How Long Do I Microwave A Potato (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 3-7 Minutes

We all know at least one person who is a foodie. Well, numerous dishes keep coming up every next day and all of them are super delicious. Many people think that it only takes you to know the ingredients to prepare a dish but that’s not all. If you want a dish to come out tasty, you must cook it for the right amount of time. 

A microwaved baked potato is an excellent option if you need dinner on the table quickly. A single potato takes a little over five minutes to cook, and boiling a couple more potatoes at the same time takes no more than a few minutes. This dinner staple is made even faster and easier when topped with leftover chilli or simply boiled vegetables.

How Long Do I Microwave A Potato

How Long Do I Microwave A Potato?

Way Of BakingCooking Time
In Oven30 Minutes
In Microwave3-7 Minutes

Many people prefer to preheat their microwave for 15 minutes before baking their potatoes for one hour. But, we think that this is just a waste of time as you can microwave your potato in just 7 minutes. A microwave is a great way to bake without the tremendous blast of heat from the oven, especially in the summer when the days are already hot enough.

While some people prefer to peel their Potatoes, some like to eat potatoes with skin on. If you are also one of them who cooks potatoes with the skin on, you’ll need to clean it first. Scrub it well to remove all the grit, then rinse and dry it well. 

Stabbing your potato all over with a fork helps the steam escape throughout the heating process, which helps the potato take on a fluffier texture when cooked. Don’t skip this crucial step of stabbing your Potatoes as it is important. If you want your potato’s skin to get a little crispy, make sure it’s completely dry after washing it, then massage it with a little oil right before putting it in the microwave. 

For our baked potato, we like to use a typical russet potato, but you may use any tuber variety. Cooking duration will vary based on the size and density of the potato. You need to bake your potatoes for 4 minutes and then flip them and cook them again for the same amount of time. Once you notice that your potato has become perfectly soft and creamy, you can finally take it out of the microwave and serve it hot. 

Why Do I Microwave A Potato For That Long?

Some people like to have their baked potatoes as it is. But, most people like to have some delicious toppings to add more flavour to their baked potatoes. With a little butter, a dollop of sour cream, a touch of salt and pepper, and your favourite fresh herbs serve it plain. If you like cheese, you can add cheese to your baked potatoes and wait for the cheese to melt. 

 Alternatively, go for something different like pesto with freshly grated Parmesan. You can also try a smear of miso. Some people also line a dusting of furikake while Baking potatoes. If not this, you can also go for a runny sunny-side-up egg with a drizzle of spicy sauce. When you want to make a baked potato but don’t have much time, a microwave baked potato is a great option. 

Microwave potatoes cook in a fraction of the time while remaining soft and fluffy, making them ideal for toppings. If you want to bake one potato only, do it for 4 minutes per side. If you are baking two potatoes, do it for 5 minutes per side in the microwave. And, if you are cooking 3 potatoes in the microwave at a time, bake them for 6 minutes per side. 

Before microwaving, make sure the potatoes are pierced with a fork. These times are for baking potatoes that are about 10-12 ounces in size and are average to large. Start with a minute less for smaller potatoes and a minute more for larger ones. So, this all must have made it clear to you that the amount of time that your potatoes will take depends completely on their quantity.

Conclusion

Some people look for ways to slice their baked potatoes nicely. Well, to do that, slice your potatoes lengthwise across the top, about halfway down, to cut it like a restaurant. Then, with a large towel between your hands to protect them from the hot potato, squeeze the sides of the potato inward with your thumb and index finger until the slice splits wide.

When potatoes are overdone in the microwave, they lose a lot of moisture and become dry and hard. Sometimes when you use an old microwave, you might see your potato getting hard on some parts even when it’s still undercooked. Well, in that situation you can flip your potatoes in between the cooking time to make sure that they get cooked evenly.

References

  1. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781482270778-15/microwave-processes-food-industry-robert-schiffmann
  2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2003.tb05733.x
  3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13197-014-1464-x

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AboutNidhi

Hi! I'm Nidhi.

Here at the EHL, it's all about delicious, easy recipes for casual entertaining. So come and join me at the beach, relax and enjoy the food.

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