How to microwave a baked potato

For more ideas of what to serve with jacket potatoes, see our guide on how to make the ultimate baked potato.

The important thing to remember is always to prick the potatoes with a fork before cooking – this allows the steam to escape and will stop them from exploding.

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Basic microwaved jacket potato recipe

Serves 2

• 2 large baking potatoes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• pinch of salt
• butter

You will also need:

• 2 sheets of kitchen roll
• 1 microwave-safe plate

1. Wash the baking potatoes and prick the skins all over with a fork, creating lots of little holes for steam to escape from.
2. Lay a piece of kitchen roll on a microwave-safe plate, put the potatoes on it and pop another sheet of kitchen roll on top. Microwave for 4 mins, then take them out and turn the potatoes over – careful, they will be hot. Re-cover with the kitchen roll and cook for another 4 mins, then turn again. Keep cooking in 1-2 min bursts until they feel soft all the way through and the skins are wrinkled. Take them out and leave them to cool.
3. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, rub the skins all over with the olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt. Put them in the oven for 10-15 mins or until the skins are starting to crisp. Split the potatoes open and add the butter. Serve with your favourite toppings or alongside a stew or casserole.

Top 5 jacket potato recipes

For best results, we recommend cooking your jacket potatoes in the oven, but you can easily speed up the process by starting them off in the microwave as detailed above.

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