Perfect Baked Potatoes have a lightly toasted and seasoned skin that is a pleasure to devour in addition to light and fluffy potato inside. These turn out just like the baked potatoes you get in better restaurants and steak houses. And there's not much to it! I used to wash my potatoes, wrap them in foil and bake them. That resulted in a steamed potato. Moist and soft skin with a tasty, but solid interior. There wasn't a bit of fluffy potato underneath the skin! It didn't taste bad, but I knew it could be better.

After trying a few different techniques, I found the solution! By generously oiling and seasoning the skin, then baking it uncovered, the skin becomes crisp and flavorful. The interior bakes up fluffy inside without being water-logged. When you break into the potato with your knife and fork and squeeze it a bit, the meat of the potato separates easily. Just a little butter on top is fantastic, but feel free to add any other toppings you can think of. Perfect Baked Potatoes are a delicious canvas for whatever you want to pile on top!

Plays Well for a Crowd

Making these Perfect Baked Potatoes for a crowd works out really well. You can easily fit enough potatoes on a baking sheet or two to serve 20 or more. They bake in the oven without any need to watch them closely. Set out on a buffet with a variety of toppings, they can be made into a meal all by them selves. Offer toppings like shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, steamed broccoli, ketchup, sour cream, caramelized onions, chili, cooked chicken, steak or pork. Get as fancy or stay as simple as you like to fit your group. A big salad and/or soup and your crowd will be well fed! This also covers a lot of bases with food allergies and dietary needs that you encounter when feeding a group.

More Gluten Free Deliciousness to Check Out

Perfect Baked Potatoes

Crispy skinned and fluffy inside, these Perfect Baked Potatoes are easy to make perfectly every time with a simple technique.

4.34 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1 15

Total Time: 1 25

Servings: potatoes

Calories: 230kcal

Ingredients

4 russet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Scrub potatoes clean and pat dry with paper towels. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and using your hands, rub the oil over the whole potato. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on each potato and once again spread it all over the potato evenly.
Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and bake for an hour and 15 minutes. Check part way through and if they seem to be browning, cover loosely with foil and allow to continue baking.
Remove from the oven. Using a sharp knife, slice the middle and gently squeeze the potato open. Add butter, cream cheese, shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, or whatever else your heart desires!