Note: I first published this post in 2014. Homeschool mom tip: a microwaved baked potato is a great option for a homeschool lunch, one the kids can even make themselves. Life skills like these are part of the reason we homeschool. Life hack 101!
Welcome back to “potato week” here at Simple Life and Home! Yesterday, I shared one of my favorite potato side-dish recipes: creamy potato casserole. Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite potato-cooking shortcuts: how to bake a potato in the microwave.
This tip has been revolutionary at my house. It all started when we invited friends over for dinner years ago. I had the chicken ready to put on the grill but had forgotten to place the potatoes in the oven to bake. Yikes! There was no way I could bake the potatoes in time to serve with the chicken.
That’s when my friend graciously shared this baked-potato shortcut, and I’ve been using it ever since.
Here’s how to bake a potato in the microwave:
1. Scrub the potato under running water.
2. Pierce the potato several times with the tines of a fork and wrap it in a wet paper towel.
3. Place the wrapped potato in the microwave and cook it on HIGH for five minutes. (The steam from the wet paper towel will keep the potato from drying out.)
4. Carefully remove the potato from the microwave with a potholder and giveit a slight squeeze. If the potato squeezes easily, it’s done. If not, put it back in the microwave in one-minute increments, checkingafter each minute to see if it’s done cooking.
Easy peasy. Potato squeezy. 🙂
Here are afew more tips:
- If you’re baking several potatoes at once, you’ll have to increase the bakingtime. I recommend starting with five minutes, then increasing by two-minute increments until they all test done.
- If you are grilling, start the potatoes in the microwave. After five minutes of baking in the microwave, remove the damp paper towels and wrap the potatoes individually in aluminum foil. Place them on the top rack of the grill for another five to ten minutes of baking time.
These days, I always start baking potatoes in the microwave first, then finish the baking on the grill. It cuts the baking time in half, and I don’t have to have the grill on so long.
Lately, my kids have picked up on this baked potato tip. They often make themselves a baked potato snack in the afternoon, or they add toppings to a baked potato for a healthy lunch. So many possibilities!
Stay tuned tomorrow for a roasted potato recipe that’s sure to please!
FAQs
All you need to know about microwaving potatoes
Potatoes take about 5-6 minutes in the microwave for a 1000w microwave. We recommend cutting the potato in half lengthwise for quick, even cooking. For lower wattage microwaves, add 1-2 more minutes of cook time for a fully cooked potato.
How long to microwave a potato wrapped in a wet paper towel? ›
Prep – using a fork, poke holes in each potato. Then, wrap each potato in a damp paper towel. Microwave – place the paper towel-wrapped potatoes in the microwave and microwave on high for 3 minutes.
What is a disadvantage to cooking a baked potato in the microwave? ›
Cons: – Potatoes don't cook evenly; interior may have spots that aren't light and fluffy.
Should you wrap a potato before microwaving? ›
Trapping the moisture in just steams the potatoes, but some people prefer it this way. Try this some time: Buy the loose potatoes, and wash and pierce them with a fork a few times to keep them from bursting. Wrap a paper towel loosely around each potato and microwave.
Do you need to poke holes in potatoes before microwaving? ›
Don't Forget to Poke
These little holes allow steam to escape while the potato is cooking. Forget to poke, and your potato could end up exploding in your microwave from the pent-up steam. It's both messy and a serious dinner let-down.
Can I put a potato in the microwave by itself? ›
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
While oven heats, scrub potatoes under cold water, dry with a towel and pierce a few times on each side with a fork. Place potatoes on a microwavable plate and microwave for 6 minutes, turning halfway through the process.
Why do you put a paper towel in the microwave? ›
Most paper towels are microwave-safe. In fact, you can use a paper towel to cover some foods so they don't spit during cooking or reheating. If you do use a paper towel while microwaving, it's best to use shorter intervals so you can check both the food and the paper more frequently.
Why do you wrap a paper towel in the microwave? ›
They can prevent potential splatter from exploding food and offer a security blanket to snugly wrap a loaded breakfast biscuit so it doesn't spill out during the cooking process. Paper towels even help keep steam in so that microwaved hot dogs and other items warm more evenly and retain moisture.
Do you have to poke holes in potatoes before baking? ›
A: I wouldn't recommend doing that. Your pokes will expose the potatoes to oxygen and the potatoes will turn black wherever the fork tines pierced the skins. It is very infrequent that a potato will burst from baking if you put it in the oven when you first turn it on so that it has a chance to come to temperature.
Is it better to cook a potato in the oven or microwave? ›
There are two main reasons to use a microwave to make a baked potato: Time. You shave off over 75% of the cook time for a baked potato if you microwave it rather than bake it. Instead of baking for an hour, the potato cooks for about 10 minutes (plus 10 minutes in the oven if you want crispy skin).
The rapid heating can cause the granules to burst, and release sticky, gelatinized starch. The result: A gluey potato that's also often marred by hard nodules where the starch has crystallized.
Why does my baked potato get hard in the microwave? ›
If your potato came out of the microwave hard it's likely over-cooked. Over-cooking a potato can cause it to lose its moisture which is what creates that light and fluffy texture. Be sure you're cooking the potato for the recommended time depending on its size!
Can you cook a potato in Saran wrap in the microwave? ›
So, I like to jumpstart the cooking process with the microwave. Clean and poke your potatoes as described above. Then, wrap 'em in plastic wrap and pop it into a microwave for 5 minutes. (If you use this trick a lot, you can even invest in or make a reusable potato sack.)
Do you microwave potatoes with or without water? ›
Just wash the potato, poke some holes in the skin with a fork, and microwave for 5–7 minutes depending on the size. There's no reason to wrap it in plastic or add water or whatnot.
Is it safe to cook potatoes in a plastic bag in the microwave? ›
Potatoes, cabbages, or mixtures of various vegetables come already pre-cooked and — according to the producers' instructions — it's not necessary to put them in another container to microwave them. But new research shows that perhaps it would be better to take your veggies out of the bag before heating them up.
Can you cook 2 potatoes in the microwave at the same time? ›
If you're microwaving multiple potatoes, just add a minute per side for each additional potato (i.e., start at five minutes on the first side for two potatoes and six on the first side for three). Try to keep them from touching on the plate; this will allow them to cook more evenly.
Will potatoes cook faster in the microwave? ›
A microwave can cook a potato fast. Depending on the size and quantity of your potatoes, you can cook a whole potato within 6 minutes or so, from start to finish. Compare that to baking them in the oven, which can easily take an hour, or boiling them in hot water, often taking over 15 minutes.
Can you overcook a potato in the microwave? ›
Don't microwave for too long: Overcooking the potato can cause it to become dry and overcooked. To avoid this, be sure to check the potato for doneness every few minutes and stop the microwave when the potato is soft and yields to the fork.
Is there a potato button on a microwave? ›
Did you know most microwave ovens have a baked potato button? You just press the button for however many baked potatoes you have and they come out perfect every time.
