Here’s the perfect classic baked potato — fluffy inside, crispy salted skin, and super simple. Works for Russets, which bake up best.

🥔 Perfect Oven-Baked Potato

Ingredients

1–4 large Russet potatoes
Olive oil or melted butter
Kosher salt
Optional: pepper, garlic powder, or seasoning salt

🥣 Instructions

1. Preheat oven

Heat to 425°F (220°C) for the crispiest skin.

2. Prep the potatoes

Scrub potatoes clean and pat dry.
Pierce each potato 4–5 times with a fork.
Rub lightly with olive oil or melted butter.
Sprinkle generously with kosher salt (this makes the skin amazing).

3. Bake

Place potatoes directly on the oven rack (best airflow) with a tray underneath to catch drips.
Bake for 45–60 minutes, depending on size, until:

skins are crisp
a fork slides in easily
internal temp is around 205–210°F

4. Serve

Slice open, fluff with a fork, and add toppings like:

butter
sour cream
cheddar
bacon
chives
chili
broccoli + cheese sauce

⭐ Tips & Variations

Super crispy: Rub with oil + coarse salt and bake at 450°F for the last 10 minutes.
Restaurant-style fluffy: Bake 60 minutes, then turn off oven and let sit 10 minutes.
Foil-wrapped potatoes: Softer skin — wrap in foil and bake 60–75 minutes.
Air fryer: 400°F for 35–45 minutes.
Microwave start: Microwave 5–7 minutes first, then oven 20 minutes to crisp the skin.

If you want, I can also give you:
🥔 Loaded baked potato casserole
🥔 Twice-baked potatoes
🥔 Crockpot baked potatoes (in foil)
Just tell me!