3 Ways to Bake a Potato: In the Oven (With Foil), in the Microwave, and in the Slow Cooker
As long as there are a few potatoes in the pantry, I know that I have at least one option for dinner. Whether topped with a simple pat of butter or a scoop of hearty chili, baked potatoes are a favorite no-brainer meal when I just want something easy and warm. Here are three different ways to make them.
No matter which method you choose to use, be sure to wash the potato and prick it all over with a fork. Forgetting that crucial pricking step will result in a spud grenade in your oven — pricking the skin lets the steam inside the cooking potato escape without this risk of bursting.
Read more: 20 Ways to Turn a Baked Potato Into Dinner
- The method: How To Bake a Potato in the Oven
- The result: Crispy potato skins!
Heat the oven to 425°F. Rub the potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and prick with the tines of a fork. Place them directly on the oven rack. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until their skins are crispy, and sticking one with a fork meets no resistance.
Alternatively, make foil-wrapped potatoes: Follow the same directions as for oven-roasted potatoes, but wrap the potatoes in foil before cooking.
The result: Softer skin, plus the potatoes stay warm in their foil jackets if you’re still working on the topping or need to save a potato for someone running late.
- The method: How To Bake a Potato in the Microwave
- The result: Super-fast cooking time with soft skins.
Rub the potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and prick with the tines of a fork. Place all the potatoes on a microwave-safe dish and microwave at full power for five minutes. Flip them and microwave for another three to five minutes. If still hard in the middle, microwave in additional one-minute bursts until cooked through.
3. How To Bake Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
- The method: How To Bake a Potato in the Slow Cooker
- The result: Potatoes that bake while you’re at work.
Rub the potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and prick with the tines of a fork. Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and place it in the bottom of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 8 to 10 hours.
What’s your favorite way to bake a potato?