How to cook a baked potato in a toaster oven

How to bake a potato in a toaster oven

Whether you have creative toppings planned for your baked potatoes or you are sticking with the tried and true favorites, you can start by baking your potatoes in a countertop oven. A countertop oven is a smaller version of the oven or range found in most kitchens. Follow the steps below to prepare your own spin on the baked potato.

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 medium-sized Russet potatoes

• Olive oil

• Optional toppings:

  • Sour cream

  • Bacon

  • Chives

  • Butter

  • Shredded cheese

Tools

• Countertop oven such as this one from KitchenAid brand

• Knife or fork

• Tongs

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 45 minutes

Total time 50 minutes

Step 1: Preheat

Preheat the countertop oven to 400°F. With some countertop ovens such as this KitchenAid^® Dual Convection Countertop Oven, you can preheat quickly. This countertop oven can preheat to 350°F in just four minutes.

Step 2: Prep the potatoes

Wash, scrub and dry your Russet potatoes and then use a fork or knife to pierce each potato two or three times on each side. Piercing the potatoes allows steam to escape while they cook. Once you have pierced them, rub the potatoes with a thin coating of olive oil. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper or other seasonings, if desired. Place them on the rack or baking sheet.

Step 3: Bake the potatoes

Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes or until they feel soft when pierced with a fork and their skins are crispy and lightly browned.

Step 4: Remove and open

Cut across the length of the potato, then hold the potato and press towards the center. The potato will pop open and you can fluff the inside with a fork.

What is the best countertop oven setting for making a baked potato?

Baked potatoes can be cooked in the countertop oven using the bake function or the convection function. Using the convection setting on your countertop oven may result in faster cooking times. Countertop ovens often have different settings so you can try air frying, baking and convection to see which you like best.

The KitchenAid^® Digital Countertop Oven with Air Fry features nine different settings including air fry for a new, unique twist on the classic baked potato.

Should I boil or otherwise prep my potato before baking in a toaster oven?

It is not necessary to boil a potato before baking, but there is prep involved. Potatoes should be pierced with a fork or knife and rubbed in olive oil before baking. You can rub the potato skin in butter or melted butter mixed with kosher salt, instead of olive oil, if you’d like a little extra flavor.

Should I wrap my potato in foil before putting it in the toaster oven?

If you’d like crispy skin on your potatoes, you will want to forgo wrapping them in tin foil. However, if you are wanting a steamed result with your baked potatoes, tin foil will do the trick.

Special tips for cooking a sweet potato in a toaster oven

Baking a sweet potato in a toaster oven is similar to baking a Russet potato. To reduce the cooking time, you can cut the sweet potatoes in half and bake them as halves. Because of the sweeter taste of sweet potatoes, you can get inventive with toppings. Sweet potato toppings might include berries, toasted coconut, caramel or almond butter.

Toaster oven baked potato toppings

Baked potato toppings might include traditional choices such as sour cream, bacon and chives. Other baked potato creations can include chili-stuffed baked potatoes, buffalo chicken-topped baked potatoes and even vegan options such as smoky apple stuffed baked potatoes. You might even consider making twice baked potatoes with your toaster oven.