How Long to Bake a Potato?

Baking Time for Potatoes

Potatoes bake for about 60 minutes in a 400°F oven, depending on the size. This baking time is for a common 8-10 ounce potato, so give or take from the time if you have tiny or huge potatoes to bake. Large potatoes may 75 minutes or more to properly soften.

The great thing about baking a potato is that it is kind of hard to go wrong and mess up the baked potato recipe. If it’s under cooked, it will be hard and not have as much flavor. But, if it is over cooked there’s really no problem at all. An over cooked potato will be softer, which is usually not considered a bad thing, but will be every bit as tasty as if it were cooked perfectly.

Another convenience of baking potatoes is that they can be baked at most any temperature, handy if the oven temperature is already set for another dish. Potatoes will bake for longer at a lower temperature, for instance potatoes baked in a 350°F oven will take about an hour and a half to bake properly. Again, always adjust for the size of the potatoes being baked.

How to Tell if a Potato is Done

To test that a potato has been properly baked, the easiest way is to gently squeeze the potato on both sides at once. A baked potato should give slightly when properly cooked. Make sure to use a potholder to protect your fingers from the heat.

The other way to check if a potato has been properly baked is to see if it can be easily poked with a fork. Be careful with this second option, because if they are not soft yet and must be left in the oven to bake longer there is a chance that they will begin to leak through the fork holes once they are beyond ready.

How Long to Bake a Potato

Additional Info

See our guide to making a perfectly baked potato here.

For the best way to keep raw potatoes from turning brown, see our brown potatoes FAQ post.

To check if you can freeze potatoes, check our freeze potatoes FAQ post.

Warning – if your potato is green, read our green potato FAQ post before using that potato.