Jacket potatoes laid out on a baking tray

All hail the king of comfort food! When days are cold and nights are long, nothing hits the spot quite like a beautiful jacket potato. Crisp and golden on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside, it’s the perfect vehicle for all sorts of tasty fillings.

And the best bit? It’s so easy to cook! And quick, too, if you let the microwave do the hard work. So, whether you’re after a comforting lunch or a warming dinner-for-one, check out our guide on the best way to cook a jacket potato, choose your favourite filling, and curl up with a plate of potato heaven.

How to cook jacket potatoes in the oven

You will need:

1 medium-sized baking potato per person (120-170g per potato)
olive oil

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
  2. Wash and scrub the potatoes and dry with a clean tea towel – dry skin will ensure it’ll be crispy once baked.
  3. Rub with olive oil (oil also helps the skin go golden) and season with sea salt, then use a fork to pierce it six times, all around the potato.
  4. Place on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour to 1¼ hours, until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
  5. Transfer to a board and cut open straight away – if you let the potato sit after baking, the interior will steam and the potato can become soggy and heavy. 
  6. Top with your favourite filling, or check out our ideas below for some inspiration.

TIPS:

If you’d like to speed things up, pierce the potatoes with a sharp knife and cook in the microwave on high power (800W) for 10 minutes. Rub with olive oil, season with sea salt and bake on a tray in a preheated oven (200°C/400°F/gas 6) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the skin is crispy.

– If you’re baking more than one potato, make sure they are all approximately the same size, so they cook at the same time.

How to cook jacket potatoes in an air-fryer

Place the baking potatoes in the air-fryer* and cook at 200°C for 40 minutes, or until soft. If your air-fryer has a basket rather than shelves, you should turn the potatoes over halfway through cooking. 

TIP: If you’d like to speed things up, pierce the potatoes with a sharp knife and cook in the microwave on high power (800W) for 10 minutes, then cook in the air-fryer at 200°C for 10 minutes, or until soft, turning halfway if your air-fryer has a basket rather than shelves. 

*Tested in a 4.2-litre air-fryer. All air-fryers are different, so results may vary.

4 fabulous filling ideas

TUNA MAYO TWIST

Upgrade your classic tuna mayo by stirring through quartered cherry tomatoes and finely sliced spring onion, pile into your potato and finish with a handful of rocket. 

 

HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS & CHEESE

Roughly chop a garlic clove and fresh red chilli, and add to a saucepan with a tin of cannellini beans, plum tomatoes, smoked paprika and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Stir and simmer until thickened. Spoon over your potato and add a sprinkling of grated Cheddar cheese. 

 

RAINBOW SLAW

Grate up a colourful mix of red cabbage, carrot, apple, red onion and gherkins and dress with a splash of the gherkin juice, extra virgin olive oil and your choice of soft herbs, then use it to top your potato. Crumble over feta cheese and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts for extra crunch.

 

CARAMELISED RED ONION & BACON

Roughly chop smoked streaky bacon and fry off with thinly sliced red onion and a handful of fresh thyme sprigs. Stir through a handful of baby spinach leaves, then pile into your potato with a spoonful of natural yoghurt.

If these tasty jacket potato fillings have got you in the mood, check out our loaded potato skins for more inspiration, or watch Jamie cook potatoes 5 tasty ways.