Quick Baked Potatoes
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This Quick Baked Potatoes recipe is one of our favorite recipes. It will have you making delicious baked potatoes at home more often. It’s so easy to prepare, and it requires only 3 simple ingredients and about 30 minutes.
I’m Irish to the core. Well, at least I think I am. If nothing but for my lack of self-control when anything potato is involved, I would say I’m totally Irish. That has to mean something, right?
Potatoes are a staple in our home. We have to moderate our intake and how they’re prepared, but a good baked potato is always the perfect standby for us to serve as a side, or as the main star topped with chili, or maybe even something healthy. I’ve learned a shortcut for cooking baked potatoes quicker, and I have to say, tastier. My friend, Cindy, tipped me off to this technique for cooking Quick Baked Potatoes a few years back.
Cindy is also the person that originally spurred me on to begin this site. I didn’t really know what a blog was when she suggested I look into starting one of my own. So thank you for that, Cindy! And thank you for showing me how to bake a potato faster too.
How to Bake Potatoes Quickly
Here’s how it works. It couldn’t be easier. Begin with washed potatoes. Scrub the potatoes and remove any bad spots. We use sweet potatoes for this too. Sweet potatoes are my husband’s favorite. I always toss one in the batch for him. Once clean and when you’ve washed and removed any icky or weird-looking parts, follow these next steps.
1. Cut the potatoes in half length-wise. Then pour a little olive oil, and sprinkle a good amount of salt on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Coat the cut potato halves with the olive oil and salt, place them on the baking sheet, cut side down. Just use your hands to coat the potatoes with oil and salt. It’s easier. Plus, olive oil and salt make for an excellent hand scrub.
3. Once they’re coated on all sides, sprinkle a little more salt, then bake at 400 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven. Check with a fork for doneness and enjoy!
See? Isn’t that easy?
When potatoes are baked this way, they develop a super tasty skin (which I enjoy even more than the flesh), and they’re the healthiest part of the potato too. They end up being a cross between a baked potato and twice baked potato without all the scraping and re-stuffing involved. Super simple. Super quick. And super satisfying.
Try it soon and let me know what you think! Before you go, do you have any tips for cooking vegetables quicker without losing flavor and health benefits? Do share!
What to serve these quick baked potatoes with:
Potatoes are a great side dish that goes well with so many different meals. They are golden brown and crunchy on the outside and have a soft and crumbly texture on the inside. Their simple flavor and texture makes them the perfect side dish with almost any meal.
One of my go-to recipes that go perfectly with roasted potatoes are these Chicken Breasts in Mushroom Sauce. The mushroom sauce adds so much creaminess and balances all the flavors of the potatoes and juicy chicken breasts. I also like combining these quick baked potatoes with Glazed Salmon, Roasted Turkey, BBQ Chicken, and all other types of grilled meats.
You’ll also love to try:
Twice Baked Potatoes
Spicy Loaded Baked Potatoes
Lemon Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Easy Roasted Asparagus
Roasted Broccoli Recipe
Quick Baked Potatoes Recipe
Quick Baked Potatoes
A quicker and delicious way to bake a potato.
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- several pinches kosher salt
- 4 baking potatoes,* washed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400-degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle lined baking sheet with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Cut potatoes in half length wise.
- Coat potatoes all sides with olive oil and salt, and place cut side down on lined baking sheet. Sprinkle potatoes with additional salt.
- Bake at 400-degrees F for 30-40 minutes until done. Check with fork for doneness.
Notes
* Sweet potatoes may be used.
Thanks so much for posting this. I do this all the time but don’t cut the potatoes in half. My husband and I always split the potato after it is baked. I feel like an idiot for not thinking of cooking them this way!
Well, we do this for a fun treat. So I wouldn’t call you stupid it’s just another way of making a potato. Even growing up this was more like a treat then the normal. I just started making them again for our kids. They are so good!
I cook my potatoes this way too ever since eating some at Cindy’s house. I really miss her. We should get a group together and do a road trip up to TN one weekend.
Hey Deborah! I was looking up a recipe on Amy’s site and just happened to come across this post from a while back. So fun… miss you so much and would LOVE to have you make a road trip to TN!
Hi, I wash and dry potatoes. With white potatoes I rub potato with Grapeseed oil. Then sprinkle season salt on them and wrap in tin foil. Bake at 425 for 1 full hour. Press potato for firmness if still hard mayabe two minutes more. Let stand for 10 minute then serve. Great for American fries if kept in the frig over night !!!!!! Add a litte onion while frying. For sweet potatoes, just rub on Grapeseed oil and a little Cinnam0n, wrap in tin foil and Bake, 425 for 1 hour. thanks, Jim
Quick and fabulous! Yum!
Amy! This is SO SMART! It took me about 8 years if married life to learn how to bake a potato correctly. I know that sounds so silly, but I just could not get it right…they were always hard in the middle! Mr. E is going to think I’m a rock star when I make these! 😉
I fell in love with these when we visited before Christmas. So smart!
Amy, you are so smart! This is a great quickie trick, and I’ve got a bag of potatoes just waiting to be baked.
I do something similar also. First I bake the potatoes in th micro for 5-7 minutes, just until they start to soften. Then I rub them with olive oil and kosher salt and bake them in the oven at 400, 425 for about 15 minutes. Totally going to start cutting them in half!!!
Can foil be used or is parchment paper a must?
Foil can be used but it tends to stick more to the potatoes than baking parchment.
I used this way of making baked potatoes due to the reduction in baking. WOW! my family won’t let me cook them any other way now. Ate them skin and all. Most fabulous baked potatoes we have ever had.
Happy to hear that you and your family enjoy them too, Amy!
So simple. I love it.
It makes me wonder why I never thought to cut it in half. Great idea!
I will I will I will!
This is such a great idea! I’m trying it tonight.
LOVE THIS TECHNIQUE!! Oops, didn’t mean to shout.
I’ve always had trouble getting baked potatoes *right*… Can’t wait to try this… And I love the *toss in a sweet potato* idea!… Thanks, Amy!
Delicious, the skin was the best part. Thank you for sharing.
First of all, gorgeous photos – potatoes never looked so pretty!
Second, I am about to brave this ice storm and go get potatoes just to have these for dinner tonight. I love how comforting they are!
I love it when I can exfoliate, moisturize, and cook all at the same time! These potatoes are enticing.
I’ve done it with sweet potatoes but not regular potatoes. Duh! Thanks, Amy.
And your photography makes me want one … now … for breakfast! LOL
OMG, why didn’t I think of this? So perfect for large families like ours!
I’m loving baked sweet potatoes and anything to make that effort quicker and easier rules!
Roasting or grilling asparagus was a life changer for me. No longer a pile of mushy ew; they are amazing prepared in a similar manner for a much shorter time!
I must are with you Barbara about the asparagus. So Amy there is an idea about 1 other veget@ble. And also I just learned about making a carmalizing sauce for veggies. So far my fi@nce & I have only had it with carrots. The CARMALIZE SAUCE is just brown sug@r, water & lil butter. For thickness.
Thanks for the help. 2nd time with the pot@toes. Had to look up this reci]e specifically cuz thats how we both enjoy them now
We love these! Also very tasty slathered in melted butter, garlic salt and pepper…yum! 🙂
What a great time saver! I need to give this a shot. I’m so impatient waiting for potatoes to bake.