Who doesn’t love a fluffy and delicious jacket potato, hot and healthy and topped with your favourite fillings, no matter what the season?
But how do you cook the perfect jacket potato? Cooked in the oven, zapped in the microwave, or a combination of the two? And how best to eat it – oozing with melted cheese or smothered in a healthy veggie chilli with a side salad?
This most versatile of meals is the perfect go-to lunch when you’re craving a bit of comfort food – or you could make hosting your friends and family easy with a laidback dinner in the evening.
So put down your peeler and show your spuds some love with our top tips on cooking the perfect jacket potato…
What potatoes are best for jacket potatoes?
With the heartwarming story of jacket potato seller Ben Newman, known as ‘Spudman’, going viral on social media – leading to queues of up to three hours at his takeaway van in Staffordshire – it’s clear the British public loves a baked spud.
When it comes to selecting the best potatoes for jacket potatoes, we like the Georgina, Melody and Nectar varieties for baking, while floury King Edward, Maris Piper potatoes are also firm favourites among consumers.
Most large-sized maincrop potatoes will do the job, or just choose a pack marked simply as ‘baking potatoes’ or ‘jacket potatoes’ in the supermarket.
Although most people will choose a larger potato for baking (the bigger the better suits us down to the ground), if you’re looking for a quicker option, you could always go for a couple of smaller ones, particularly if you enjoy a higher ratio of crispy skin to soft inside. Two medium potatoes, especially if threading them onto a metal skewer, will cook in around half the time of one jumbo spud.
How long to cook jacket potatoes
After giving your potatoes a good scrub, dry them and then prick with a fork four or five times all over – this helps to release steam as they cook.
Pop them straight onto the oven shelf for top results. You want the hot air to be able to circulate around them so that they cook evenly and the skin crisps up.
Make sure your potatoes have enough space between them so they cook evenly and thoroughly. You can also speed up the cooking by inserting a metal skewer through the potato for better heat conduction in the middle.
The cooking time and temperature for baking jacket potatoes depends on the size of your spud but try giving them a 25-minute blast at 220oC / fan 200oC / Gas Mark 7, then turn down to 190oC / fan 170oC / Gas Mark 5 for a further 1hr-1hr 15 mins. Just pierce with a knife to check they’re tender.
Some people reduce the time by popping the potato in the microwave for five minutes first to start softening it up.
When should you use foil to bake potatoes?
Don’t wrap them in foil unless you’re cooking them in a bonfire or barbecue, or your oven is set on high for something else. Foil will slow down cooking and can result in a leathery or soggy skin.
Potatoes only need a protective layer of foil to stop them burning if they’re being cooked somewhere that would otherwise be too hot. Some people have fond memories of bonfire potatoes cooked in the embers after the flames have died down or in the ash pan under an open fire. You really need the foil then, so that you’re not crunching on bits of charcoal!
Is a jacket potato best cooked in the oven or microwave?
Jacket potatoes can be just as delicious – and less time-consuming – when made in the microwave, but you won’t get quite the same crispy skin.
Potatoes tend to release a lot of water as they cook, which is why it is important to prick them with a fork to allow the steam to escape and help to make the centre nice and fluffy.
Once washed and dried, wrap loosely in a sheet of kitchen paper and microwave on high for 10 minutes until soft inside.
A good compromise is to start them off in the microwave for 5 – 7 minutes then finish them in the oven for 20 minutes. This will give you a speedier spud with a crispy skin.
Whichever method you choose, once your potatoes are ready, run a knife through the top and gently squeeze the sides – with an oven glove or towel – to create an opening. Then stand back and get ready to load up your favourite fillings.
Can I cook a jacket potato in an air fryer?
Definitely – cooking a jacket potato in the air fryer can be quicker and more energy-efficient while still producing the perfect fluffiness and crispy jacket.
Set your air fryer to 200oC; wash and dry your potato, pierce with a fork a few times and spritz with oil and season with salt and pepper. Then cook for 20 mins before turning with tongs and cooking for another 10-15 mins until a sharp knife goes through easily.
The best jacket potato fillings
It’s enough to make you fall out with your closest friends – what’s your favourite go-to jacket potato filling? Our quick survey of office colleagues resulted in a few interesting combinations – and a little heated debate over the merits of baked beans as a topping.
Keep it simple and low-cost with a choice of fridge and store cupboard ingredients. Our favourites include:
- Tuna mayo and cheese
- Chilli con carne/ veggie chilli
- Baked beans and cheese
- Chickpea curry
- Cheese, baked beans and coleslaw
- Beef and butter bean stew
- Cooked chicken pieces mixed with mayo and pesto
- Ratatouille
- Scoop out the flesh and add sour cream and bacon bits, chives and spring onions or try chopped-up anchovies and capers for a different take
Potatoes are a complex carbohydrate food that can be a healthy choice as they are packed full of nutrients, including essential vitamins and minerals. You don’t need to add butter and cheese if you want a healthy option – try a dollop of cottage cheese instead and serve with a tasty side salad.
Can I bake a sweet potato for a change?
If you fancy a break from traditional jacket potatoes, you could always bake a sweet potato for a change – another nutritious choice as they have a high vitamin A content and are a great source of fibre. They are also low on the glycaemic index (GI), so help regulate blood sugar levels.
The cooking method is similar – wash and dry your sweet potato, prick all over with a fork, season and cook in the oven at 180oC / fan 160oC / Gas Mark 4 for up to an hour.
Sweet potatoes are incredibly versatile, so don’t just think of baking them. Try this delicious
Tornado Sweet Potatoes with Sumac, Peaches and Burrata recipe that cook and author Emma Hatcher shared with Seasonal Spuds.
More potato recipes
Get your teeth into even more delicious potato recipes…
As our thoughts turn increasingly to summer and we dream of sunny barbecues and picnics, the versatile New potato can also get in on the action as mini skin-on roasties.
Easy to prepare and mouth-wateringly tasty, simply spritz with oil and add your favourite seasonings before putting in the oven on a tray to create the perfect side dish.
Wow your guests with this gorgeous Loaded Mexican Cornish New Potato Jackets recipe, created for Seasonal Spuds by Nicola Drysdale with a few simple ingredients.
There’s no need to stop at jacket potatoes. Check out our recipe inspiration and expert advice on tasty ideas for leftover mashed potatoes, interesting ways with potato skins and the answer to the perennial question – which potatoes are best for chips?
