At What Temperature Should You Bake Potatoes?

There is no universal temperature setting to make the best-baked potatoes because the definition of the best is subjective. What temperature you should set your air fryer or oven at depends on the type of baked potatoes and how crispy you want them to be. Let us take a look at the temperature settings based on the type of baked potatoes!

For whole potatoes, you should cook them for 50 to 60 minutes at 425°F. Cubed potatoes need to be baked in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes at the same temperature. For wedges, you should bake them at 390°F for 35 to 40 minutes. If you want to make the potatoes extra crispy, you should turn up the heat and cook them for extra 2-3 minutes.

Preparing good baked potatoes isn't just about knowing the right temperature and time. You would also need good recipes to cook healthy baked potatoes with a good flavor and crunch-to-softness ratio. Also, some people like to bake potatoes in air fryers. We will also go through a recipe for making baked potatoes in an air fryer, so keep reading.

How To Bake Potatoes in an Air Fryer

Baking potatoes in an air fryer is similar to making baking potatoes in an oven. You can achieve results similar to oven-baked potatoes by using your air fryer. Here's how you can do it.

Ingredients

Three potatoes - halved or quartered
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pepper up to taste

Cooking Instructions

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters.
Toss the potato pieces in a big with a little bit of olive oil. The only purpose of adding olive oil is to cover the outside of the baked potatoes.
After covering the potatoes in oil, add salt and pepper to taste.
Place the potatoes in the air fryer.
Air fry the potatoes for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Turn them around after 15 minutes and then bake for another 15 more.
If you'd like a crispier finish, you can leave them in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes more.

Click here to see the recipe in detail.

How To Bake Garlic Potato Wedges

Potato wedges are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a kick of garlic and parmesan. Here's how you can bake this delight at home.

Ingredients

Six large russet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
3 tsp garlic powder (1 tbsp minced garlic)
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese or finely grated
1/2 tsp black cracked pepper
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut the potatoes into eight wedges, make sure all of the wedges have equal thickness.
Mix olive oil with salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic, and pepper in a small bowl. Now evenly coat the wedges with this mixture.
Lay the potato wedges on a parchment-lined paper baking sheet.
Sprinkle the wedges with parmesan cheese and salt. This step is optional.
Bake the wedges for 15 minutes. Then, turn the wedges around and bake for another 15 minutes. After the baking period is over, sprinkle the wedges with more parmesan if you wish.

Click here to see this recipe in detail.

Baked Whole Potatoes

Whole-baked potatoes go well with every holiday dish. On top of that, they are easy to make. A perfect whole baked potato is crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. So, let's find out how to bake your whole potatoes like this.

Ingredients

1 russet potato per person
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Cooking Instruction

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper for better taste.
To create holes, prick the potato with a fork. It will help the hot steam to escape.
Bake the potatoes for 60 minutes. Turn the potatoes every 20 minutes to help them bake properly.

Click here to see the full recipe.

How Do You Know When a Baked Potato Is Ready?

Usually, potatoes take around 30-40 minutes to bake at 400°F. However, sometimes due to the difference in size, temperature, and type of the potatoes, the baked potatoes can take longer or shorter to be fully baked. In scenarios like these, you can check if the potatoes are cooked or not by using the following tips:

When the outer layer of the potatoes starts to appear papery and wrinkly, it indicates that the potatoes are ready.
Another way to check if the potatoes are ready is by piercing a fork through them. If it goes through the potato smoothly, it means that the potatoes are ready to be served. However, if the inside of the potato feels tough, then it is better to bake them for a few more minutes.

How To Bake Sliced Potatoes?

You can use different types of potatoes to make sliced potatoes. Yukon Gold potatoes are the most commonly used ones for many recipes. If you'd like a preview of one, here are the steps to bake sliced potatoes with Yukon Gold Potatoes:

First, thinly slice around 1-1/2 pounds of peeled Yukon Gold potatoes.
Combine them in a bowl with two tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of thyme.
Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Toss until the slices are well coated. You should bake the potatoes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

If you'd like to look at the recipe in detail, check it out here.

What Are Hasselback Potatoes?

Hasselback potatoes are a type of baked potato named after a Swedish restaurant where they originated. This method of cooking potatoes and other vegetables has since been called hasselbacking. In this method, you cut the potatoes halfway through in thin, even slices.

These baked potatoes are crispy on the outside with a tender inside. Just like thick potato chips, but the chips are still attached to the base. Potatoes cooked using this method turn out to be very delicious and presentable.

To bake Hasselback potatoes, you will need to preheat the oven from 356°F to 390°F and bake for 50 minutes to one hour. You can take a look at the full recipe here.

Does Wrapping a Potato in Foil Make It Cook Faster?

Foil can help cook faster since it can trap the natural moisture of the potatoes and steam them. But this doesn't necessarily reduce the cooking time since you would need to preheat the foil itself first. Also, the result should be down to personal preference. Foil usually makes the potatoes soft and soggy, and that might not be what you want.

Is It Better To Boil Potatoes Before Baking?

Baking can be a long process if you're starting with raw potatoes. People so often try to achieve a crispy outside but end up overcooking the potatoes.

Boiling potatoes before baking them can decrease the baking time by a significant amount. Not only that, but it also helps you achieve the desired crispy outside while still keeping the tender inside. The result would be a reduced baking time with the perfect soft to crispiness ratio.

Should You Poke Holes in Potatoes Before Baking?

It is necessary to poke holes in potatoes before baking. It keeps them from exploding and shortens the baking time as well. The chances of potatoes exploding during the bake are low but never zero.

Potatoes contain water in them which would eventually turn into steam when you bake them. If the steam cannot escape, there is a chance the potato will explode. If you're using a foil and want steamed potatoes, you should poke holes in potatoes before wrapping them in the foil. It will allow the foil to trap the steam inside when it emits out of the holes.

Should You Poke Holes in Potatoes Before Baking?

It all comes down to personal preference. Rubbing oil on potatoes before you're going to bake them is not a good idea for people who want to have a crunchy outside. You should oil and season the potatoes after the temperature reaches 250°F.

That's when it would provide the crunchy texture and the most flavor. For people who want softer outsides, you can apply the oil before baking the potatoes. It will also help keep the seasoning on the potatoes during the bake.

Potatoes also tend to turn brown during the bake. Some people don't like that. To keep this from happening, you can soak potatoes in oil before you bake them. Some good choices are grapeseed oil, pure olive oil, canola, and vegetable oil.

Final Takeaway

As we can see, there are many ways to bake potatoes. They are a delicious dish that can satisfy anyone's hunger! But, to ensure they come out the best they can, you'll need to have an idea of what texture and flavor you want. We hope you found the recipes above helpful!

Before you go, do you have other potato concerns? Are you trying to find out the best pot for boiling potatoes? You can find some ideas by checking out our post here.

Are you struggling to find how long to boil potatoes? We break it down by dish in our post here. Until next time!