How Long to Cook a Baked Potato at 375

How Long to Cook a Baked Potato at 375? Perfect baked potatoes have crispy skin, and fluffy texture, and are filled with delicious toppings!

How long to cook a baked potato at 375 degrees will take approximately 50 to 65 minutes, approximately.

Baking potatoes is a varying experience and depends significantly on the size of the potatoes, how many you are cooking, and if you’re using foil or not.

This post will walk you through how to bake potatoes perfectly, no matter which method you use!

While baking a potato seems straightforward and easy, if you’ve ever had a mushy, not cooked all the way through potato you know there’s a little more to it.

Whether you serve it as an easy side dish, or a main dish with all your favorite toppings let’s chat about the perfect baked potato recipe!

First, let’s chat about potatoes!

Russet potatoes are the preferred potato to bake. They’re starchy and have great skin that produces a crispy exterior. Also known as Idaho potatoes they really make the best-baked potato recipe!

While you might think small potatoes would be a quick and easy way to get baked potatoes, they don’t hold up as well. Red potatoes are best used for a delicious side dish like Roasted Potatoes, where they are cut and roasted at a higher temperature.

You can bake sweet potatoes according to this same method, be sure you place them in a baking dish, instead of directly on the oven rack. Sweet potatoes ooze a syrup while they cook, and can cause some burning on the bottom of your oven.

How to Bake a Potato

There are many methods! Find which method works for you and your family, and suits your tastebuds the best. For this recipe, I’m focusing on russet potatoes.

You’ll want to scrub the potatoes really well under cool running water. The best way to get the potato skin clean is to use a brush, like this Potato Scrubber Brush. It has a little tool on the end to remove any eyes that have formed on the potatoes.

Dry your potatoes off using a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.

Next, you can “choose your own adventure” of how you’ll cook your potatoes!

Baked Potato Cooking Methods:

Foil Method – you can wrap each individual potato in aluminum foil, and bake either in a dish, on the oven rack, or in a slow cooker. Drizzle your potatoes with olive oil (or truffle oil if you’re into it!), and sprinkle a little salt in there. Close the foil up tight, and bake.

Air Fryer – if you’re wanting to bake one or two potatoes, using your air fryer is a great way to achieve crispy skin! For this method, it’s recommended to coat the potatoes with an oil of your choosing. Just make sure it can hold up to 375˚.

Convection Oven – if your home oven has a convection cooking method, use it! (I say always since it’s such a nice even heat!) While this isn’t really a method, it cuts down on the overall cook time. Since the air is circulating, the baking time reduces and you don’t have to flip the potatoes over. Poke holes using the tines of a fork in your potatoes. Then, if you’re feeling really southern, rub them down with bacon grease, and sprinkle with salt and some sugar to crisp up the skin. This is how my grandfather would bake his potatoes for steak night! And it’s so so delicious!

Baking Sheet – you can place the large potatoes (unwrapped) on a baking sheet. You can sprinkle the bottom of the pan with sea salt, so the potatoes don’t roll around.

Oven Rack – you can place your clean potatoes directly on the oven rack, and cook from there. This is my preferred method! There is nothing to this method other than washing the potatoes, and placing them on the oven rack! You get really crispy skin from this method.

Toaster Oven – if you have a toaster oven, you can use that too!

Microwave Oven – I do not recommend this method. Your potato comes out mealy and gross, and the mushy version of this dish. (Ask me how I really feel!)

Baking Times

Using a high temperature like 400-425 degrees f will bake your potato faster, however, it gives more room for error. The high heat cooks the outside and skin faster than the inside can bake to the fluffy interior we all want!

A low temperature like 375˚ helps the potatoes cook evenly.

Whichever method or temperature you prefer, you’ll need to cook a potato to a 210˚ internal temperature.

When cooking your baked potato at 375 degrees, I’ve got a few tips:

Place your potato directly on the rack of a COLD oven.

Then, close the door and turn on the oven to 375˚.

Starting with a cold oven allows the potato to cook evenly for super fluffy insides, perfect for melted butter!

When the bell rings to let you know your oven has preheated, set a timer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, test the doneness of the potato with a fork. Then, set the timer for another 20 minutes.

The best potatoes allow a fork to be easily inserted, with no resistance.

A general rule for medium to large-sized potatoes, they’ll need close to an hour to cook all the way through. Especially if you have a whole baking sheet full.

Pro Tip: Keep the potatoes to a single layer (unless you’re using a slow cooker!)

Serving this Great Side Dish!

For a baked potato bar you’ll need a load of toppings.

Topping Ideas:

• Butter
• Sour Cream
• Green Onions
• Cheddar Cheese
• Seasonings like kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
• Crispy Bacon
• Steamed Broccoli
• Diced Ham

Use this Ultimate Baked Potato Bar to give you some fun topping ideas you can try at your next party!

Serving baked potatoes during tailgating season is such an easy way to host a crowd of people! Just ask them to bring a topping or two, and you provide the baked potatoes.

In conclusion, how long to cook a baked potato at 375 should take about an hour. And this delicious meal provides amazing leftovers! You can turn leftovers into twice-baked potatoes or baked potato soup! Or, you can slice up the potatoes for potato salad.

I hope these simple steps give you the encouragement to host people around your table, with an easy meal!