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The Secret to Fluffy Baked Potatoes

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Thanks for sharing!

Shhhh….today I want to let you in on a secret. Doing this one thing will change the way you make fluffy baked potatoes forever! Read on to find The Secret to Fluffy Baked Potatoes! 

Most people like a good fluffy baked potato, myself included. It’s something that I love to order at a restaurant, and a simple baked potato is naturally gluten-free.

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I recently did a search on Pinterest to see how other people make baked potatoes. I was amazed to find that not one single post mentioned a key step to making a great fluffy baked potato. Therefore, let me fill you in on the secret to fluffy baked potatoes.

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What You Need

You need just a few things to make perfectly fluffy baked potatoes: potatoes + water + olive oil + kosher salt + aluminum foil.

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Water Bath

Ok, here is the secret…. soak your potatoes in room temperature water for 2 hours before you bake them. 

Yep! It really does make a difference. While resting in the water bath, the potatoes will soak up some of the water and this, in turn, will help make them fluffy inside when you bake them.

NOTE: Soaking them longer than 2 hours may make the potatoes become too waterlogged so I recommend sticking to the 2-hour time frame.

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Clean Potatoes

After the potatoes have soaked for two hours in the water, simply rub a soft vegetable brush all over the potatoes while rinsing them under clean running water. Any dirt will slide right off.  

Next, place each potato on a square piece of aluminum foil that is big enough to wrap around and cover the entire potato. 

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Poke 

The next step is to gently poke a few holes in the potatoes with a fork. I poke mine a few times on each side of the potato.

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Additional Step

To take your fluffy baked potatoes up another notch, drizzle them with virgin olive oil. It only takes a tablespoon or two of oil to cover the entire surface. Try to make sure that the entire potato is covered with oil. 

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Salt

Sprinkle a little coarse salt on both sides; top and bottom.

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Wrap & Bake

Completely wrap the potatoes in foil and place them on top of a baking pan. This will prevent any olive oil that might leak out of the foil from dripping in the oven.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes. Depending on the size of the potatoes will depend on how long you bake them. The bigger the potato, the longer it will need to bake.

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Serve

Serve the potatoes with your favorite toppings. I cut mine open and add a dollop of butter, gluten-free sour cream and a dash of salt and pepper.

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Leftovers

Baked potatoes are a great way to use up a few leftovers. Sometimes I will add some cooked bacon pieces, shredded cheddar cheese, and fresh parsley or chives if I have these ingredients on hand.

These potatoes are also great with leftover cooked broccoli, chili, black beans, etc…

Use your imagination and see what combinations you can come up with. A baked potato bar is always a good option when hosting parties too.

The Secret to Fluffy Baked Potatoes

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For other delicious potato recipes check these out: Easy Microwave Twice Baked Potatoes, Loaded Baked Potato Soup: AKA Bacon Soup and Old Fashioned Potato Salad.

Here’s to creating the perfect fluffy baked potatoes! 

Enjoy!

Linda

More great recipes: 

Old Fashioned German Potato Salad

bacon potato salad

Hash Brown Casserole

Hash Brown Casserole 2

Microwave Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potato 7

The Most Addictive Fried Potatoes

Thanks for sharing!

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Comments

  2. Rennell says

    I made these tonight and everyone loved them. Lots of comments and questions on what I did to make them so fluffy and not dry at all. I shared your secret about soaking them in water, EVOO and a little sea salt. Thank you so much!!
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Rennell, Yay! I'm so glad that you guys liked this easy secret. It's amazing how a few extra steps really do make a difference in how fluffy baked potatoes turn out. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a message. Have a good weekend! Linda
      Reply

  5. Juniper says

    Do you know if it is possible to prepare potatoes ahead of time (night before) and bake the next day? Also, have you ever tried this with the crockpot method? Doing a baked potato bar tomorrow night and would like to have as little prep as possible tomorrow afternoon.
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Juniper, I would not recommend soaking the potatoes for more than 2 hours. I once tried it overnight and they didn't turn out very good because they were waterlogged. They turn out best when soaked for 1 to 2 hours right before baking. Yes, I have made crockpot baked potatoes using this method and they turned out good. Just make sure you wrap them well in foil. The first time I made mine I actually took my crockpot full of foil-wrapped potatoes to work so that I could keep an eye on them. I can't remember just how long I actually cooked them but I think it was around 6 to 7 hours. Have fun! Linda
      Reply

  6. Courtney Everette says

    So I recently read a similar recipe but for crispier skin. It had me skip the foil. Do these have a crispy skin?
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Courtney, If you use the foil the potato skins will probably not be crispy, however, you certainly do not need to use foil. Feel free to leave the foil off and this should make the potato skins crispier. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy! Linda
      Reply

  7. loretta heim says

    Hi,Linda, I also love the name you chose. Great thinking. I also used foil after I rubbed the potato with lard. Sounds horrible,but it tasted o.k. This recipe tastes a lot better. Will try it when we have a cool day. (Summer's here) Thank you for sharing a great sounding recipe. loretta 6/30/2016
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Loretta, Awww, thanks so much! Anna I tossed around a blog title that would genuinely describe how we feel about our lives. Blessed Beyond Crazy really stood out to both of us and we certainly feel that way. That's so interesting about using lard. I never would have thought of that, although I could see why it would also work. Thanks for stopping by and leaving us such a nice message! Have a great weekend! Linda
      Reply

  8. Mercedes says

    What would you wrap them in if you are going to microwave them? It takes to long to cook in the oven. Waste electricity for just 2 potatoes.
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Mercedes, If I were going to cook them in the microwave I would not wrap them at all. I would do everything else the same and suggest that you place the potatoes on a plate while they cook in the microwave. Linda
      Reply

        • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

          Hi Megan, I cook two large potatoes in our microwave for approximately 5 - 6 minutes. I cook on one side for 3 minutes, then turn them over and cook another 2 - 3 minutes. They may still need an additional minute or two if they are really large potatoes. After taking them out of the microwave, I wrap them in foil and let them sit for a few minutes while I finish preparing, or serving-up the other dishes. You may have to adjust your cooking time because microwaves cook differently and the size of potatoes makes a different. Hope this helps :) Linda
          Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hey Mitzi, Yeah, I know what you mean. Bacon is one of those foods that once you start to eat it, it's hard to stop. Sometimes I fry up two packages so that I do have some leftover. I like to use it in omelets and breakfast skillets too. Thanks for stopping by and leaving us a message. Enjoy! Linda
      Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Yay! Glad that you find this tip helpful! This one simple step really does make a difference. Thanks for stopping by! Linda
      Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Hannah, I personally would soak the golden potatoes the same amount of time, however, if you are using smaller potatoes I would shorten the soak time to probably just 1 hour. The extra large baking potatoes I would always aim for 2 hours. Thanks for stopping by! Linda
      Reply

  16. Cesar B says

    Hello! I would love to make this for thanksgiving, but I was wondering if it is okay to make these ahead and then reheat in the over? Or will the foil stick? Or will the potatoes be dry if reheated the next day? Thank you.
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Cesar, You can certainly make these the day before, however the potatoes will be drier than if you serve them fresh. The foil shouldn't stick or be a problem, however I wouldn't leave them in the foil overnight. Reheating them in the oven should be fine. Just be sure to place the potatoes on a pan when baking or reheating them. Please let me know how they turn out. Happy cooking! Linda
      Reply

  17. yoda says

    So glad for this tip.. We just served about 20 people a baked potato bar at church today. Next time, we do this first. Actually I had to write just because I love the name of your blog. I, too, am blessed beyond crazy :))
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Yoda, Yay! So glad to hear that you like the name of our blog! Anna and I kept trying to think of a great name that really fit and this one instantly clicked with us. As far as the potatoes go... this simple tip really does make all the difference in the world. If you do try it, please let me know how they turn out. Have a blessed beyond crazy day!!! Linda :)
      Reply

  18. Jeaux says

    Great technique. If you want truly fluffy potatoes, and don't have 2 hours to soak them, the best trick ever is to use a potato nail...or any other aluminum nail or metal nail and pierce it through the center. You can even microwave it for 2 minutes prior to putting the nail in, then cook it at 425 with the nail in for 30 minutes and have an AWESOME, fluffy baked potato in 32 minutes!
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Jeaux, Oh wow, that's a great tip to know. I've never heard of that technique before. I'll have to give it a try sometime. Thanks for stopping in and sharing that tip with us! Have a great day! Linda
      Reply

  19. Kelli Doyle says

    Linda, Is just the recipe available available, without the pics? For example, the ingredients with directions below. Thanks.
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Kelli, I didn't include a recipe with this particular post because there really isn't much to it. Just make sure to soak your potatoes for approximately two hours, poke a few holes on each side of the potato, coat it with a little olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and bake in 350 oven until done. Thanks for stopping by Kelli! Have a good one! Linda
      Reply

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