Did you know it’s possible to bake potatoes without foil and have them turn out the best of any baked potato you’ve ever tasted?
Baked potatoes with crispy, salty skins are delicious with just butter. Feel free to load them up with all your favorite toppings and the potato easily becomes the entire meal. (We love our baked potatoes topped with bbq chicken!)
Baked Potato without Foil
The age-old debate of whether or not to foil your potatoes. The reality is you can certainly wrap them in foil, if that is how you have always done it go for it. Personally, I like how crispy the outsides get, and there’s the bonus of no wasted foil or effort.
I find the potatoes turn out a bit fluffier when they’re baked without foil versus the results when they’re baked while wrapped in foil.
After thoroughly washing your potatoes, pat them with a paper towel and let them air dry for a few minutes before drizzling them with a bit of oil.
A light and even coating of oil results in the crispiest skin.
Confession time. The skin is my favorite part of the baked potato. After eating all the delicious insides with toppings, I like to butter and salt and pepper the inside of the skins and enjoy them. It is the best part!
When you bake potatoes, bake a few extras so you can make loaded baked potato dip or baked potato soup. Make it ahead so you can just pop it in the oven for a game day weekend treat.
Or load it up with saucy barbecue chicken stuffed into steaming baked potatoes topped with melted cheese is mealtime perfection.
How Long to Bake a Potato at 400
Baked potatoes are undoubtedly a fast and easy-to-get-on-the-table dinner. While an hour in the oven might seem like a long time, it really frees up time to do other things.
For most potatoes, an hour at 400 degrees is just right. But there are factors such as the size of the potato, how crowded your pan is, and of course the accuracy of your oven temperature.
To ensure they are perfectly done, check them with a fork. The skin should be crispy and firm but the fork should slide in easily with very little pressure.
To serve the potatoes I like to slice them on a cutting board with a chef’s knife before putting them on the table for my family to top. It avoids the hot potato game as they try to hold and cut their potato at the same time.
A note about potatoes – Russets are almost always my first choice for baked potatoes, but I’m not a snob about it. There isn’t a baked potato I won’t eat.
Yukon golds or dutch potatoes, red potatoes, purple potatoes, and sweet potatoes all get a good bit of attention in my kitchen.
Crispy Skin Baked Potato
- potatoes
- olive oil
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes to remove all dirt and then rinse and dry thoroughly. Poke several holes into each potato with a fork and then place them on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle each potato with about 1 teaspoon of oil. Rub the oil all over each potato. Generously sprinkle each potato with salt and then place in the oven.
- Bake for just over an hour, until fork tender. They should be crisp on the outside and tender inside.
- When the potatoes are finished, remove from the oven and slice each one down the center. Fluff with a fork. Top each potato with the toppings of your choice.
Russet Potato Recipes
Russet potatoes are readily available and quite adaptable to any potato recipe. From mashed to roasted substitute them into any of them and you will see empty plates when dinner is done.
Creamy, buttery, cheesy mashed potatoes are what food dreams are made of, I suggest making extra, to avoid arguments over who gets seconds. Potatoes and rosemary are always a perfect match, but adding in lightly caramelized onions takes this skillet to a whole new level.
Potatoes are a go-to side in my house and these air fryer potatoes make a weekly appearance on our table. When grilling or not wanting to heat up the oven these come in handy.
Baked Potatoes without Foil
Ingredients
- 6 large russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes to remove all dirt and then rinse and dry thoroughly. Poke several holes into each potato with a fork and then place them on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle each potato with about 1 teaspoon of oil. Rub the oil all over each potato. Generously sprinkle each potato with salt and then place in the oven.
- Bake for just over an hour, until fork tender. They should be crisp on the outside and tender inside.
- When the potatoes are finished, remove from the oven and slice each one down the center and fluff with a fork. Top each potato with the toppings of your choice.
Nutrition
Dorothy Davenport says
Absolutely the best way to bake potatoes! Soft and moist on the inside and the skin is so crispy.
Mary says
Thank you, Dorothy. I tend to agree, the salty, crispy outside is the best part.