Baked potatoes yield steamy pockets and call for delicious toppings, but they seem to take forever to cook all the way through. And youre not alone if you have to poke them with a fork several times throughout baking before theyre finally done. If youre looking to cut the cooking time on these stubborn spuds in half, weve got just the tip.
Thats right, what used to be at least 45 minutes in the oven before your potatoes were remotely tender to now no more than 25 minutes. All you have to do is this one simple trick: Instead of wrapping them in tin foil and cranking the oven to a super high temperature, simply cut them in half lengthwise, place them face-down onto a greased baking sheet and bake them that way. Thats right, you dont need foil at all. And because your potatoes are cut in half, theyre much thinner, which majorly reduces the baking time.
Why this technique works so well
This traditional way of making baked potatoes in tin foil works by steaming the potato until it eventually becomes tender. This tried-and-true method, of course, works well enough. But if you are interested in slashing your cook time drastically and achieving an even better texture, listen up.
By cutting your potato in half and baking them face-down on a baking sheet, youre able to cook the spud faster since theres less potato the heat has to penetrate through. But, youre also allowing the inside of the potato to cook facing outward, which helps elevate the taste and adds better texture. As the internal portion continues to cook on the sheet, it will also brown more, which brings forth the flavor.
On top of these two bonuses, there is yet another reason youll want to start making this your go-to potato-cooking method at home: The combination of the hot surface from the baking sheet and the grease that is present will give the surface of your potato a nice crispiness.
I heard a comedian with a line about baked potatoes that is particularly applicable – “It takes forever to cook a baked potato in a conventional oven. Sometimes I just throw one in there, even if I don’t want one. ‘Cause by the time it’s done, who knows?” I agree! And baked potatoes are so great I need to be able to making them more efficiently. This is it. These are the flakiest, crispiest, tastiest (and fastest!) baked potatoes I’ve eaten.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Slice potatoes in half length-wise. Arrange on baking sheet, flat-side down. Coat with olive oil and season with additional salt. Bake for 30-40 minutes. QUICK BAKED POTATOES
⭐ HOW TO Make Baked Potato Halves || Vegan || No Aluminum Foil || Only 3 Ingredients
Should you cut potatoes in half before cooking?
By cutting your potatoes in half lengthwise and placing them cut side down on a greased sheet pan before cooking, you will do two things. One, you have made them half the thickness, so they will cook through in literally half the time. And two, you create an opportunity to get flavor and texture on the cut side of the potatoes.
Is it healthy to eat a baked potato every day?
It is safe to consume potatoes every day as long as you cook them without much salt or saturated fats (fried). One medium-size potato can be part of a healthy diet, although it is better to combined other foods.
Should you split baked potatoes before cooking?
Even if you love your baked potato simply seasoned with salt and pepper, you are going to split it first. By cutting your potatoes in half lengthwise and placing them cut side down on a greased sheet pan before cooking, you will do two things. One, you have made them half the thickness, so they will cook through in literally half the time.
Do you let potatoes cool before cutting?
You let the potatoes cool before cutting. Unlike meat, potatoes don’t get better by resting. They need to be sliced open immediately. If you don’t, they will retain water from the still-steaming center and turn dense and gummy. Quickly jab a serrated knife through each potato as soon as the pan has cleared the oven.