Microwave Baked Potato
The key to making a perfect baked potato in the microwave is cooking it at half power. Because microwaves generate heat that penetrates foods from the outside in, they can overcook the exterior and undercook the interior of big, dense ingredients like potatoes. At 50-percent power, the machine cooks the spuds evenly all the way through. Even at that lower wattage, the potato will cook far more quickly than it would in an oven and is a great method for preparing just one serving.
Ingredients
- 1 medium russet potato, scrubbed clean
- Butter, sour cream, bacon bits and chives or other toppings of your choice
Directions
- 1
Poke holes all over the potato with a fork or small paring knife to prevent it from exploding.
- 2
Microwave on a plate at 50-percent power for 6 minutes. Flip the potato over with tongs and microwave at 50-percent power for another 5 minutes. A paring knife should slide through easily. At this point, the potato will be cooked through and tender with the moistness of a steamed or boiled potato. If you’d prefer a dry, fluffy inside, microwave for another minute or two longer, until the skin looks dry and wrinkled.
- 3
Cool for a few minutes, then cut open and fill with toppings.