How to bake a potato in the microwave? As with most things in the microwave, it’s pretty straightforward. Potatoes are one of those foods that seem to be particularly well suited to being cooked in a microwave.
Indeed once you’ve figured out how to bake a potato in the microwave you may find yourself opting for this method rather than the oven a lot more frequently than you otherwise would. This is mostly because when it comes to a baked (jacket potato – i.e. potato with the skin left on) it can be genuinely difficult to tell whether it’s been done in the microwave or in a conventional oven in terms of taste.
How To Bake a Potato In The Microwave
Contents
So let’s get to work on how to bake a potato in the microwave.
Firstly let’s quickly cover what you’ll need in terms of ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1x Potato
- Your choice of seasoning
- Pepper
- Salt
- Grated Cheese
Method
- As with any cooking method, the first thing you want to do with your potato is make sure it is clean. So give it a good wash and scrub it down.
- After cleaning, be sure to dry it well – this will help to avoid it steaming up too much in the microwave.
- Next you’ll want to poke the potato with a fork.
- Place it on a microwave safe open dish and place in the microwave on high power for 5 minutes.
- At this stage you may want to turn over the potato. Be careful when opening the door and dealing with the potato as it will be very hot. Use some microwave safe tongs or wooden cooking spoon to turn it over. If you need to remove the dish from the microwave, be sure to use suitable oven gloves.
- Microwave for another two minutes and then check to see if it is soft enough in the middle. You’ll know if it is soft enough as the middle should be piereced quite easily with a fork or knife. Be sure to use suitable goven gloves when removing the microwave safe dish out of of the microwave.
- If you find it is not soft enough, pop it back in the microwave for another 45 seconds to 1 minute at a time until it is soft enough for your liking. Be sure to use suitable goven gloves when removing the microwave safe dish out of of the microwave.
- Once you are happy with it, leave it to rest and cool down. You can then split it down the middle and add your choice of toppings e.g. salt, pepper, grated cheese or butter. Be sure to use suitable goven gloves when removing the microwave safe dish out of of the microwave.
More Than One
The great thing with the steps above for how to bake a potato in the microwave, is that you can use the same method whether making one or more potatoes in the microwave.
You’ll just find that it will take longer of course to bake them as you need to in the microwave.
Baked Feel
One thing you may of course notice is that when it comes to potatoes baked in the microwave, they will not have that crispy and golden brown feel you’ll get from a conventional oven. If you want that golden brown look then you’ll need you oven handy for that.
One method that could still work well for you especially if you are in a rush but still want the traditional oven look is to cook your potatoes in the microwave and then finish them off in the oven or grill. This works particularly well if you split them after they’re cooked and then add your favourite toppings like grated cheese and paprika over the top and then place them in the grill or oven for a few minutes.
With this method, you get the convenience of the microwave but the look and feel of an oven made potato dish.
Poke Them Well
It may seem odd, but poking your potato before putting it into the microwave does help to make sure it cooks as you want it. It will allow steam buidling up inside the potato to escape during cooking. It also helps to avoid the potato popping in the microwave and leaving your appliance in very messy state.
Poke the potato all around with a fork for the best results.
Let Your Toppings Do The Talking
Just because your potato has been conveniently and quickly baked in the microwave, doesn’t mean its flavour has to be lacking. One of the best ways to jazz things up with a baked potato is to let loose with your favourite toppings. These could be:
- Grated cheese (cheddar works well)
- Melted butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Paprika
- Chilli
- Crispy bacon or pancetta
What Are The Best Potatoes For Jacket Potatoes?
What are the best potatoes for jacket potatoes? The best types of potatoes for jacket potatoes are usually those labelled as “baking potatoes”. These tend to be reasonably sized and come with a floury but moist like texture. In terms of specific types King Edward and Desiree potatoes are said to work quite well for baked potatoes.