Baked Potato By Microwave: 8 Perfect Potato Recipes
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If you’ve been wondering “can you microwave baked potatoes?”, then you are in luck!
The answer is yes: you can easily make a baked potato by microwave and I am here to show you how to get the perfect microwave baked potato in under 10 minutes.
Firstly I’ll take you through the step by step instructions, then I’ll share all my favorite toppings in 8 awesome recipes.
Every now and then we get really immersed in a recipe. And so I have been eating at least one microwave baked potato almost every day for MONTHS.
In all shapes and sizes, flavours and toppings. Almost non-stop actually. Microwave potatoes are now my thing.
Also known as jacket potatoes, baked potatoes, filled potatoes, they’re all cooked in the microwave – so for ease of use, I’ll just call it what it is – a microwave baked potato.
I love my carbs, and to me, a food life without carbs is a no-go. With that being said, I think it pays to keep an eye on what carbs. Living non-stop off white pasta and white bread can be a dangerous line to walk according to this article.
Swapping out some breads and pastas for potatoes can’t be a bad start. Potatoes have a lot going for them (see here). But why is a microwave baked potato our favorite method?
THE SPEED! The sheer, unadulterated speed! A microwave baked potato is SO QUICK!
Just a few minutes in the microwave and they’re ready to go – that’s a fraction of the time it takes to bake them in the oven.
You can even use the cooking time to prepare the potato toppings, meaning you’ll have an awesome snack, easy side dish or even full meal ready to go in just minutes. It’s really the best way to go.
How to microwave bake a potato: step by step
Microwave-baked potatoes are super easy to prepare, but there are a few key things you need to remember.
Always use a microwave-safe plate and punch holes in your potato(s) before you cook them. If you forget the holes they are prone to explode!
You might also want to wrap your potato in a damp paper towel, as this is the most reliable way to make sure it doesn’t dry out
Furthermore, cook time varies according to the size of your potato and how many potatoes you want to bake. There is an easy way to determine this and I have done the math to show you what needs to happen.
How long to microwave a jacket potato?
When you microwave a baked potato how long is all size dependent. How long to microwave small potatoes is different to how long to microwave big potatoes.
Don’t worry, we’ve done the math – follow our guide and you’ll be sorted.
All these microwave baked potato times use a 1000w microwave as a basis.
For example:
Larger potatoes like this one (picture) takes about nine minutes.
A medium potato like this (picture) takes about seven minutes.
A small potato like this (picture) takes about five minutes.
What power to microwave a potato at?
We have based our microwave potato times on a 1000W microwave. However, of course, not every microwave is 1000w. If yours is more or less powerful, then add or remove about 1 minute for each 100w difference.
For example, looking again at the large potato. It usually takes about nine minutes. If using a 1200w microwave (plus 200w) then take off two minutes (so cook for seven minutes).
If using an 800w microwave (minus 200w) then add two minutes (so cook for eleven minutes).
How to microwave more than 1 baked potato?
Are you wondering how long to microwave 2 potatoes or 3, or even 4 potatoes, then all you need to do is add extra minutes per extra potato.
For example: you’d like to add one more large potato. Add four minutes. To add two more large potatoes, add eight minutes (I wouldn’t cook more than three large potatoes at the same time).
To add a medium potato, add three minutes. To add two, add six minutes. To add three, add nine minutes. And so on.
To add a small potato, add two minutes. To add two, add four minutes. 3 more potatoes is an extra six minutes. And so on.
When adding extra potatoes just add or remove one minute for each potato for every 200w difference. For example – you want to add more large potato in an 800w microwave – add five minutes instead of the usual four.
Summary: how to make baked potatoes in a microwave
- Decide
Decide on time according to size and quantity of potatoes
- Prepare
Poke holes in your potato. Do this on a flat surface, carefully, while holding the potato steady with one hand.
Don’t pick up the potato and try to pierce it in mid-air, equally do not try and pierce the potato without holding it all. This is all tried and tested advice – I’ve tested it so you don’t have to.
There’s no need for you to stab your hands as well.
- Place
Place potato on a microwave safe plate inside microwave. Some people choose to wrap the potato in a damp paper towel to help it not dry out. This is optional.
- Microwave
Start the microwave. Stop it halfway through and turn the potato over, to ensure it is cooked through. At this stage, you can even cut them open to speed up the process even more.
- Fill
Remove from microwave and fill with your favorite toppings. Voila! The perfect baked potato in less time than it takes to boil pasta!
Microwave baked potato recipes
It’s time to find your new favorite recipe for microwave baked potato. As a microwave jacket potato aficionado, I have 9 go-to recipes. There should be sometime for everyone!
The Original
- Microwave the large potato for nine minutes. A medium potato needs seven minutes and a small potato needs five minutes. To add extra potatoes allow an extra four minutes for a large potato, three minutes for a medium potato and two minutes for a small potato. This is using a 1000w microwave – adjust for slightly longer or shorter if yours is a higher or lower power. Don’t forget to pierce the potatoes with a fork a few times.
1 large potato
- When ready, slice a deep groove through the middle of the potato in both directions. Repeat the process diagonally.
- Add the butter, salt and pepper.
1 tbsp butter, Salt and pepper to taste
- Enjoy.
Don’t forget to try the other flavours below!
Nutrition Facts
Baked Potato By Microwave: 8 Perfect Potato Recipes
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
The easy recipe where it all started. Butter with a little salt and black pepper. So good. Vegans can use a vegan margarine or a little olive oil, no problem. That goes for the rest of the toppings, too.
Recipe by: HurryTheFoodUp
An all-time classic of baked beans and cheese. Brexit shouldn’t have an effect on this one. Surprisingly high in protein thanks to the beans and cheese. Butter/vegan margarine and salt/pepper are optional – and very tasty.
Recipe by: HurryTheFoodUp
A delicious combo of smashed avocado and sweet chilli sauce from down under. A little sour cream goes nicely, too.
Recipe by: HurryTheFoodUp
This cottage cheese and cucumber beauty hails from the north of England. It’s quick, simple and tasty – and the cottage cheese provides a good whack of protein, too.
Recipe by: HurryTheFoodUp
Talking of protein, this bad boy’s a beast. Filled with your favourite beans, lentils and cottage cheese, the protein levels of this one are off the charts. Embrace the gainzzz.
Recipe by: HurryTheFoodUp
Creamy garlic mushrooms with halloumi. Oh wow. If you like mushrooms, then this one is a must. You can find a quick link to creamy garlic mushrooms right here.
This recipe can be made vegan by skipping the halloumi and making the mushrooms with coconut milk (see recipe).
Recipe by: HurryTheFoodUp
Efficient, to the point and damn tasty. Butter and salt (or vegan marg) topped with quark (or sour cream). Loved by an entire country.
Recipe by: HurryTheFoodUp
Go wild and cook up your favourite veggies. We love grilled or fried zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, onion, mushrooms, corn and chili peppers.
Cook them simply in a pan with a few herbs or spices (this fajita mix is perfect) or in a sauce (like this simple salsa).
Recipe by: HurryTheFoodUp
Even just reading the ingredients out loud gives an air (or heir?) of class to this one. Butter and salt under a layer of brie and cranberries leads to an irresistible sweet-salty twist. Once you’ve gone upper-middle class there’s no going back.
FAQs
How long should I put my potato in the microwave?
The time for microwaved baked potato is between 5 and 9 minutes, depending on the size. A small potato takes about 5 minutes to cook through, a medium potato takes around 7 minutes and a large potato takes roughly 9 minutes.
It is easy to check if your potato is ready or not by poking it with a skewer, knife or fork and seeing if it is soft.
How long does it take to microwave 2 potatoes?
It takes 13 minutes to microwave two large potatoes, 9 minutes to microwave two medium potatoes and 7 minutes to microwave two smaller potatoes.
Is it OK to microwave a whole potato?
Yes! It is totally fine to microwave a potato whole. However, it is super important to remember to poke holes in it first to let the steam escape. If you don’t do this, you will very likely end up with a potato explosion!
Do baked potatoes taste the same in the microwave?
Yes! Microwaved and oven baked potato tastes basically the same. The one key difference is that you won’t get such crispy skin with microwave cooking methods. However cooking potatoes in a microwave is much quicker than in an oven!
How many potatoes can I cook at one time?
In a standard microwave I’d stick to 3 large potatoes, 5 medium potatoes or 8 small potatoes at any one time. If you have a bigger microwave then feel free to up the amount.
Baked potato calories – how many are there?
A large microwave potato has about 280 calories, a medium one has about 160 calories, and a small one has roughly 130. Toppings add more calories!
Which kind of potato do you recommend for the microwave method?
All potatoes you can find in the grocery store are microwaveable, however we particularly recommend russet potatoes for the best microwave baked potato, because they are big and have a lovely, fluffy texture.
You can also make these recipes with sweet potatoes, though cook times may vary!
And there you have it, a one stop guide to how to microwave jacket potatoes, the main course or quick side dish that is ready in minutes and can be served in countless ways. A weeknight classic you can’t help but love.
