{"title":"How to Bake Potatoes in the Oven","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/cooking/how-to-bake-potatoes-in-the-oven","category":{"slug":"cooking","name":"Cooking"},"creator":{"name":"America's Test Kitchen","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/@americastestkitchen","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr-o01qiRYI"},"tldr":"Bake the best russet potatoes: salt-water brine, 450°F oven, 205°F internal target, then oil and flash for crispy skin. America's Test Kitchen method.","totalDurationSeconds":484,"difficulty":"easy","tools":[],"materials":[],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Poke Holes in Each Potato","text":"Use a fork to poke six holes in each russet potato - about three on each side. The holes let steam escape during baking and let the brine flavor seep in."},{"number":2,"title":"Brine the Skin in Salt Water","text":"Mix 1/2 cup water with 2 tablespoons of salt in a bowl. Dip each potato briefly - just a few seconds is plenty. This isn't about the inside; it's about getting salt to bond to the wet skin so it bakes into a crisp, savory crust. Salt sprinkled on a dry potato just rolls off."},{"number":3,"title":"Set on a Wire Rack","text":"Place the brined potatoes on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet. The rack lets hot air circulate underneath so every side cooks at the same rate, and it makes pulling them out of the oven easy."},{"number":4,"title":"Bake at 450°F to 205°F Internal","text":"Set the oven to 450°F. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. The doneness target is 205°F internal temperature, not just 'until soft.' At 205°F the starch fully gelatinizes and the texture turns light and fluffy. Underbake and you get dense and waxy.An instant-read thermometer is the easiest way to check. The probe should slide in with no resistance."},{"number":5,"title":"Brush with Oil","text":"Pull the potatoes when they hit 205°F. Brush each one with about a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Don't reach for butter - butter contains water, and that water will sog out your crust.If you have rendered bacon fat, duck fat, or goose fat on hand, those work even better than vegetable oil."},{"number":6,"title":"Flash Finish for 10 Minutes","text":"Return the oiled potatoes to the 450°F oven for another 10 minutes. This second bake is what creates the deep, crackling skin. When you cut into the finished potato, you should hear a crunch like a potato chip."},{"number":7,"title":"Cut Open Immediately","text":"Pull the potatoes and cut into them right away. Don't rest them on the counter - the trapped steam needs to escape now or the interior compacts and turns dense. Cut an X in the top, squeeze the ends inward, and watch the steam pour out.Top with butter, sour cream, chives, cheddar, bacon, or a quick goat cheese mix (smashed goat cheese, olive oil, parsley, shallots, and lemon zest)."}],"recipe":{"servings":"Serves 4","prepMinutes":5,"cookMinutes":60,"cuisine":"American","ingredients":[{"name":"russet potatoes","amount":"4 large"},{"name":"olive oil","amount":"2 tablespoons"},{"name":"kosher salt","amount":"2 teaspoons"}]},"lastUpdated":"2026-05-16T13:31:19.801Z","published":"2026-04-27T16:43:22.682Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}