Alton Brown’s Tips for Baked Potatoes are Life-Changing

Everyone has their method for making baked potatoes at home, but there’s always room for improvement. Especially with English jacket potatoes going viral this past year, we’ve been looking to upgrade our potato game. Thankfully, chef and television personality Alton Brown just shared his top tips for the best baked potatoes.

From what potato to choose to how to season it to perfection, here is Brown’s potato formula—and with a collective 7 million views on TikTok, these five tips nearly broke the internet for good reason.

1. Choose the Right Potato

According to Brown, there’s only one type of potato that’s worth baking, and it’s a tried-and-true classic.

“Of all the varieties available in the American market, the russet makes the best baking potato due mostly to its composition,” he says, further explaining that its higher starch content will help create a fluffy inside while allowing the skin to crisp up.

We also love russet potatoes in soups for its hearty flavor—a fitting example is our highly-rated Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

2. Wash Your Potato Thoroughly 

In French, potatoes are called pommes de terre, which directly translates to “apples of the earth.” This is just a reminder that the soil your potatoes grew in have worked into its crevices, so washing them is very necessary before preparing and eating.

Brown recommends running the potatoes under water and dry with a towel. Being sure that your potatoes are clean is key for flavor and optimal yummy skin—and it also reduces the risk of foodborne illness.

3. Poke Holes in Your Potato

Before seasoning and baking, you should poke your potato with a fork to create holes. This primarily allows steam to escape during the baking process.

“Skip this, and the texture will be dense,” Brown warns. You should also do this if you’re planning on doing the microwave method (which won’t promise crispy skin, but it’s convenient and maintains the desired pillowy interior).

4. Season the Potato Before Baking Low and Slow

Don’t wait until after baking to season your potato! Instead, coat the potato with a light layer of cooking oil (olive oil has the most benefits for your heart health). Then, season with a sprinkle of kosher salt for added flavor and texture.

At 300°F for one hour, the low-and-slow method will penetrate the potato (which is baking directly on the wire rack) and make it nice and soft on the inside. For extra crispy skin, Brown suggests removing the potato from the oven after 60 minutes, recoat with oil and pop it back into the oven now set at 400°F for 10 more minutes.

“This final cook at a higher temperature is all about crispy skin, which I think is the best part,” Brown shares.

5. Please, Don’t Cut It with a Knife

You shouldn’t cut your potato open with a knife. While plating, use a fork and poke a line on the top of the potato and squeeze the ends until it splits in half. This gives the insides of the potato a more fluffy texture.

Now, for toppings. It’s up to preference, but Brown loves to keep it simple with butter, sour cream and chives. But sometimes he switches it up with ketchup, exclaiming “don’t you judge me!” We’re more intrigued than judgemental, and because of this unusual preference, we think the chef would love our Marinara Meat Sauce Topped Baked Potato for the same acidic flavors.

Want some more baked potato topping inspo? We’ve got you covered. From Cheeseburger Stuffed Baked Potatoes to our Loaded Breakfast Baked Potato, it’s easy to take your baked potato game to the next level with our reader-loved recipes.