How to Reheat Baked Potatoes in the Oven, Microwave, Air Fryer & More

Try one of these reheating methods for a crispy, steamy, perfect leftover baked potato

Co-authored by Dan Hickey

Last Updated: February 18, 2023 References Tested

Best Reheating Methods

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Storing Baked Potatoes

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How many times can I reheat a baked potato?

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Tips

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Warnings

Nothing beats a good baked potato—they’re cheap, delicious, and easy to make in bulk. If you’ve got some leftover spuds, you’re probably wondering how to reheat them without losing the fluffy texture and crispy skin that makes them so mouth-watering. No matter which appliances you’ve got in your kitchen, there’s a quick and easy way to make it happen. In this article, we’ll show you how to reheat your baked potatoes in the oven, microwave, and more. Let’s dig in!

Things You Should Know

Reheat baked potatoes in the oven at 350 °F (177 °C) for 20 minutes for the best, crispiest results.
To microwave, slice your potato in half and cover it with damp paper towels. Heat for 2-3 minutes on high.
Air fry your baked potato for 3-4 minutes at 350 °F (177 °C) to 400 °F (204 °C), then check to see if it’s heated through.

Section 1 of 3:

Best Reheating Methods

1
Oven Heat the potato at 350 °F (177 °C) for about 20 minutes. If your baked potato is whole and uncut, place it directly on the oven rack. If your potato is cut and you want to melt toppings like butter or cheese on it, put your potato on a baking tray or cookie sheet to catch any leakage.^{[1]
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- For extra crispy skin, wrap the potato in foil before it goes in the oven. Remove the foil as soon as it’s done reheating to prevent bacteria growth.
- Reheat toppings that are meant to melt and that taste good when hot, like butter or cheese. Add sour cream, non-dairy products, chives, or other toppings later.
- Choose the oven if you want to reheat your potato with toppings since they might get too messy for other methods.^{[2]
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- The oven is considered the best way to reheat baked potatoes, even though it’s the method that takes the longest (you can’t rush art!).
2
Microwave Cut your baked potato in half and arrange the pieces on a microwave-safe plate. Cover the potato in damp paper towels to prevent the potato from drying out while it heats up. Heat for 2-3 minutes on high power and check to see if the potato is heated all the way through.^{[3]
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- If there are still cool spots, heat the potato in 30-second intervals until it’s piping hot all over.
- Once your potato is hot, add your preferred toppings and serve.
- The microwave is the fastest way to reheat a baked potato, but you won’t get the crispiness of other methods like the oven or an air fryer.
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Stovetop Cut your baked potatoes in half if they’re not already sliced. Then spray a small amount of cooking spray (or add 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of olive oil) on a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Once the pan is hot, add the potatoes cut-side down and cover the pan with a lid.^{[4]
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- Reduce the heat and cook the potatoes for 3-4 minutes (the potatoes will look like they’re steaming). Lower the heat and remove the lid if you notice burning.
- Remove the lid and turn the heat back to medium-low. Keep flipping the potatoes until all of the skin is crispy and the potatoes are heated through.
- Add your favorite toppings and dig in!
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Air fryer Place your baked potato in the air fryer basket. If you’re reheating more than one, make sure they’re not touching so that the hot air can circulate all the way around them. Air fry for 3-4 minutes at 350 °F (177 °C) to 400 °F (204 °C), then check to see if the potato is heated through.^{[5]
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- Keep heating and checking the potato in 1-minute intervals if it needs more time.
- The air fryer takes a little more time than the microwave, but is an easy way to get delicious, crispy skin.
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Toaster oven Arrange the potatoes in an oven-safe dish while you preheat the toaster oven to 350 °F (177 °C). If there are multiple potatoes, leave some space between them so the heat is evenly distributed. Heat them for 10-15 minutes and check to see if they’re warmed through.^{[6]
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- Keep heating in 1-minute intervals if the potatoes still have cool spots.
- If possible, leave the potatoes whole instead of cutting them.
- Using a toaster oven is a great substitute for a normal oven.
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Grill Heat the grill to about 400 °F (204 °C), then wrap each baked potato in foil and toss it on the grilling rack. Grill for 10-15 minutes, rotating halfway through (about 5-7 minutes per side). Keep the heat consistent—if the grill gets too hot, you might end up charring the outside of the potato while the middle stays cold.^{[7]
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- Remove the foil as soon as the potato is done and enjoy!
- Choose the grill if you’re already firing it up to cook something else. The grill adds a nice, smoky flavor to your already tasty potato, too.
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Instant pot Pour 1 cup (237 mL) of water into the instant pot, then add your trivet. Place your potato(es) on the trivet, leaving space between them if there are multiple. Close the lid and set the valve to sealing, then pressure cook for 3 minutes. Do a quick pressure release (QPR) and serve!^{[8]
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- If the potatoes are extra large, cut them in half so they heat evenly and all the way through.
- An instant pot can reheat more potatoes at once than an air fryer or a small microwave.

Section 2 of 3:

Storing Baked Potatoes

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Separate the potatoes from the toppings and let the potatoes cool. If the potatoes were topped, scrape off the toppings and store them in a separate container or discard them. Then, lay out the leftovers on a plate or tray and let them cool for several minutes.^{[9]
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- To skip the scraping step, have your dinner guests top their potatoes at the table rather than serving them with the toppings on.
- Try not to let the cooked potatoes sit and cool for more than 2 hours or they may grow the bacteria that cause botulism.
2
Place the potatoes in airtight containers or resealable bags. Glass or plastic containers are the best way to store cooked potatoes because they keep out oxygen and moisture, which can make the potato taste different or go bad. Don’t store the potatoes in foil—the foil will trap whatever heat is left in the potato, which encourages botulism-causing bacteria to grow.^{[10]
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- If you can’t find a storage container or resealable bag, wrap the potatoes in fresh plastic wrap rather than aluminum foil.
- It’s OK to wrap your potato in foil while you’re baking it as long as you peel the foil off once the potato is finished.
3
Refrigerate the potatoes for up to 5 days. When packaged properly, baked potatoes will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days. Whole, uncut potatoes will stay fresher for longer than cut ones. If the potato was stored with toppings on it, it will only stay good for about 2 days.^{[11]
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Freeze your baked potatoes for longer storage. Place your leftovers in airtight, freezer-safe containers or bags and toss them in the freezer if you don’t plan on eating them within 5 days. Frozen baked potatoes will stay good for 3-6 months.^{[12]
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- To reheat from frozen, thaw the potatoes in the fridge overnight a day in advance. Then, reheat them with your preferred method.

Section 3 of 3:

How many times can I reheat a baked potato?

Reheat a baked potato 1 time only. Every time food is reheated and cooled, it travels through the “danger zone” of temperatures that gives bacteria a chance to grow. This means it's best to limit the number of times you reheat the same piece of food.^{[13]
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Research source} For the safest reheating, store leftover baked potatoes below 40 °F (4 °C) and reheat them to 140 °F (60 °C) or higher, checking the final temperature with a food thermometer.^{[14]
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- To avoid the danger zone in storage, do not cool and store your baked potatoes in foil or let them sit at room temperature for more than 2-4 hours.
- The danger zone of food safety is between 40 °F (4 °C) and 140 °F (60 °C).^{[15]
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Warnings

Do not cool or store baked potatoes in aluminum foil. The foil traps the potato’s internal heat and moisture, which enables botulism-causing bacteria to grow.^{[18]
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