How to Bake Potatoes in the Microwave

Want to eat hot baked potatoes for dinner, but don’t have the time or patience to bake them in the oven? Then bake in the microwave. In just 15 minutes or less, you’ll have tender and delicious baked potatoes.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 8-12 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Table of Contents

Steps

Choose the right type of potato. Russet potatoes (also known as Idaho potatoes or baked potatoes, which have a yellow skin as opposed to red ones) are the best potatoes to bake in the microwave. Russet potatoes have a high starch content, so when baked, they will be softer. If you don’t have Russet potatoes, you can choose yellow potatoes like Yukon Gpd because this type of potato is relatively starchy, when baked, it will have a fatty and slightly firm taste. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Wash potatoes. It is very important to wash the potatoes, especially if you want to eat the skins. Be sure to wash off all the dirt on the potatoes. You can use a stiff bristle brush to scrub the potato skins off. After washing, pat the water dry with a paper towel.

Potato wedges. Brush a little piu oil on the skins of the potatoes, then sprinkle with some salt and pepper. This step will make the baked potatoes tastier and the skins crispier.

Use a fork to poke a few small holes in the potato. This step allows steam to escape and prevents the potatoes from exploding in the microwave. You should use a fork to stab 3-4 times on the ends and sides of the potato. Or you can use a knife to make a deep X at the top of the potato.

Place the potatoes on a plate (microwaveable dish). If you want, you can wrap the potatoes in a wet paper towel first to keep them moist, prevent them from shrinking, and help soften the skin.

Put the dish in the microwave and choose the baking time. The baking time will depend on the size of the potatoes and the power level of the microwave. It usually takes you 8-12 minutes to bake medium and large potatoes in Full Power mode. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Place the potatoes in the oven for 5 minutes, then take them out and turn them over to cook them evenly on both sides. Return the dish to the microwave and bake for another 3-5 minutes, depending on how tender the potatoes are. Then, if the potatoes are still not fully cooked, bake for 1 more minute and repeat until the potatoes are fully cooked. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
If you’re baking a lot of potatoes at once, you’ll need to increase the baking time by two-thirds. For example, if baking 1 large potato takes 10 minutes, you need 16-17 minutes to bake 2 potatoes.
If you like to eat crispy potatoes, you can microwave for 5-6 minutes and then transfer the potatoes to a baking tray to bake in the oven preheated to 200°C for 20 minutes. This method is great if you want crispy, oven-baked potato skins in half the time. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Check to see if the potatoes are cooked. You can insert a fork in the center of the potato to see if it’s cooked. If the fork is easy to go through but the center of the potato is still slightly firm, then the potato is cooked. If you’re not sure, it’s best to also remove the slightly raw potatoes as overcooked potatoes will burn or explode in the microwave.

Let the potatoes cool for 5 minutes. This step will help the internal heat to cook the middle of the cooked potato. It also makes the inside of the potato softer and the outside not too dry. To make this process faster, you can wrap the potatoes in foil after taking them out of the oven. In addition, you should be careful when handling potatoes because the potatoes will be very hot.

If you want to save your potatoes for later, wrap them in foil to keep them warm for a long time. Remember to wrap the potatoes in foil immediately after taking them out of the oven to retain as much heat as possible.

Place potatoes on the table. Cut the potatoes into 4 parts and garnish with your favorite ingredients. Simply garnish with butter, salt and some grated cheese. If you want a little more flavor, you can use sour cream, scallions or chives. For a full meal, drizzle a generous amount of Chili Con Carne (beef stew with red beans and dry hot peppers) or sprinkle scrambled eggs over potatoes.

Advice

Some microwave ovens have a “Baking Potato” mode. You can choose this mode if you are not sure.
If you’re in a hurry, you can chop the potatoes as soon as the microwave stops working, then sprinkle the garnishes (optional) and microwave for the last 30-60 seconds.
Using a rotating plate will help the baked potatoes cook evenly. If you do not have this type of turntable, you should stop the microwave oven to turn the potatoes over twice while baking. Divide the baking time into 3 equal parts so you know when to flip the potatoes.
Increase the microwave baking time if a lower power level is selected. Baking time will be one and a half times longer if 800W is selected.
It is recommended to use parchment paper to wrap potatoes because this type of paper can be reused.
You can “boil” the potatoes to puree this way. Choose thin-skinned potatoes and be careful not to let them dry out. Use plastic wrap or “boil” several bulbs at once.
Wrap the potatoes in plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.
Before slicing a cooked potato into 4 parts, press the potato with your fist. Then press on the other sides of the potato. Next, make a small slit on one end of the potato. Use your fingers (both hands) to hold the two ends of the potato (in the vertical direction, the small groove is facing up) and then use the upper hand to push the potato skin down. Finally, use your hand under the soft potato to push it up and out of the groove.
Use a toothpick to poke a hole in the potato to see if it’s cooked.

Warning

The baking dish will be very hot, so use a towel or gloves to remove it from the oven.
Do not use foil to wrap potatoes while they are in the oven or baking ; Doing so will cause sparks and damage to the microwave’s interior surfaces.

Steps

Advice

Warning

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