This crispy baked potato recipe has just the right amount of crunch mixed with fluffy potato center that is perfect every time. Easy to make, you can load these amazingly simple potatoes with all your favorite toppings for the perfect dinner main or side.
Why We Love Crispy Baked Potatoes
- Fluffy Center, Perfect Crispy Skin- That crunch when your teeth bite into the perfect crispy, slightly salty potato skin is only matched by the super fluffy inside of the potato. This is my favorite way to have a baked potato, and that crispy skin is the my favorite part!
- Easy Low Prep Side Dish- Sometimes I need a delicious side dish that just does it’s own thing while I make the rest of dinner. These crispy potatoes require only a little prep, then let the hot oven do most of the work. Any home cook can make this recipe!
- Lots Of Flavor Options- A crispy perfect baked potato is not only delicious on it’s own. Add all your favorite toppings to this simple potato and make it even better, or take it up a notch and try some of my flavor combinations further down the article.
Try these perfectly seasoned baked potato wedges for a side too. They can be made in the oven or air fryer, have a crispy outside and the inside melts in your mouth!
Ingredients for Crispy Baked Potatoes
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 1 tablespoon salt
How To Make Crispy Baked Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. You can line a pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil lightly oiled if you prefer.
- Scrub the potatoes clean with cold water. Using a brush designed for produce can help to make sure any dirt is removed from the potatoes, but you can use your hands or a paper towel as well to scrub.
- Pat the potato dry with towels, you want the potatoes to be as dry as possible. No soggy potatoes or it’s harder to make crispy oven potatoes.
- Prick each potato with a fork so you poke holes piercing the skin. Aim for picking the potatoes five to six times, spacing them out all over the potatoes.
- Brush the outside of the potato with olive oil, then sprinkle generously with salt. Use a coarser, flakey sea salt if you have it!
- Place the potatoes on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake the potatoes for about an hour (sixty minutes.) A paring knife or fork should slide into the potato easily when finished cooking. If the center of the potato still feels hard when you poke it, put it back in the oven, checking about every ten minutes or so until done.
Note On Cooking Potatoes and Size – Baking time can vary a little bit depending on the size of your potatoes. If your russet potato is on the smaller side I recommend you start checking the potato after about fifty minutes. If your potato is on the larger side it may need a little longer to finish baking.
- Slice the top of each potato and fluff the inside with a fork a little bit. Then add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
What types Of Potato Should I Use?
Russet potatoes are the best for baked potatoes. They are starchier potatoes, which means that the interior becomes super fluffy when you bake them while the outside becomes crispy.
Russet potatoes are large brown potatoes that have a dusty brown color with long tapered ends like is shown in the images in this recipe.
Other types of potatoes such as red potatoes or yellow potatoes (also known as Yukon gold potatoes) are better for steaming, boiling, or even chopping into small pieces and roasting. Fingerling potatoes are also great for roasting. These types of potatoes tend to be a little denser, so if you cook them using a baked potato recipe they will not be fluffy like the russet potatoes are.
What about sweet potatoes?
Sweet potatoes can be baked using the same method. Expect sweet potatoes to take about 30-50 minutes, but the cooking time can vary depending on the size of your sweet potatoes
Should I wrap potatoes in aluminum foil before baking?
If you are trying to make potatoes with crispy skin, I don’t recommend wrapping the potatoes in aluminum foil for a good baked potato. Wrapping the potatoes will cause the skin of the potato will end up soft instead of that delicious crispy crunch.
If you must wrap the potatoes in foil, place them unwrapped for 10-15 minutes at the end of cooking. Cooking at a higher temperature at the end can help to crisp them up a little more. They won’t be as crispy as they can be if you bake them the entire time unwrapped but it can crisp them some.
Can I cook a baked potato in the air fryer?
You can absolutely cook a baked potato in the air fryer. In most basket-style air fryers it will usually take the potato anywhere from 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees to cook all the way through.
Air fryers tend to vary from machine to machine, so while the air fryer method is faster I find I need to check the potato more often. It also can depend on the size of your potato.
If the potato is still hard simply pop it back in the air fryer, checking it about every five minutes until cooked through.
What toppings can I add to baked potatoes?
Here are some classic toppings that are always crowd pleasers whether you’re making one baked potato or setting up a build your own baked potato bar for everyone to choose their own toppings.
- Bacon
- Sour cream
- Butter
- Salt and black pepper
- Green onions or scalions
- Cheddar cheese
- Pepperjack cheese
- Steamed broccoli
- Leftover pulled pork
- Leftover chilli
Try These Baked Potato Topping Combinations
- Mexican Style– Salsa, sour cream, black beans, corn and guacamole
- Pizza- Pepperoni, olives, mozzarella cheese and italian seasoning
- BBQ– Leftover pulled pork, pickled jalapenos, chopped onions, cheddar cheese
- Taco – Shredded mexican style chicken, cheese, sour cream, jalapenos
- Buffalo – Buffalo chicken, blue cheese crumbles, diced purple onion
- Italian – Marinara, mozzarella and steamed vegetables like broccoli, zucchini and carrots – don’t know it until you try it, so good!
- BLT- Chopped bacon, cubed avocado, diced tomato, chopped lettuce, ranch dressing or mayo
- Chicken Alfredo- Cooked chicken, alfredo sauce, chopped spinach
Other Recipes You Will Love
Loaded Baked Potato Salad– If you love all the flavors of a baked potato, you have to try this potato salad that’s perfect for potlucks, picnics, and holidays.
Crispy Chicken Thighs– Crispy seasoned chicken thighs in the oven until they are crunchy perfection yet juicy inside, a perfect main dish to go with this baked potato recipe.
Twice Baked Broccoli Cheese Potatoes– Tender broccoli, creamy potato all topped with a gooey layer of cheese- delicious!
Crispy Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Scrub the potatoes clean with water. Pat the potato dry with towels, you want the potatoes to be as dry as possible.
- Prick each potato with a fork piercing the skin. Aim for picking the potatoes five to six times, spacing them out all over the potatoes.
- Brush the potato skins with olive oil then sprinkle generously with salt.
- Bake the potatoes for about an hour. A knife or fork should slide into the potato easily when finished cooking.
- Slice the top of each potato and fluff the inside with a fork. Then add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Comments & Reviews
Kathy Birchfield says
When using the air fryer do you oil and salt the potato like when you use the oven?
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Kathy- Yes you want to still oil and salt the potato so the skin is crispy. You can oil the potato lightly with just a quick spray or brush of oil though, it doesn’t need to be nearly as much oil for the air fryer. A little goes a long way. Hope that helps! -Kristy