How to Cook Jacket Potatoes

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 29, 2022 References Tested

Jacket potatoes, or baked potatoes, are potatoes left unpeeled and eaten in their flavorful jackets. They're delicious with a simple dressing of butter and salt, or you can top them with cheese, bacon and vegetables to make each one a complete meal in and of itself. Jacket potatoes can be made in the oven, the microwave or a slow cooker.

Ingredients

Russet potatoes (1 per serving)
Olive oil
Salt
Optional toppings: butter, sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped chives, crumbled bacon, chili, mixed vegetables

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using an Oven

1
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).^{[1]
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2
Scrub the potatoes. Use a vegetable brush to scrub the potato skins thoroughly to remove any dirt. Since you won't be peeling the potatoes, it's important to get the jackets clean.

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3
Dry the potatoes thoroughly. If you want the jackets to have a crispy skin, make sure the potatoes are completely dry before baking.
4
Prick the potatoes with a fork.^{[2]
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5
Season the jackets. Rub the jackets with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. This will bring out the flavor of the skins. You can skip this step if you don't like to eat the jackets.^{[4]
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6
Bake the potatoes. Place the potatoes directly on the center rack of the oven and let them bake for about 1 3/4 hours to 2 hours, depending on the size.^{[5]
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Research source} The potatoes are ready when the skin is crispy and the interiors are soft when poked with a fork.
- You may want to place a baking sheet under the potatoes on your oven's lower rack to catch any drippings.
- If you prefer soft jackets, wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil and poke holes in the foil before placing them on the rack to start baking.
7
Serve the potatoes. Slit each potato in half lengthways. Use a fork to fluff the insides. Add your favorite toppings, like a generous knob of butter, a scoop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of chives. Serve immediately.
- Jacket potatoes are excellent as a side dish or an entire meal. To make your potatoes into a meal, top with chili (either meat or vegetarian) or roasted vegetables.
- For a delicious twist, try jacket potatoes with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using a Microwave

1
Scrub the potatoes. Use a vegetable brush to scrub the potato skins thoroughly to remove any dirt. Since you won't be peeling the potatoes, it's important to get the jackets clean. Dry the potatoes thoroughly.
2
Prick the potatoes with a fork. Make 8 to 12 holes all over the potatoes. This will allow moisture to escape during the cooking process. If you skip this step, they may burst in the microwave.
3
Season the jackets. Rub the jackets with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. This will bring out the flavor of the skins. You can skip this step if you don't like to eat the jackets.
4
Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe dish. Place them all in a single layer.
5
Microwave on high for five minutes. The top half of the potatoes will cook and grow soft.^{[7]
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6
Turn the potatoes over and microwave for three more minutes. After three minutes, poke the potatoes to see if they're done. If they're still stiff in the middle, microwave in one-minute increments until they're completely soft.^{[8]
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7
Serve the potatoes. Slit each one in half lengthwise. Use a fork to fluff the potatoes. Top with butter, salt and pepper, cheese, and any other ingredients that pair well with potatoes.^{[9]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using a Slow Cooker

1
Scrub the potatoes. Use a vegetable brush to scrub the potato skins thoroughly to remove any dirt. Since you won't be peeling the potatoes, it's important to get the jackets clean. Dry the potatoes thoroughly.
2
Prick the potatoes with a fork. Make 8 to 12 holes all over the potatoes. This will allow moisture to escape during the cooking process.^{[10]
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3
Season the jackets. Rub the jackets with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. You can skip this step if you don't like to eat the jackets.
4
Wrap the potatoes in foil.^{[11]
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Research source} This protects the potatoes from overcooking in the slow cooker. (Note: next time you go camping, follow this method and place foil-wrapped potatoes on the embers of your campfire. If you keep the embers hot, you'll have delicious jacket potatoes in two or three hours' time.)
5
Cook the potatoes on the lowest setting for 8 to 10 hours. You can start cooking your potatoes before work and come home to perfectly cooked jacket potatoes.
6
Serve the potatoes. Remove the foil and slice the potatoes lengthwise. Use a fork to fluff the potatoes. Top the potatoes with butter, salt, and any other toppings or seasonings you like.

Community Q&A

Question

Your recipe calls for Russet potatoes. Your final product looks like a russet potato. Your photos of how to prepare the potatoes show a red skin potato.

Community Answer

The photo is of a red potato. However, there are red potatoes resembling this potato that are, indeed, red and starchy, unlike the most commonly know the Red Bliss potato. Starchy, red potatoes are the following Red Gold, Norland Red, Red Creamer, Amarosa Fingerling, French Fingerling, Red Bodega, Canchan Red Potato, and Irish Kerr's Potato looks exactly like the red waxy potatoes often found in the US markets. It's quite the starchy tuber and is one of the most common ones roasted (like we would usually do with the Russet). Keep in mind that this potato is not to be confused with the Kerrs Pink which doesn't look like this round, red potato at all.