How to Make Microwave Baked Potatoes
How to Make Microwave Baked Potatoes
Learn how to make microwave baked potatoes that are hot, fluffy, and ready in just minutes! When you don’t have time to bake potatoes in the oven, the microwave is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get a perfectly cooked potato on the table.
Microwave baked potatoes are perfect for a quick lunch, an easy dinner side dish, or a simple meal topped with all your favorite baked potato toppings. All you really need is a potato and a microwave!
Microwave Baked Potatoes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5–10 minutes
Servings: 1–2
Ingredients
- 1–2 medium russet potatoes
- Butter, for serving
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional Toppings
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Chopped green onions
- Cooked crumbled bacon
- Chili
- Steamed broccoli
- Cottage cheese
- Greek yogurt
How to Make a Baked Potato in the Microwave
- Wash the potato thoroughly under cool running water, scrubbing the skin to remove any dirt.
- Dry the potato with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.
- Use a fork to pierce the potato several times on all sides. This allows steam to escape while the potato cooks.
- Place the potato on a microwave-safe plate.
- Microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes.
- Carefully turn the potato over using tongs or a fork. The potato and plate may be very hot.
- Microwave for another 2–4 minutes, depending on the size of the potato and the power of your microwave.
- Check for doneness by carefully inserting a fork or small knife into the center. It should slide in easily and the inside of the potato should feel soft.
- If the potato isn’t completely tender, continue microwaving in 1-minute increments until cooked through.
- Let the potato rest for about 2 minutes before cutting it open. Be careful when opening the potato because hot steam can escape.
- Slice the potato lengthwise, fluff the inside with a fork, and add butter, salt, pepper, and your favorite toppings.
How Long Does It Take to Microwave a Baked Potato?
The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your potato and the wattage of your microwave.
As a general guide:
1 medium potato: about 5–7 minutes
1 large potato: about 7–10 minutes
2 medium potatoes: about 9–12 minutes
Start with less time and add another minute as needed. It’s much easier to cook the potato for an additional minute than to fix an overcooked potato.
What Are the Best Potatoes for Microwave Baked Potatoes?
Russet potatoes are my favorite potatoes for making baked potatoes in the microwave.
They have a high starch content that gives the inside that classic light and fluffy baked potato texture.
Choose potatoes that are similar in size if you’re cooking more than one at a time. This helps them finish cooking at approximately the same time.
Do You Have to Poke Holes in a Potato Before Microwaving?
Yes. Pierce the potato several times with a fork before putting it in the microwave.
Potatoes contain moisture that turns to steam as they cook. Piercing the skin gives that steam places to escape.
It only takes a few seconds, so don’t skip this step.
How Do You Know When a Microwave Baked Potato Is Done?
A fully cooked potato should feel soft when gently squeezed with an oven mitt, and a fork or knife should easily slide into the center.
If the center still feels firm, return the potato to the microwave and cook for another minute.
Continue checking at 1-minute intervals until it’s completely tender.
How to Make the Inside Extra Fluffy
Once your potato is cooked, let it rest for a couple of minutes.
Cut a slit across the top and gently push the ends of the potato toward the center. The fluffy potato inside will begin to open up.
Use a fork to fluff the potato and mix in a little butter, salt, and pepper.
Then add your favorite toppings.
Easy Microwave Baked Potato Toppings
A plain baked potato makes a great side dish, but toppings can turn it into an entire meal.
Try some of these easy combinations:
Loaded Baked Potato: Butter, cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon, and green onions.
Broccoli Cheddar: Steamed broccoli and shredded cheddar cheese.
Chili Cheese: Spoon warm chili over the potato and add shredded cheese.
Chicken and Broccoli: Top with chopped cooked chicken, broccoli, and a little cheese.
Taco Potato: Add seasoned taco meat, cheese, salsa, tomatoes, and green onions.
Simple Cottage Cheese Potato: Add cottage cheese, salt, pepper, and chopped green onions for an easy protein-packed option.
Can You Microwave More Than One Potato at a Time?
Yes!
Choose potatoes that are approximately the same size and arrange them on a microwave-safe plate without stacking them.
You’ll need to increase the cooking time when making multiple potatoes.
Turn the potatoes halfway through cooking and check each one individually. One potato may finish before another depending on its size.
Microwave vs. Oven Baked Potatoes
The biggest advantage of making a baked potato in the microwave is speed.
An oven-baked potato can take close to an hour, while a microwave potato can be ready in less than 10 minutes.
The skin won’t become as crispy in the microwave as it does in the oven, but the inside can still become wonderfully soft and fluffy.
If you want crispy skin but don’t want to wait an hour, cook the potato in the microwave first and then place it in an air fryer or hot oven for a few minutes to crisp the outside.
What to Serve with Microwave Baked Potatoes
Microwave baked potatoes are an easy side dish for:
- Grilled chicken
- Steak
- Pork chops
- Meatloaf
- Rotisserie chicken
- Chili
- Soup
- Salad
- Roasted vegetables
Or simply load up your potato with toppings and make it the entire meal!
The Easiest Baked Potato
Once you know how to make a baked potato in the microwave, you have one of the easiest lunches or side dishes imaginable.
There’s no need to heat up the oven or wait nearly an hour for a potato to bake. In just a few minutes, you can have a hot, fluffy potato ready for butter, cheese, sour cream, chili, or whatever toppings you love.
It’s simple, inexpensive, and perfect for those days when you need something good to eat—fast.
