The Correct Way To Cook A Potato In The Microwave Couldn't Be Easier

The fluffy, steamy interior of a baked potato is the perfect canvas for some rich butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and all the other seasonings of your choice. While it's a tempting starch to whip up for dinner, and one of the simplest recipes out there, it's still not necessarily the quickest recipe in the book. By the time you finish prepping your potato, heating the oven, and finally start cooking the spud, you might not even be hungry anymore. Well this is exactly the type of job that microwaves were made for, so the next time you're craving a baked potato, skip the oven and use this handy kitchen gadget instead.

Speediness aside, the correct way to cook a potato in the microwave couldn't be easier. To make this dish come to life, start by washing and drying your potato as usual and poking it several times with a fork. This step is essential because the steam from inside the potato has to escape, so the holes in the flesh keep a potato from turning into a dangerous starchy mess. While russet potatoes are most commonly used for this dish, most any potato will do, so pick your favorite from the bunch.

Next, rub your potato in the oil of your choice to make its skin come out extra crispy instead of dry. Butter or olive oil are two common options. All this prep should take you about a minute, and now your potato is ready for the microwave.

Now that your potato is washed, dried, poked, and oiled, it's finally ready to cook. Stick the tater on a microwave-safe plate and transfer it onto your microwave's turntable. While microwave times will vary depending on the size and shape of your potato, beginning with three minutes on each side is a good starting point. (If you're cooking more than one potato, cook on each side for about five minutes instead.) You might want to use tongs or a fork to flip the potato to avoid burning your hand.

After these steps, your potato should be fully cooked. You can tell if it's really done when it's fork tender. (In other words, if a fork or knife penetrates your potato all the way through with no resistance, you're good to go. Otherwise, continue cooking the potato in one minute intervals until it's really ready.) Once you complete this cooking process, let the potato rest for a few minutes to avoid burning yourself with steam. Now use oven mitts to grab the hot plate out of the microwave and split it open to sprinkle it with the toppings of your choice.

That's really all it takes to make a microwaved baked potato. It's the same fluffy perfection as the oven one, but this way it's ready in 10 minutes instead of 60. Next, for even more deliciousness, try out some of these tips to make your potatoes taste like they came from a restaurant.