One of our favorites dinner sides is a baked potato in foil. Whether you’re hoping to make a baked potato in oven or on the grill, we’ll teach you how to make a perfect baked potato every time!
Serve your baked potato in foil with a yummy sous vide steak, seared salmon, or even a vegetarian black bean burger!
Favorite Side –> Baked Potato Wrapped in Foil!
Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall…there isn’t a bad time to make a baked potato in foil! Baked potatoes are my all-time favorite food. Ask my parents, they called me spud growing up because I asked for them so often.
I love eating a perfectly baked potato next to grilled steak, slow-roasted pork shoulder, or juicy pan-seared chicken. They’re the perfect vessel to load up on toppings to complete any meal.
Today we thought we’d go back to the basics to teach you how to make a perfect baked potato every time. To get started, you’ll need just a few things…and don’t worry, you’ll get both an oven and a grill option!
Ingredients
- Large Idaho Potatoes: in this recipe, we used Idaho potatoes, but you can actually use this method for any kind of potato such as russet, red, sweet, etc!
- Olive Oil: we’ve found olive oil to have the best flavor for baked potatoes, but you can also use canola.
- Salt and Pepper: these two spices are magic when it comes to baking a potato in foil. Be generous, I promise your tastebuds will he happy.
- Toppings: We’ll get into toppings later, but a freshly cooked baked potato is your oyster. Get creative with your favorite toppings and have fun!
How to Bake a Potato in Foil
Step 1: Clean potatoes
Potatoes come from the ground so sometimes there can be dirt or residue left behind on your tater. Run them under warm water and if you have one, use a scrubby brush to clean the skin of the taters.
Then, pat dry with a towel and move to step 2.
Can I Use Any Kind of Potato?
Technically you can use any kind of potato with the foil-pack method. Do note that size matters when it comes to baking time. The bigger the potato, the longer you’ll have to cook it. Here are some other potato options you can try:
- sweet potatoes
- yams
- russet potatoes
- red potatoes
Step 2: Rub with olive oil and season
Now it’s time to drizzle your potatoes with olive oil. We like to drizzle and then massage the oil into the potato skin to make sure that ever knick and cranny is covered.
Then, generously season your potatoes with salt and pepper. Don’t be shy on this part…you’ll thank me later!
Step 3: Roll in Tin Foil
Now it’s time to roll your potatoes in foil. The reason we roll potatoes in foil in the first place is so that you can trap the heat close to the potato and cook it evenly.
There is no right or wrong way to actually roll the potato, so use your best judgment and get rolling! We like to mimic a burrito roll, it seems to be effective.
What are the benefits of using aluminum foil on a baked potato?
We’ve found that when wrapping a potato in foil, they actually cook faster because the aluminum foil traps the heat, thus cooking them faster.
We’ve also found that if you’re planning to make baked potatoes in the oven as part of a larger meal, that they stay warmer longer wrapped in the foil because it insulates them once they’re done cooking.
Do I have to poke holes in my baked potatoes?
There is a big debate about this on the internet and the truth is, we’ve done it both ways and get the same results!
Step 4: Time to Cook
Oven vs. Grill
Good news folks…you can make a baked potato in oven wrapped in foil and baked potatoes on the grill! Plus, it’s pretty much the same method (you can even make your baked taters in the crockpot!)!
Oven: To make a baked potato in oven wrapped in foil, preheat the oven to 450ºF. Place baked potatoes in foil directly on your oven rack. Let cook for 45-60 minutes rotating after 30 minutes. Use a fork to pierce the potatoes to see how soft they are.
Grill: Preheat grill to 450ºF. Place your baked potatoes in foil directly on the flame and cover. Let cook for 45-60 minutes rotating every 10 minutes or so. The time will depend on how big your potatoes are. Use a fork to pierce the potatoes to see how soft they are.
For both methods, let cool, for about 15 minutes before unwrapping so you don’t burn yourself! Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
So, to recap: How long to bake a potato?
We recommend baking your potatoes at 450ºF for around 45-60 minutes depending on the size. If you’re planning to grill, it’s the same temp and time.
Why the high heat?
We’ve found that the sweet spot of baking a potato to get that fluffy inside and crispier outside is cooking them at high heat. So, 450ºF it is!
How long to bake potatoes at 375 in foil: a medium potato at 375ºF will take around 1 hour to fully bake. If you use a larger potato, you’ll likely need to add time.
Topping Ideas
Looking to get creative with your toppings? Here are a few you should try!
- Sour cream/Greek yogurt and chives
- Bbq sauce and cheddar cheese
- Salsa
- Leftover chili
- Butter, salt, and pepper
- Vegan queso
Got Leftovers?
Twice Baked Potatoes
Got leftover baked potatoes? Try our favorite twice baked potato recipe to repurpose your leftovers!
Storage
Let your potatoes cool completely. You can either leave them wrapped in foil or unwrap them (it’s all preference). Then, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. We like to place them into a gallon-size bag.
How to Reheat Baked Potatoes in Foil
Looking to reheat your potatoes? Check out 2 options below for reheating!
Oven: if you keep your baked potatoes wrapped in the foil, you can reheat them right in the oven. Preheat oven to 400ºF and let cook for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are warm.
Microwave: remove baked potatoes from tin foil and place on a plate. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until hot.
Baked Potato in Oven Wrapped in Foil (+ grill)
One of our favorites dinner sides is a baked potato in foil. Whether you’re hoping to make a grilled baked potato in foil or a baked potato in oven wrapped in foil, we’ll teach you how to make a perfect baked potato every time!
Ingredients
- 6 large Idaho potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Optional Toppings
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Instructions
- First, preheat the grill or oven to 450ºF.
- Run potatoes under warm water and use a scrubby to remove any dirt or residue and then and pat dry with a towel to dry.
- Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and use your hands to massage the oil into the skin. Then, generously season the entire potato with salt and pepper.
- Individually wrap each potato in a piece of tin foil.
- Grill: Place potatoes directly on the grill grates over direct heat. Cover, and let cook for 45-60 minutes. Rotating every 10 minutes.
- Oven: Place potatoes directly on your oven racks and let cook for 45-60 minutes rotating after 30 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, pierce one of the potatoes with a fork to see how tender they are. Once they are easily poked you know they are done!
- Remove from heat, let sit for 15 minutes to cool, and then unwrap from foil to eat.
- Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Tips & Notes
- *Cook time will vary depending on how big the potatoes are. Medium-sized Idaho potatoes will take around 45 minutes and large Idaho potatoes will take 60+ minutes.
- Nutrition information does not include toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 Calories: 150 Sugar: 1 Fat: 5 Carbohydrates: 26 Fiber: 2 Protein: 3Keywords: baked potato in foil, baked potato in oven, baked potato in oven wrapped in foil
It was so simple and a little cute and funny about ‘the little taters’ at the start 😅
★★★★★
The smoke point of olive oil is around 400. By coating the potato in olive oil and then cooking this at 450, my whole house smelled like smoke. I’d recommend lowering the temp to 400 or using another oil with a higher smoke point.
★★★
If you are serving to a group you can put them in your portable cooler and they will stay hot for hours!
GREAT idea, Pat!
Do you poke holes in potato before cooking in oven?
Needing same answer
So sorry for the late response, but no you do not need to poke holes. If you’re skeptical, you can! I’ve done both!
I don’t like my potato light and fluffy, rather firm but done. How do I achieve this method?
All you have to do is cook it for less time!
Use different kind of potato. Some better for cooking, others for baking, pasta etc. Ask seller which sort/kind of potato is it. Experiment or see what u have and what to do with it. Here’s one example https://www.potatogoodness.com/potato-types/
Baked potatoes should not be left to cool in the foil. They are considered unsafe to eat. Reheating would not help. https://www.statefoodsafety.com/Resources/Resources/is-my-baked-potato-safe-to-eat
The link you have says not to store them in the fridge and to get to super cool temperatures in the foil. Letting them sit on the counter for 15 minutes so you don’t burn your fingers off will not create botulism lol.
They should be sterile from the baking, where do the bacteria come from if wrapped in foil? Maybe after a while.,. Just saying..