Baked potatoes have one annoying requirement: time. A russet can spend close to an hour in the oven before the center turns soft, which makes it hard to add one to a quick dinner. Cooking it from start to finish in the microwave saves time but sacrifices the crisp skin. Combining both methods solves the problem. Give the potato 5 to 6 minutes in the microwave, then let the oven finish the center and crisp the outside.
Olive oil and salt go on before the potato enters the oven, adding flavor while helping the skin brown.
Start with a russet potato
Russets work well for baking because their high starch content produces a soft, fluffy center.
Their thick skin also holds up in the oven and can develop the crisp exterior you want from a baked potato.
Scrub the potato to remove dirt and cut away any eyes before cooking.
Microwave it for 5 to 6 minutes
Instead of putting the raw potato straight into the oven, start it in the microwave.
Cook it for about 5 to 6 minutes.
The goal isn’t to finish cooking the potato. The microwave gets a head start on the center so the oven doesn’t have to do all the work.
Cooking it in the microwave from start to finish can leave the skin soft.
Rub the skin with olive oil and salt
After the microwave, coat the potato with olive oil and sprinkle salt across the skin.
The oil helps the exterior brown and crisp during the second cooking stage.
Now move the potato into a 400°F oven.
Put it straight on the oven rack
Skip the baking dish.
Cooking the potato on the oven rack exposes the skin to the oven heat and helps it cook across the surface.
The microwave has already shortened the job, so the oven can concentrate on finishing the interior while changing the texture outside.
Don’t wrap it in foil
Foil works against the crisp skin you’re trying to create.
Wrapping traps steam around the potato. That moisture keeps the skin softer instead of letting it roast.
Leave the potato uncovered.
Add the toppings after the skin turns crisp
Once the center is tender and the outside has browned, cut the potato open and fluff the interior.
Butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon, chili, beans, salsa, or roasted vegetables can turn it from a side into dinner.
The useful trick happens before any topping goes on. Don’t choose between a fast microwave potato and a slow oven baked one. Use the microwave for the first 5 to 6 minutes, then let the oven give the potato the crisp skin the microwave cannot.
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