Jacket Potatoes Cooked in the Oven
A jacket potato (or baked potato) should be served so hot that you have to blow on every forkful.
*Original post was written in 2010 - updated August 2023
A perfectly cooked jacket potato should be crispy on the outside and white and fluffy on the inside.
Once they're cooked, make a cross with a knife on the top of the potato.
Add a huge dollop of butter and probably an unhealthy amount of salt, but it all goes to making every mouthful delicious. 😋
First off, you must start with the right kind and size of the potato. You need a floury variety. Maris Piper, King Edward or Marfona will do the trick.
Waxy potatoes just don't work!
Difference between waxy and floury potatoes
Waxy potatoes are translucent and feel moist and pasty. They are good at staying firm and keeping their shape so make great salad potatoes.
Waxy Potato Varieties include Charlotte and Maris Peer.
Floury potatoes are brighter and more granular in appearance with a drier feel. They're better for dishes such as jacket potatoes, chips and for mash.
Floury Potato Varieties include Estima, King Edward, Maris Piper or Marfona.
Top Tips!
- Preheat your oven 200°C /400°F or Gas 6
- Look for potatoes between 330g and 480g in weight.
- No wrapping them in foil please and no skewers inserted through the middle. All they do is speed up the cooking but the skin won't be as crisp.
- Bake directly on the oven bars.
- And, most certainly no microwave is to be used at any point. Good things come to those who wait!
- Coat each potato with a little oil and sprinkle with sea salt before baking. Fear not! Just rub the salt off once the potatoes are cooked, but the salt will help them go crispy.
Repeat with each potato.
Add a good amount of butter and salt and serve with salad on the side.
For extra deliciousness, you might also like to check out these delicious twice-baked potatoes Cheesy Stuffed Baked Potatoes - easy and delicious.
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!
How to Cook Perfect Jacket Potatoes
Ingredients
- However many potatoes you want to cook. However, it is important to use Floury Potato Varieties here in the UK include: Estima, King Edward, Maris Piper or Marfona.
- vegetable oil
- sea salt
Instructions
- While the oven is heating up, wash and dry your potatoes well.
- Wash and dry each potato and then using a sharp knife, prick the skins a few times - this will stop them from exploding in the oven!!
- Now rub the skins with a little olive oil and sprinkle over sea salt - the salt will stick to the oily skin.
- Bake in the oven directly on the oven bars (middle shelf) for somewhere between 1 hour to 1 hour and 45 minutes - the exact time will depend on your oven and the size of the potato you have.
- To test, they should give a little when lightly squeezed. Insert a sharp knife to make sure as there's nothing worse than an undercooked potato.
- Once they're done don't even think about trying to keep them warm as you will lose the lovely crispy skin. Remove them from the oven with a cloth as they will be HOT!
- Cut a cross in the top of each one and add a dollop of butter and salt to taste and then serve immediately.
Jan, I always roast mine right on the oven racks, just lightly rubbed with oil, no salt. The air gets to circulate all around them. They are crispy yummy!!
ReplyDeletePass me the sour cream or yogurt for this salty, crispy deliciousness.
ReplyDeleteJacket potatoes every time for me!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite comfort food - with lashings of butter, beans and tonnes of cheese! Lovely recipe.
ReplyDeleteYou cannot beat good jacket potato. :) It is my emergency dinner, I usually microwave it, and then bake (until crispy) for a shortcut in mid week fast dinner. When I have more time I obviuosly bake it from a beginning. My favourite filling is mix of tuna, spring onion, chilli and sweetcorn.
ReplyDelete