Why does a baked potato merit a post of it’s own, because doesn’t everyone already know how to make one? It can be deceptively easy, but there’s a lot of science going on in there. Moisture turns to steam, oils cook on the surface and heat penetrates to cook the vegetable center. Easy yes, simple no.
Perhaps you learned how to bake a potato as I did by watching mom. You know, the kind that took forever to bake and eagerly slice open to eat the fluffy centers, leaving the limp, soft skins for the trash. We never knew what we were missing.
Discovering a Better Way
Once upon a time, my employer posted us near New York City, and we took every opportunity to explore Manhattan’s dining and entertainment scene. One cold winter evening, we decided to dine at a rink-side restaurant at Rockefeller Plaza. It was an idyllic setting. Snow flurries falling while watching the skaters, some with amazing ability, fly on the ice. While I’ve long forgotten the restaurant’s name, I’ll never forget the baked potato that accompanied my steak that night. Let me tell you why it left such an impression.
The potato had perfectly crispy skin, yet the inside was light and fluffy. The skin was seasoned, delivering the occasional burst of salty flavor reminiscent of a french fry. Each bite, paired with a bit of that crunchy, flavorful skin, added a delightful contrast of texture and taste to the creamy interior. It wasn’t just a side dish—it was an experience.
Growing up, my mom baked potatoes at 350°F, wrapping them in aluminum foil. The low temperature meant they took ages to cook, and the foil trapped moisture, leaving the skins limp and unappetizing. They were never oiled, buttered, or seasoned, and we never even considered eating the skins. For most of my life, I missed out on just how incredible a baked potato could be.
I learned how to recreate that fantastic steakhouse menu spud and here’s my foolproof method.
Fabulous Steakhouse Baked Potato
Prep the potatoes with butter, roll in coarse kosher salt, skewer them and place them on a center rack.
Bake them @ 420 for one hour then remove and gather your condiments.
Remove the skewer, slice the top and plump with oven mitts before loading it up with goodies! Print
Steakhouse Baked Potato
Crispy skin baked potato with all the fixin’s!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
- 1 Idaho russet potato – blemish free
- 4 TBL salted butter
- Coarse kosher salt
- 1 strip bacon – fried crisply and chopped – garnish
- 1 green onion – top only, sliced thinly – garnish
- Sour cream – garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 420 degrees
- Begin with an Idaho russet potato and be picky. Choose only plump, well-formed spuds
- Briefly scrub the potatoes without puncturing the skin, pat them dry and let them rest until the moisture has completely evaporated. Wet potato skins will not crisp properly
- Skewer each potato lengthwise with a stainless rod. This promotes faster, even cooking and prevents potato explosions. Yes. It’s a thing.
- Coat the potatoes in butter, press and roll in salt, place them on a center rack of the oven and bake for 60 minutes
- Remove from oven, carefully remove the hot skewers, slice through the top, press the ends together using heat resistant mittens to open and plump them
- Use a fork to fluff the interior and fill with butter. Don’t skimp on the butter!
- Garnish with bacon bits, green onion and sour cream
This looks so delicious!