Baked Potatoes

5 from 28 votes

By cutting these Baked Potatoes in half before roasting, you can save time, and achieve both beautifully caramelized edges and a soft, fluffy interior.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dinner, Side Dish, Vegetarian

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked potato

Servings: full potatoes

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $2.12

Equipment

Sheet pan lined

Ingredients

4 evenly sized russet potatoes or Yukon gold, see note 1
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper divided
Toppings as desired see note 2

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. 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. I 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

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 shredded Cheddar cheese, butter, green onions or chives, sour cream, and cooked and crumbled bacon.

Nutrition Note: 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 fridge 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