Alton Brown Baked Potato Recipe

I have to say that Alton Brown is among the best when it comes to creating recipes. His Baked Potato Recipe is no exception. In fact, I’d say you can’t go wrong with this one. Alton Brown has always been able to make something delicious using very simple and easy ingredients.

This Alton Brown Baked Potato recipe is straightforward to make and tastes delicious! I’ve been making potato skins that taste the same way for years, so you can imagine how happy I was when I tried this Alton Brown recipe.

How To Make Alton Brown Baked Potato

A baked potato is a baked potato, right? Well, in Alton Brown’s words: “The only thing that makes ‘baked’ potatoes ‘baked,’ is when you put them in the oven.”

So what makes a potato a potato? It’s the skin. If the skin on a potato isn’t browned, it’s not really a baked potato. The name comes from the fact that potatoes were originally cooked by covering them with hot coals and then covering them with dirt—no one knows how long they’d have survived if they hadn’t been covered with dirt first!

Ingredients

• 2 large russet potatoes
• Canola oil
• Kosher salt
• Optional toppings, such as butter, sour cream, shredded Cheddar and/or scallions

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash the potato thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water.
3. Dry the potatoes and then poke 8 to 12 deep holes with a fork all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking.
4. Place them in a bowl coated with oil, then sprinkle with kosher salt and place directly on the rack in the middle of the oven.
5. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.
6. Bake for an hour, or until they’re crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside.
7. Serve your spuds by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack them open by squeezing them towards one another. They’ll pop right open! Watch out, though—there’s some steam!
8. Add toppings if you want more flavor.

Cooking Tips

Here are some tips to get the Alton Brown Baked Potato recipe tasting its best:

• Make sure your potato is evenly cut and has a nice, even coat of seasoning.
• Don’t use too much salt, as it can make the potatoes taste too salty.
• You want to make sure that you don’t overbake the potatoes—they should be done but not browned.
• If you’re using a microwave oven, cook your potatoes for about 20 minutes on high power before adding butter or margarine and finishing them in the oven for another 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Health Benefits of Baked Potato

Baked potatoes are a great way to get your daily dose of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium.

Here are some of the health benefits of eating baked potatoes:

• Potatoes are a great source of fiber. One medium-sized potato contains about 3 grams of fiber. That’s more than half of the daily recommended amount for women and men!
• Potatoes are also a good source of vitamin C. One medium-sized potato contains about 1 cup worth of vitamin C (or about 20% of your daily value). This vitamin is essential for healthy skin and eyesight, as well as strong immune function.
• Potatoes are also a great source of potassium—one medium-sized potato contains about 441 milligrams (mg) worth! Potassium helps regulate blood pressure, heart rate, muscle contractions, and more—and is especially important to maintain healthy blood pressure levels during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Conclusion

While I grew up in a family that preferred the standard baked potato with butter (and Ruffles for the win!), this version of baked potatoes is something that I have added to my recipe box, which I will be adding to from here on out. With all of the steps involved, it feels like a dish that would be a perfect candidate to serve at a dinner party. Maybe I’ll get one together and see what happens. Do any of you guys have any recipes like this? Any other similar recipes? Drop them into the comments below and we’ll talk about it.