How to Bake a Potato in the
Microwave
Want to eat a steaming baked potato for
dinner, but don't have the time or
patience to put it in the oven for an
hour? Bake it in the microwave! Here's
how you can have a delicious, fluffy
baked potato in 15 minutes or less.
1.1
Choose the right type of potato.
Russet potatoes - also known as Idaho or
baking potatoes - are the best potatoes for
baking in the microwave. This is due to their
high starch content, which yields extra fluffy
baked potatoes.
If you don't have Russets, the next best thing
are yellow-fleshed potatoes - such as Yukon
Gold - which are moderately starchy and yield a
creamy, slightly dense baked potato.[1]
2
Wash the potato.
It is important to give your potato a good wash
before microwaving, especially if you're
planning on eating the skin. Be sure to remove
any stubborn dirt. If you have one, a bristled
scrubbing brush/vegetable brush is great for
cleaning potatoes.
After washing, pat the potato dry with a clean
paper towel.
2.3
Season the potato (optional).
Rub a little olive oil into the skin of the potato,
then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
This gives the potato a little extra flavor and will
help to crisp up the skin.
3.4
Prick the potato with a fork or knife.
This allows steam to escape and prevents the
potato from exploding in the microwave.
Prick the potato three or four times on each
area: top, bottom, and two sides. If you only
prick the top, the other sides can still explode.
4.5
Place the potato on a microwavable plate.
If you want, you can wrap the potato in some
wet paper towel first (optional).
This will help to keep the potato moist and
prevent it from shrinking, but it will also result in
softer skin.
5.6
Put the plate in the microwave and choose a
cooking time.
Cooking times will vary depending on the size
of the potato and the power of the microwave.
Most medium to large potatoes will take
between 8-12 minutes to cook at full power.[2]
Smaller potatoes take approximately 6-8
minutes.
o
o
o
Try putting the potato in for 5 minutes to begin
with, then take it out and turn it over so that both
sides cook evenly. Place it back in the
microwave for another 3-5 minutes, depending
on how soft it is already. After that, if it still
doesn't feel fully cooked, continue to microwave
it in 1 minute bursts, checking after each
minute.[3]
o
o
If you are cooking multiple potatoes at once,
you will need to increase the cooking time
by about two-thirds. For example, if one
large potato takes 10 minutes to cook, two
large potatoes would take between 16-17
minutes. If doing more, might want to do
only 2 or 3 at a time and keep warm while
you finish the others.
How to arrange potatoes depending on how
many you are cooking at once.
o
If you prefer crispy skinned potatoes, you
can cook the potatoes in the microwave for
5-6 minutes, then transfer to a baking sheet
and bake in an oven preheated to 400
degrees F for 15 or 20 minutes.
o
o
o
This method is great if you want oven-crisp
potato skins, in less than half the normal
cooking time![3]
6.7
Check if the potato is cooked.
You can check if a potato is cooked by sticking
a fork or knife in the center; if the fork goes in
easily, but the center is still a little firm, the
potato is ready.
When in doubt, it is best to err on the side of
undercooking, as an overcooked potato may
burn or explode in the microwave.
7.8
Let the potato rest (standing time) for five
minutes.
This allows the core of the potato to finish
cooking using the heat that is trapped in the
inner layers. It also helps it to become fluffy on
the inside without over-drying on the outside.
Wrap it in aluminum foil after taking it out of the
microwave will speed up this process and keep
potato warm. Just be careful when touching the
potato - it will be extremely hot!
o
If you are saving a potato for someone
who's running late, wrap the potato in
aluminum foil to keep it warm for a
remarkably long time. Just be sure to do
this as soon as it comes out of the
microwave, to conserve as much heat
as possible.
8.9
Serve the potato.
Cut the potato open and garnish it with your
favorite toppings. Keep it simple with butter, salt
and a little grated cheese, or jazz it up with
some sour cream, green onions or chives and
some crispy bacon.
At home you can make a complete meal out of
just one potato by topping the potato with a
generous helping of chili or some fluffy
scrambled eggs for example.