Jacket potatoes can take hours to cook in the oven. Luckily, my method is simple and fast, producing a perfect crunchy exterior.
The Challenge of Perfect Jacket Potatoes
Jacket potatoes are a popular and comforting food, eaten for lunch or dinner. Whether you load them with cheese and beans or tuna mayo, or keep them classic with butter and salt, they can be a perfect meal on their own or a delicious side dish. While they're easy to prepare and cook, achieving that ideal contrast between a fluffy interior and a perfectly crisp exterior can be tricky. The challenge with jacket potatoes is getting the skin to crisp up properly without drying out the potato inside. In a conventional oven, this usually takes a few hours, and even then, the skin can sometimes end up chewy rather than crunchy. Microwaving speeds the process up but often leaves the skin soft.
My Secret Ingredient: Fine Sea Salt
Baked potatoes are a firm favourite in my household. I've tried many recipes over the years to get it right, but I always go back to one. I manage to get that perfect crunch without oil by salting the skin directly after it comes out of the microwave, before it goes into the air fryer to crisp up. I'll pop one potato in the microwave for about eight minutes, depending on its size, just until it's slightly soft. I'll then rub a little fine sea salt onto the skin and put it in the air fryer for around eight minutes to crisp up. The salt helps draw out surface moisture and encourages the skin to dry and crisp up more quickly.
Why Sea Salt Works Best
It is better to use sea salt than any other type, as its crystals are very coarse, meaning they will not dissolve quickly in the potato. I also find the best type of potato to buy for a jacket spud in the supermarket is simply a baking potato. They'll often come in packs of four for around 89p, and these are the perfect variety. As the potato cooks in the air fryer, it develops a satisfying crunch without needing any butter or oil.
Final Steps for a Fluffy Interior
Once cooked, I cut a cross into the potato and gently squeeze the sides. This helps loosen the inside, making it fluffy rather than dense. Then, I slightly mash the inside with a fork, add some butter along with my preferred filling and enjoy the crunch.
