Baked potato: how to bake a potato in the oven, with a time chart and 12 toppings

The short answer: for a classic baked potato, scrub a russet, poke it a few times, rub it with oil and coarse salt, and bake it straight on the oven rack at 425°F for 45 to 60 minutes, until a skewer slides through with no resistance or the center reads 205 to 210°F.

• Key numbers: 425°F oven · medium 8 to 10 oz russet · 45 to 60 minutes · 205 to 210°F inside · no foil for crisp skin · refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours
• Cost: about 31 cents a potato plain, or about $1.11 fully loaded with butter, sour cream, cheddar, bacon and green onions, at Walmart prices
• Free and paid next step: get the free recipe book starter pages (we email it to you), or plan potato night into your week with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

Times, temperatures, prices and nutrition in this baked potato guide were checked November 4, 2026. Below you'll find a time chart for every oven temperature and potato size, the base recipe, the foil question, faster methods, 12 topping ideas, fixes, storage, nutrition and the cost per potato.

How long to bake a potato: time chart by temperature and size

Times are for whole, unwrapped russets baked straight on the middle rack of a fully preheated oven. Size moves the time more than anything else, so weigh one potato on a kitchen scale or compare it to the grocery bag weight, then start checking at the low end of the range.

How to tell it's done: a thin skewer or paring knife slides into the center with no push back, the potato gives when you squeeze it with an oven mitt, and an instant-read thermometer reads 205 to 210°F in the middle. That number is about texture, not safety. Below about 200°F the center stays waxy and dense.

Which temperature to pick:

• 425°F is the best all-around setting: crisp, papery skin and a fluffy center in under an hour for a medium potato.
• 400°F works when the oven is shared with a sheet pan dinner or a roast. Add 10 to 15 minutes.
• 350°F is for baking potatoes next to a casserole. The skin stays softer, so finish at 450°F for 10 minutes if you want it crisp.
• 450°F is fastest but can turn the skin leathery before a big potato is cooked through.

Sweet potatoes bake on almost the same schedule. For more ways to cook them, see our sweet potato recipes.

Easy oven baked potato recipe

This is the plain, crisp-skinned version that every topping in this guide starts from.

Ingredients (4 potatoes)

• 4 medium russet potatoes, about 8 to 10 ounces each
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt
• Butter, sour cream, cheese and any toppings you like

Method

1. Heat the oven. Set a rack in the middle and heat the oven to 425°F. Put a sheet pan or a piece of foil on the rack below to catch drips.
2. Scrub and dry. Scrub the potatoes under running water with a vegetable brush and cut out any green spots or sprouts. Dry them completely, because a wet skin steams instead of crisping.
3. Poke. Prick each potato 4 to 6 times with a fork, about half an inch deep, so steam has somewhere to go.
4. Oil and salt. Rub the potatoes all over with oil, then roll them in coarse salt.
5. Bake. Set the potatoes straight on the middle rack, spaced apart, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Turn them with tongs halfway through for even color.
6. Test. A skewer should slide through the center easily. If it catches, give it 10 more minutes.
7. Open right away. Cut a cross or a slit across the top within a few minutes of baking, then push the ends toward the middle so the inside fluffs up and the steam escapes. Waiting too long lets that steam soak back into the flesh and makes it gummy.

Make it for a crowd: a full oven rack holds 12 to 16 medium potatoes. Add 10 to 15 minutes when the oven is packed, and keep the potatoes in a single layer with space between them. If you're feeding a party, a baked potato bar with a spread of toppings is the easiest way to serve them hot.

Foil or no foil?

Skip the foil if you want crisp skin. Foil traps steam, so a wrapped potato comes out with soft, damp skin, a lot like a steamed potato. Foil is fine when you want soft skin, or for the grill or campfire.

A food safety note on foil: potatoes baked in foil should not sit at room temperature. The CDC's botulism prevention guidance says to keep foil-baked potatoes at 140°F or hotter until they're served, or refrigerate them at 40°F or colder with the foil loosened so they get air. Tightly wrapped, moist, low-acid food left out for hours is the kind of setting where botulism toxin can form.

Faster ways to bake a potato

Microwave times depend on wattage, so use the low end first. Let a microwaved potato rest 2 minutes before cutting it, since the center keeps cooking.

Best potatoes for baking

Russets are the baking potato for a reason. They're high in starch and low in moisture, so the inside bakes up dry and fluffy, and the thick skin gets crisp.

At the store: pick firm potatoes with no green patches, soft spots or long sprouts, and try to choose ones of the same size so they finish together. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place, not the fridge, and away from onions.

12 baked potato topping ideas

A plain baked potato is a side dish. Topped, it's dinner. Here are 12 combinations, from the classic to full meals that use up leftovers.

Topping tips: warm the toppings before you start so the potato doesn't cool off. Season the inside of the potato with a little salt and pepper before topping it, because the salted skin only seasons the outside. Cheese melts best when it goes on first, straight onto the hot potato.

Serving a crowd? Baked potatoes fit on a holiday table next to our Thanksgiving side dishes, and the easy side dishes list has more weeknight pairings.

Why baked potatoes go wrong, and how to fix it

Storing, reheating and making baked potatoes ahead

• Cool and chill fast. Refrigerate baked potatoes within 2 hours of baking (1 hour if it's above 90°F outside), the same rule USDA FSIS gives for leftovers to prevent botulism. Unwrap them or loosen the foil first.
• Fridge time. Plan to eat leftover baked potatoes within 3 to 4 days, the usual window for cooked leftovers.
• Reheat. For crisp skin, reheat at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes or in the air fryer at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes. For speed, microwave 1 to 2 minutes, cut side up.
• Freezing. Whole baked potatoes turn watery and grainy when frozen. Stuffed or twice-baked potato halves freeze better, wrapped well, for 2 to 3 months for best quality.
• Make ahead for a party. Bake them a few hours early, then hold them in a 200°F oven until dinner, or chill and reheat at 400°F.

Leftover ideas: dice them into potato soup, cube and chill them for potato salad, smash them into mashed potatoes, or crisp them in a skillet with onions for breakfast hash.

Baked potato nutrition

A plain baked potato is low in fat and a good source of fiber and potassium when you eat the skin. Here are the values for one medium baked russet with skin (173 grams), based on USDA FoodData Central data for baked russet potatoes, flesh and skin.

The toppings are where the calories come in. A tablespoon of butter adds about 100 calories, so a fully loaded potato can easily double the total. Greek yogurt, salsa, beans and vegetables keep it lighter. For more weeknight meals built around simple ingredients, see our healthy dinner ideas.

What a baked potato costs

Baked potatoes are one of the cheapest dinners you can make. On November 4, 2026, Walmart.com listed a 5 pound bag of fresh russet potatoes at $2.47 on rollback (was $3.26), or 49.4 cents a pound. The national average for white potatoes was 99 cents a pound in September 2026, according to BLS average price data.

Line items are rounded to the cent, so they add up to a penny more than the exact total.

Prices change by store and week, so check your own receipt. The bacon is the priciest topping here, so cutting it in half or swapping in leftover ham or beans saves the most.

Budget tips: buy the bigger bag when you'll use it within a few weeks, since potatoes keep well in a cool, dark spot. Track the price per pound in a grocery price book so you know a real sale when you see one. A potato night once a week also stretches leftovers into a full meal. Our guides to meal planning on a budget, how to grocery shop on a budget and the grocery budget for a family of 4 show how to plan cheap dinners like this into the whole month.

Plan potato night and save your recipe

• Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. A weekly menu grid and an aisle-sorted grocery list, so potato night and its toppings land on the list in one pass.
• Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Fillable recipe pages and cards plus a kitchen conversions chart, so the time chart and your family's favorite toppings are written down in one place.
• Family Life Admin Bundle, $15.99 ($23.95 bought separately). Includes both printables above plus three more family organizers.

Browse all our Printables for more planners and kitchen pages.

Bake it bare, bake it hot, and open it right away. That's all a good baked potato needs before the toppings take over. See more how-tos in cooking basics. When you want cut vegetables instead of a whole spud, learn how to roast vegetables. For a full list of potato dinners and sides, browse our potato recipes hub.

A spoonful of caramelized onions is an easy topping that turns a plain baked potato into a meal.