’t have an air fryer, but when I do I’ll have to give that a go 🙂
Chelsea, an air fryer is the absolutely best thing for all sorts of cooking. You can even make perfect hardboiled eggs in one roast whole chicken frozen pizza, I could go on and on. My daughter got me one for Christmas last year and I use it almost every day. I am constantly finding new uses for it. And they are quite reasonable now. You can find them for 50.00 on Amazon. I tell you once you try one you will be hooked,hugz, Martie
Thanks Martie!! I think you’ve convinced me 🙂 I’ve been wanting to try one for a bit, sounds like a great addition to my kitchen 🙂 Appreciate your comment!
I love a good baked potato and I’ve
Always preferred gold over russet. I
had never seen a gold baked potato
though so I went searching for the
best way to prep one to bake. Well I
stumbled on this page and let me
Just say it was the best baked potato I ever did have! I recently started implementing the “season the board”
Technique for my steak and so I
dipped my potato into the steak /butter/seasoning drippings leftover on
the board
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Lea! 🙂
Love your simple, but delicious recipes. So glad I found your page last year. Keep up the excellent work!
Awe thank you so much Keeva! That means so much to me 🙂