A good jacket potato has two textures: a skin that crunches when you press it, and a middle so light and fluffy it practically steams when you cut it open. Plenty of people manage the fluffy middle. The skin is where it usually goes wrong. It comes out leathery, pale on the bottom, or soft and damp from being wrapped in foil.
The fix is mostly about airflow and moisture, and once you know that, a crisp jacket potato is easy to get every time.
Why jacket potato skins go soft
There are three common culprits.
Foil. Wrapping a potato traps steam against the skin. You get a soft, wet jacket that is fine to eat but nothing like the crisp one you were after. Foil is for keeping a potato warm after it is cooked, not for cooking it.
Sitting flat on a solid tray. The underside of the potato has no airflow, so it steams in its own moisture and stays pale while the top colours nicely.
Too much moisture on the skin. A potato straight from a damp bag, or one that has been washed and not dried, will steam before it crisps.
Why the Pep Oven Tray With Crisping Basket helps
The simplest way to deal with the underside problem is to lift the potato off the surface so hot air can move all the way round it. That is what the Pep Oven Tray With Crisping Basket is designed to do (Available HERE). The raised basket holds each potato clear of the tray, so the heat reaches the bottom as well as the top and sides. You get a more even, crisper skin without needing to flip the potato halfway through.
It also keeps the potato away from any oil or moisture that collects underneath during cooking, which is another reason bottoms stay pale on a flat tray.
You can bake jacket potatoes directly on the oven shelf as well, and plenty of people do. The trade-off is that the skin can catch on the bars, and any drips fall to the bottom of the oven. The basket tray gives you the same airflow with a cleaner oven.
Choosing the right potato
For a fluffy middle and a skin that crisps well, you want a floury, high-starch potato. Maris Piper and King Edward are the reliable choices in most UK supermarkets, and a bag labelled simply "baking potatoes" will usually be fine too.
Pick potatoes of a similar size so they cook in the same time. Large ones, around 250g to 300g each, give you the best ratio of crisp skin to soft middle. Avoid waxy varieties like Charlotte, which hold their shape but never go properly fluffy.
How to do it
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Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or gas mark 6. Put the tray in to warm while the oven heats.
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Scrub the potatoes under cold water and then dry them thoroughly with a clean tea towel. Any damp left on the skin will steam rather than crisp.
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Prick each potato four or five times with a fork. This lets steam escape from the inside, which helps the middle go fluffy and stops the potato splitting.
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Rub with oil. Use about a teaspoon per potato, any neutral oil such as olive oil or sunflower. Rub it over the whole surface so the skin is lightly coated all over.
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Season generously with salt. Coarse sea salt pressed into the oiled skin gives the best crunch and flavour. Add black pepper or a little smoked paprika if you like.
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Place the potatoes in the basket tray with a little space between each one. Do not let them touch.
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Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, depending on size. They are ready when the skin feels dry and firm to the touch, sounds slightly hollow when tapped, and the middle gives easily when squeezed with an oven glove.
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Serve straight away. The skin is at its crispest in the first few minutes out of the oven.
Getting the timing right
Jacket potatoes are forgiving, but a few things affect how long they take:
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Size. A medium potato of around 200g can be done in 50 to 60 minutes. A large one can need up to 80.
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Oven. Ovens vary a lot. Start checking at the one hour mark and judge by feel rather than the clock.
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Starting temperature. Potatoes straight from a cold cupboard take a little longer than ones that have been sitting in a warm kitchen.
If you want an even crisper skin, give them 10 more minutes at the end and bring the heat up to 220°C (200°C fan). Keep an eye on them so they do not catch.
A faster route if you are short on time
If you need jacket potatoes in less than an hour, you can microwave them for 5 to 8 minutes first, then finish them in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes to crisp the skin. The result is not quite as good as a full bake, because the microwave softens the skin first, but it gets a decent potato on the table much quicker on a weeknight.
Fillings worth making
A crisp jacket potato holds up well to a generous filling. A few combinations that work:
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Classic: butter and mature cheddar, with a little salt and pepper.
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Beans and cheese: baked beans with grated cheddar melted on top.
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Chilli: a spoonful of beef or bean chilli with soured cream.
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Tuna and sweetcorn: mixed with a little mayonnaise and black pepper.
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Coronation chicken: a good option for a lunch that feels a bit special.
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Cheese and coleslaw: a very British combination that works better than it sounds.
If you are filling them for a crowd, cut each potato open, fluff the inside gently with a fork, and add the butter first so it melts through before the topping goes on.
Common problems
Skin is tough rather than crisp. The potato was probably wrapped, or cooked at too low a temperature. Dry it properly, oil the skin, and bake it uncovered at 200°C.
Middle is dense or gluey. It needed longer, or you used a waxy potato. Check that it gives easily when squeezed, and stick to a floury variety.
Skin has split open. This usually means the potato was not pricked, or it was cooked too hot. Prick it well and keep to around 200°C.
Bottom is pale. The underside had no airflow. Use the basket tray or a wire rack so the heat can reach it.
Keeping them warm
If the potatoes are done before you are ready to eat, turn the oven down to around 100°C and leave them in for up to 20 minutes. Do not wrap them in foil, as that will soften the skin. A clean tea towel loosely draped over them after they come out is better if you only need a few minutes.
Cleaning up
This is one of the easier meals to clear away. Because the potatoes sit raised above the surface, very little sticks to the tray. A wash in warm soapy water with a soft sponge is usually enough. Avoid scourers on the non-stick surface, as they can wear it down over time.
Leftovers
If you have cooked extra, they reheat well the next day. Cut a cooked potato in half, scoop out the middle, mix it with cheese and a little butter, and refill the skins. Pop them back in a hot oven for 15 minutes and you have twice-baked potatoes with a crisp edge, which is an easy way to turn leftovers into a proper dinner.
If you are cooking for Bonfire Night, jacket potatoes are a natural fit for the menu. They can go in the oven before the evening gets busy, hold well while you head outside, and need very little attention. Our Bonfire Night food ideas post has more ideas for what to serve alongside them.
Once you have the method, there is no real reason to wrap a jacket potato in foil again.