You could spend 15 minutes preheating the oven, then another hour baking potatoes. But why would you do that when you can make your potato in 7 minutes? It doesn’t matter if you want a simple holiday side dish, or a more sophisticated weeknight meal, it is worth using your microwave to bake your potato. Here are our top tips to make it perfect every time.
Clean It
If you prefer to eat your baked potato skin-on, you will need to wash it first. You can scrub it well to remove all dirt and debris. Rinse it off and dry it. It is perfectly safe to eat your potato, even if it sprouts “eyes” or has little green spots. You can simply peel the infected areas off your potato and it will be as good as new.
Poke It
Use a fork to stab the potato all over. This helps steam escape during heating to prevent a microwave explosion, gives the potato a fluffier texture, and speeds up the cooling process. This is an important step so don’t forget it! To get crispy skin, dry your potato completely after washing it. Then, massage the potato with oil before you put it in the microwave. It is important to cook the potato whole. It may seem more time-efficient to chop it, but steaming the whole potato will steam them. Alternatively, cutting the potato into small pieces will dry the potato and make it sticky.
Microwave It
While we prefer a traditional russet potato for our microwave baked potato, you can give any variety of tater the same treatment (even sweet potato). Cooking times can different depending on the size and density of your potato. Begin by cooking the potato for 3 to 4 minutes. Then, flip it with a pair of tongs and cook for 3 minutes. If a knife passes through the potato without resistance, you can tell that it is done. To get the perfect baked potato, add another minute.
Top It
You can go easy or crazy with the toppings. It doesn’t matter if you make a microwave meal; it doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be fun. A pat of butter, some sour cream, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs are all we like. You could also choose to go the less traveled route: pesto with fresh grated Parmesan and a smear or furikake. Or, serve it with a runny sunny-side-up egg and some hot sauce.
A baked potato can be served plain or loaded with your favorite toppings. For a traditional, filling meal, pair it with your steak or serve it as a side dish to your holiday meal. You can make it the foundation for a vegetarian meal or add some plant-based butter to make it a vegan side.
Yields: 1
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 russet potato
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Butter, for serving
Directions
- Step 1: Wash the potato well and dry it thoroughly. Use a fork to pierce the potato 3-4 times.
- Step 2: Place potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and continue heating for 7 minutes. Allow resting for 2 minutes.
- Step 3: Cut the potato in half down the middle. Be careful not to steam, Salt and pepper to taste. Butter the top before serving.
You could spend 15 minutes preheating the oven, then another hour baking potatoes. But why would you do that when you can make your potato in 7 minutes? It doesn’t matter if you want a simple holiday side dish, or a more sophisticated weeknight meal, it is worth using your microwave to bake your potato. Here are our top tips to make it perfect every time.
Clean It
If you prefer to eat your baked potato skin-on, you will need to wash it first. You can scrub it well to remove all dirt and debris. Rinse it off and dry it. It is perfectly safe to eat your potato, even if it sprouts “eyes” or has little green spots. You can simply peel the infected areas off your potato and it will be as good as new.
Poke It
Use a fork to stab the potato all over. This helps steam escape during heating to prevent a microwave explosion, gives the potato a fluffier texture, and speeds up the cooling process. This is an important step so don’t forget it! To get crispy skin, dry your potato completely after washing it. Then, massage the potato with oil before you put it in the microwave. It is important to cook the potato whole. It may seem more time-efficient to chop it, but steaming the whole potato will steam them. Alternatively, cutting the potato into small pieces will dry the potato and make it sticky.
Microwave It
While we prefer a traditional russet potato for our microwave baked potato, you can give any variety of tater the same treatment (even sweet potato). Cooking times can different depending on the size and density of your potato. Begin by cooking the potato for 3 to 4 minutes. Then, flip it with a pair of tongs and cook for 3 minutes. If a knife passes through the potato without resistance, you can tell that it is done. To get the perfect baked potato, add another minute.
Top It
You can go easy or crazy with the toppings. It doesn’t matter if you make a microwave meal; it doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be fun. A pat of butter, some sour cream, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs are all we like. You could also choose to go the less traveled route: pesto with fresh grated Parmesan and a smear or furikake. Or, serve it with a runny sunny-side-up egg and some hot sauce.
A baked potato can be served plain or loaded with your favorite toppings. For a traditional, filling meal, pair it with your steak or serve it as a side dish to your holiday meal. You can make it the foundation for a vegetarian meal or add some plant-based butter to make it a vegan side.
Yields: 1
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 russet potato
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Butter, for serving
Directions
- Step 1: Wash the potato well and dry it thoroughly. Use a fork to pierce the potato 3-4 times.
- Step 2: Place potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and continue heating for 7 minutes. Allow resting for 2 minutes.
- Step 3: Cut the potato in half down the middle. Be careful not to steam, Salt and pepper to taste. Butter the top before serving.
