The jacket potato trick refers to a cooking technique that involves microwaving a potato to cook it quickly before finishing it off in the oven. This method helps to produce a potato with a fluffy interior and crispy skin in a much shorter time than conventional baking. The trick has become popular in recent years due to its simplicity and effectiveness at delivering tasty jacket potatoes with minimal effort.
How does the jacket potato trick work?
The jacket potato trick takes advantage of both the microwave and oven to cook potatoes quickly. Here are the basic steps:
- Wash and dry the potato well. Prick it several times with a fork.
- Microwave the potato for 3-5 minutes until it is mostly softened but still quite firm.
- Brush the potato with oil or butter and season with salt.
- Place the potato directly on the oven rack or on a baking tray in the hot oven (200°C/400°F) for 15-20 minutes until crispy on the outside.
The initial microwave cooking helps to soften up the inside of the potato in just a few minutes. The fork pricking allows steam to escape and prevent explosion or uneven cooking. The second oven stage crisps up the outer shell of the potato for texture contrast against the fluffy interior. The brush of oil or butter also promotes extra browning and flavor development.
What are the advantages of the jacket potato trick?
There are several benefits to using the jacket potato trick rather than just baking potatoes directly from raw:
- Much faster cooking time – A medium potato takes only about 20-25 minutes total, versus 1-1.5 hours baking from raw.
- Fluffy and creamy interior – The microwave cooking steams the potato from the inside out for a light, chewy texture.
- Crispy seasoned skin – The hot oven finishes the surface beautifully for added crunch and flavor.
- More consistent results – The microwave helps the potato cook through more evenly so there are fewer burnt or raw spots.
- Energy efficient – Using a short burst of microwave followed by oven uses less total energy than prolonged oven baking.
The jacket potato trick is therefore ideal for weeknight meals when you want great baked potatoes with little time or effort. The potatoes also hold well so you can prep them in advance.
How long should you microwave the potato?
Microwaving time can vary based on the size and quantity of potatoes, but here are general guidelines:
| Potato Size | Microwave Time |
|---|---|
| Small (100-150g) | 2-3 minutes |
| Medium (150-250g) | 3-5 minutes |
| Large (250-350g) | 5-7 minutes |
| Extra Large (350g+) | 7-10 minutes |
The goal is to microwave until the potato is softened but still offers some resistance when squeezed. It should not be completely limp or fully cooked through at this stage. Adjust the time based on your particular microwave power.
What temperature should the oven be?
A hot oven is best for crisping the potato skin nicely.Aim for a temperature around 200°C/400°F. If your oven runs hot or cool, adjust accordingly for best results. Higher heat will crisp the skins faster, while more moderate heat (175°C/350°F) will be gentler and less likely to burn.
What are the best potato varieties for jackets?
The ideal potatoes for jacket baking have a nice balance of moisture and starch. Varieties that work well include:
- Russet – Fluffy texture, offers sturdy skin
- Yukon Gold – Buttery flavor, holds shape when baked
- King Edward – Waxy, keeps moistness
- Maris Piper – Classic all-rounder, widely available
- Sweet potato – Nutritious alternative, use smaller sizes
Starchy potatoes like russets are especially good at soaking up all the butter or toppings you add. Waxy potatoes may be better for potato salads instead of baking. Avoid extremely moist potatoes like red bliss which can turn mushy when baked.
Should you wrap the potato in foil?
Foil-wrapping is optional and can help in a few ways:
- Speeds cooking – The foil tent traps steam and heat for faster baking.
- Prevents burning – If your oven runs hot, foil prevents over-browning.
- Keeps warm – Foil helps retain heat so potatoes stay warmer for longer.
However, foil will create a softer skin rather than crisp. For best results, bake foil-free initially to crisp the skin, then wrap in foil during the last 5-10 minutes if you want to keep potatoes warmer for serving.
What are the best toppings for jacket potatoes?
Jacket potatoes are the perfect canvas for creative toppings. Some delicious topping ideas include:
- Chili con carne
- Cheese (cheddar, feta, blue cheese)
- Cooked broccoli, ham, mushrooms
- Tuna salad or salmon
- Cottage or sour cream
- Baked beans
- Chopped fresh herbs
- Shredded chicken
- Salsa
- Chopped bacon pieces
Get creative with your favorite flavors! Toppings with some moisture help balance the fluffy dry potato interior. Let guests customize their own toppings for easy entertaining.
Can you prepare jacket potatoes in advance?
Yes, the jacket potato trick actually lends itself well to making potatoes ahead of time. Here are some tips:
- Fully bake potatoes until done, then cool completely.
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days, wrapped in foil.
- To reheat – unwrap, brush with oil, and bake at 200°C/400°F for 15 minutes until hot.
The pre-baked potatoes retain their flavor and texture nicely for reheating later on. Just be sure to store them properly wrapped in the fridge in the interim to prevent drying out.
How can you speed up baking further?
If you’re really pressed for time, there are couple additional tricks to reduce the baking time:
- Smaller potatoes – Petite new potatoes will bake faster.
- Parboil briefly – Boil potatoes 5 minutes before the oven.
- Bake at higher temp – Try 230°C/450°F for quicker crisping.
- Brush with oil – Oil helps boost browning reaction.
- Use a fan oven – The circulating air bakes potatoes faster.
With a combination of these time-saving tricks, you can shave off up to 10 minutes from the baking time for ultra fast jacket spuds in a hurry!
What are some common mistakes with jacket potatoes?
It’s easy to end up with subpar spuds if you’re not careful. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:
- Not pricking skin – Leads to exploding or uneven cooking.
- Over-microwaving – Results in a mushy interior texture.
- Low oven temperature – Prevents the skin from crisping fully.
- Foil tents too early – Creates a soggy skin rather than crispy.
- Stabbing too many times – Causes the potato to collapse inward.
- Using older potatoes – Can lead to off-flavors and textures.
Follow the proper technique of microwaving then oven baking while avoiding these mistakes, and you’ll be rewarded with perfect jacket potatoes every time.
Conclusion
The jacket potato trick delivers baked potato perfection – fluffy on the inside with a crispy seasoned skin on the outside. Taking advantage of the quick initial microwave steaming followed by high heat oven crisping cuts down on the baking time considerably compared to conventional methods. While not quite as fast as fully microwaved spuds, the two-step approach yields far superior texture and flavor. With minimal hands-on effort, you can enjoy hot jacket potatoes any night of the week. Once you try this easy trick, you may never bake potatoes the old-fashioned way again!