Use the Microwave for a Fluffy Baked Potato in a Fraction of the Time (2024)

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It’s hard to improve on the baked potato except for one factor: time. This microwave baked potato recipe takes a fraction of the time and is just as delicious.

Nick Evans

Nick has been creating recipes for home cooks for almost 15 years. He is the author of Love Your Leftovers and has contributed to Simply Recipes since 2017.

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Updated May 23, 2024

5 Ratings

For a Better Baked Potato, Use the 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). That’s a big deal!
Fluffiness. Because a microwave steams the inside of the potato rather than baking it from the outside, the resulting potato has a fluffier inner texture. The only downside of microwaving potatoes is that the skin gets soggy and doesn’t have the crispy texture that you get from the oven. We can fix that with a quick trip in the oven.

Use the Microwave for a Fluffy Baked Potato in a Fraction of the Time (4)

How to Get Crispy Skin

If you cherish the crispy potato skin of a baked potato (I know I do), there’s a trick to achieving a crisp exterior on a microwave potato. Once your potato is done in the microwave, place it on a baking sheet. Rub it with some olive oil and sprinkle it on all sides with kosher salt. Bake it in a hot oven for about 10 minutes and it’ll crisp up beautifully.

This adds a few minutes to your total time, but it’s worth it for that crispy potato skin. No one will know you didn’t cook the potatoes in the oven from start to finish.

The Best Kind of Potatoes for Baked Potatoes

There’s no need to overthink it. Russet potatoes make the best baked potatoes. They are economical, a good size for stuffing with toppings like cheese and butter, and have a really fluffy, tender interior that works perfectly for baked potatoes.

Whether you’re using your microwave or the oven, use russet potatoes to make baked potatoes.

How to Buy and Store PotatoesREAD MORE:

Tip

Don’t forget to poke holes in the potato before microwaving it so steam can easily escape. While I’ve never seen it, it is possible that the potato could explode in the microwave if you skip this step.

Use the Microwave for a Fluffy Baked Potato in a Fraction of the Time (5)

Adjusting the Cook Time

All microwaves are a little different and you’ll have to do some checking on your potato. If you know the wattage of your microwave, you can get a rough guideline of timing with this recipe. I have a 1,000-watt microwave (a pretty standard wattage), and my potatoes were perfect after 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

If you have a 1,200-watt microwave, you can probably knock a minute or two off that total time. If you have an 800-watt microwave, then you might need to go up to 12 or more minutes.

The potato size will also impact the cook time. The bigger and thicker the potato, the longer it will take to cook. Smaller potatoes will take less time. Old potatoes also take longer to cook, and may never get completely soft. Once you figure out a formula that works for your microwave, stick to it.

How to Microwave More Than One Potato

You can microwave up to four potatoes at a time if your microwave is big enough. Ensure the potatoes are laying flat on the plate with a little space between each one. Start by adding an extra minute to the cook time for each additional potato. If the potatoes aren’t quite done, return them to the microwave in 30-second to 1-minute increments until cooked through.

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A Leftover Potato Idea

This leftover idea is one of my favorites and I’ve even started microwaving an extra potato so I can do this the next day. Store the leftover potato in the fridge. When it’s breakfast time, cube it up and cook it in a skillet with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of paprika. It makes incredible breakfast potatoes!

Use the Microwave for a Fluffy Baked Potato in a Fraction of the Time (6)

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Microwave Baked Potato

Prep Time3 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time13 mins

Serving1 serving

Yield1 potato

Ingredients

1 large (10 to 12-ounce) russet potato
1 teaspoon olive oil, optional
Pinch of kosher salt, optional

Optional toppings

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon minced chives
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Prepare the potato:
If you would like a crispy skin on your baked potato, preheat the oven to 450°F.
Scrub the potato well. Dry it off and poke it a few times on all sides with a fork.
Microwave the potato:
Place the potato on a microwave-safe plate and microwave it for 8 to 12 minutes, flipping it once halfway through. For a medium-large potato cooked in a 1,000-watt microwave, the cook time will be about 10 minutes.
Your potato will be steaming hot when it is done. Press on it a bit with your thumb and it should give easily to pressure. You should be able to pierce it through the center with a fork or paring knife with little resistance. If it feels firm at all, place it back in the microwave for 1-2 minutes longer.
Simple Tip!
If you have an 800-watt microwave, you might need to go up to 12 or more minutes.
Crisp the skin (optional):
If you would like a crispy, salty skin on your potato (my favorite), coat the microwaved potato on all sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the skin is cracking and crispy, about 10 minutes.
Simple Tip!
Crisp the skin faster in an air fryer. 425°F for about 5 minutes works great.
Serve the potato:
Slice down the length of the hot potato halfway through to expose the interior. Top with your choice of toppings while hot, such as butter, cheese, sour cream, and/or chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat in the microwave, but I prefer to reheat the potatoes in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes so they get crispy on the outside.
Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
330	Calories
0g	Fat
73g	Carbs
9g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories	330
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	1%
Saturated Fat 0g	1%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 48mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate 73g	27%
Dietary Fiber 8g	28%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 28mg	141%
Calcium 61mg	5%
Iron 4mg	20%
Potassium 1871mg	40%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Use the Microwave for a Fluffy Baked Potato in a Fraction of the Time (2024)

FAQs

How long to microwave a cooked baked potato? ›

Reheating a baked potato in the microwave may be the quickest method, but it can result in dried-out potatoes if you aren't careful. To prevent that, cut the potato in half, place it in a microwave-safe dish, and cover each half with a damp paper towel—heat for two to three minutes or until the potato is heated.

What happens if you cook a whole potato in the microwave without poking holes in it? ›

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.