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Learn how to make a Microwave Baked Potato to save time and energy. Whether you’re eating stand-alone baked potatoes or using them in other recipes, this easy technique gives you cooked potatoes fast without firing up the oven.
Meggan’s notes
When crispy skin matters for taste or presentation, there is no way around an oven-baked potato. As a classically-trained chef, though, I’m always looking for a shortcut when I can get away with it, and you should do the same.
That’s why making potatoes in the microwave is such a brilliant shortcut. Whether you’re using them for a simple side dish, a Baked Potato bar, a potato casserole, or as a meal-prep option, you can have a perfectly cooked, fluffy potato in 10 minutes or less.
And even if you DO want the crispy skin or seasonings on the outside, you can still add them after your potato is cooked. Learn all my best tips and tricks, plus advice on which potatoes to shop for, along with this amazing microwave shortcut.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Potatoes: Times may vary depending on the size and quantity of your potatoes and your microwave. You can safely microwave up to 4 potatoes at one time as long as they fit in your microwave. Start by adding 1 minute of cooking time for each potato you add and test doneness with a knife as you go.
Step-by-step instructions
- Poke holes in the potato with a fork.
- Add the potato to the microwave and heat at full power for 4 minutes. Using oven mitts or a kitchen towel, flip the potato over. Heat at full power 4 minutes longer. The potato should feel soft and be easily pierced in the middle with a pairing knife and slide off the knife. If it isn’t quite done, microwave in 30-second increments until tender. Split and serve.
- Optional: If you are craving crispy skin on your potato, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub the outside of the uncut potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the skin is crispy, about 10 minutes.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 potato.
- Storage: Store leftover baked potatoes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Slice up leftover baked potatoes and fry in bacon fat, add to scrambled eggs, or make a small batch of potato salad.
- Air-fryer: To make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, lightly coat the potatoes with oil and season them with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket. Cook the potatoes in the air fryer for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees. You should flip the potatoes over with some tongs after about 20 minutes to ensure even cooking.
- Baking potatoes at any temp: All things being equal, 400 degrees is a great temperature for baking potatoes and roasting vegetables together because it results in a crispy skin you won’t leave on the plate. But if you’re juggling other dishes, you can tweak the temp. Depending on the size of the potato and the oven’s temp, you may have to cook it longer or pull them out early.
- Favorite baked potato toppings: Top your spuds with any combination of butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and sliced chives or green onions.
- Mini Twice Baked Potatoes: Twice-baked potatoes with cheddar and bacon, but make them mini!
Frequently Asked Questions
High-starch russet potatoes are the best potatoes for baking or microwaving. They cook up nice and fluffy and are perfect for holding all your favorite toppings. With russets, you also get the most bang for your buck.
Baking potatoes in a 400-degree oven takes about 1 hour. So if you can use the microwave instead and have cooked potatoes in about 10 minutes, that’s a huge time savings!
You definitely don’t want foil anywhere near your microwave! While it’s okay to bake potatoes wrapped in foil, you should never store them or refrigerate them in foil. This creates the ideal environment for food-borne illness. And for crispy potato skin, skip the foil!
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Microwave Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 1 large russet potato scrubbed and dried (about 12 ounces, see note 1)
- butter or sour cream, for serving
Instructions
- Poke a few holes in the potato with a fork. Add the potato to the microwave and heat at full power for 4 minutes. Using oven mitts or a kitchen towel, flip the potato over.
- Heat at full power 4 minutes longer. The potato should feel soft and be easily pierced in the middle with a pairing knife and slide off the knife. If it isn't quite done, microwave in 30-second increments until tender.
- Optional: For crispy skin, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rub the outside of the potato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the skin is crispy, about 10 minutes.
Notes
- Potatoes: Times may vary depending on the size and quantity of your potatoes and your microwave. You can safely microwave up to 4 potatoes at one time as long as they fit in your microwave. Start by adding 1 minute of cooking time for each potato you add and test doneness with a knife as you go.
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 potato.
- Storage: Store leftover potatoes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.