How to Bake Potatoes in the Oven 3 Ways

Directly on the Oven Rack

Baking potatoes directly on the oven rack without foil is easy and will result in a crispier skin.

Ingredients

• potatoes - you can use your favorite potatoes like red, yellow or white but I used russet for this tutorial
• butter - one tablespoon for each potato

*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.

Steps

Step #1. Clean the potatoes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Clean the potatoes well and then dry them with a kitchen towel (Image 1).

Step #2. Prick potatoes. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork (Image 2).

Step #3. Bake. Place the potatoes on the middle oven rack and bake for 45 to 60 minutes - until soft all the way through (Image 3).

Step #4. Cool. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes (Image 4).

Step #5. Criss-cross. Puncture a criss-cross pattern into the top of each potato, using a fork (Image 5).

Step #6. Pop it open. Pop it open by applying pressure to the ends of the potato with your fingers (Image 6).

Step #7. Add butter. Add butter and fluff with a fork (Image 7).

Step #8. Season. Season with salt and pepper (Image 8).

Step #9. Serve. Serve and enjoy!

In Foil

Wrapping potatoes in foil will give them a softer skin instead of a crispy one. The foil will trap the heat and essentially steam the potato. Another foil pack side dish you could serve with this style of potato is my grilled asparagus in foil.

Ingredients

• 4 Yukon Gold potatoes - also known as yellow potatoes--cleaned well and skin on
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 tablespoons sour cream - this equals ½ cup - 2 tablespoons per potato
• 4 tablespoons bacon bits
• 4 tablespoons fresh chives - chopped
• salt and pepper - to taste

Steps

Step #1. Prick potato. Preheat oven to 450°F. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork (Image 1).

Step #2. Wrap in foil. Wrap the potatoes up in foil squares (Image 2).

Step #3. Bake. Place directly on middle oven rack and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until soft all the way through (Image 3).

Step #4. Cool. Remove the potatoes to a cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes or until you can handle them (Image 4).

Step #5. Cut criss cross. Remove the foil and cut a criss-cross into the top of each potato using a fork (Image 5).

Step #6. Pop it. Pop it open by squeezing the ends of the potato with your fingers (Image 6).

Step #7. Add butter. Add butter (½ tablespoon butter for each potato) and let it melt into it as you fluff the potato with a fork (Image 7).

Step #8. Add toppings. Top with sour cream, bacon bits, chives, salt and pepper (Image 8).

Step #9. Serve. Serve and enjoy!

Hasselback Style

Have you wanted to try your hand at Hasselback potatoes? The number of thin slices and perfect crispiness gives them an aesthetic look. Hasselbacks are delicious and a fast, creative way to serve potatoes, especially for a dinner party or holiday meal next to the bison chuck roast or roast chicken with blackberry gravy.

The combination of Italian seasonings and aromatic olive oil in this recipe will bring this side dish to a new level as they crisp up in the oven and become infused with spices.

Ingredients

Prepare all ingredients before starting to cook. Preheat oven to 450ºF.

• 4 potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• fresh herbs like thyme, oregano and rosemary
• freshly ground sea salt and pepper

Steps

Step #1. Clean the potatoes. Wash and rinse the potatoes (don’t peel them). Dry them with a clean kitchen towel (Image 1).

Step #2. Place potato on spoon. Place a potato on a large spoon (Image 2).

Step #3. Slice the potato. Make very close slices into the potato until you reach the spoon, so the potato slices will hold together by the bottom. Do this all across the top of the potato. Repeat with remaining potatoes (Image 3).

Step #4. Combine olive oil and herbs. Roughly chop the herbs. Mix the olive oil and fresh herbs together (Image 4).

Step #5. Brush potatoes. Place the potatoes on a baking tray. Use a basting brush to spread the olive oil and herbs over the potatoes. Try to get into the slices as well with the oil (Image 5).

Step #6. Season. Sprinkle them with freshly ground salt and pepper (Image 6).

Step #7. Bake. Bake the potatoes until they are golden brown with crisp edges, about 60 minutes. This completely depends on the size of the potatoes. Keep an eye on them! If they are looking dry while baking, baste them with a little more olive oil - this makes them nice and crispy (Image 7).

Step #8. Serve. Serve and enjoy (Image 8)!

Pro Tips

General:

• It doesn't normally matter what side of the foil is on the outside of the potato, but always check the manufacturer's instructions on the box of foil, just in case.
• If you don't poke holes into the potatoes, you run the risk of them exploding in the oven and creating a big mess. While this might not happen every time, it can and has happened to many cooks.
• If you're baking the potatoes directly on the oven rack, make sure they are large enough to not fall through the grates.

For the Hasselback potatoes:

• If you don't have a large enough spoon for the potato, try placing chopsticks on either side of the potato to stop the knife from going right through. By placing the potato in a large spoon or on chopsticks, it is the best way to keep it stable and secure for the knife.
• This stability provides a far safer option for creating such thin slices within the potato and doubles as an easy way to ensure the knife doesn’t cut completely through.
• Personally, I just put the potato on the cutting board and start slicing from one end to the other, being careful not to go all the way through. But the spoon or the chopsticks can make it a lot easier for you; especially if you're a beginner.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve these delicious potatoes with meaty main dishes like my bison stew and bison short ribs, or lighter mains like blackened chicken and crispy skin-on salmon.
• They also taste amazing covered in ham gravy.
• For a bright, citrusy option, serve the potatoes with Greek lemon chicken thighs.

Storage

Baked potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Do not store them in the foil for food safety purposes.

Baked Potato FAQs

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