Best Way to Microwave a Jacket Potato

The best way to microwave a jacket potato isn’t the way that most other people will tell you, but, dissatisfied with the texture of many jacket potatoes cooked in microwave ovens over the years, a few years ago I tried something new – and it turned out to be the best way to microwave a jacket potato so that the potato became soft and fluffy and the texture was the closest possible to a long and slow baked potato from the oven!

Today I’ve topped my jacket potato with a simple, but filling, cheddar cheese and baked beans.  There are some more jacket potato toppings and fillings ideas here: Jacket Potato Toppings & Fillings.

In the past I’ve used plastic gadgets that have a spike to hold a potato in place in the microwave – and I’ve tried pricking the potatoes and wrapping them in kitchen paper.  While these methods did cook the potato, it was still “lacking something” – and the reason these potatoes weren’t all that good was because the cooking process was losing too much moisture!

What I needed to do was retain the moisture of the jacket potato, enabling the centre to be fluffy.  So I tried out my microwave steamer.  This is the way I make all my mashed potato – I steam the potatoes and mash them, but if you use the technique with a jacket potato it produces soft and fluffy jacket spuds!

Best Way to Microwave a Jacket Potato:

1. Wash the outside of the potato, cutting out any little cuts or bruises you spot.
2. Cut the potato in half and lay the two halves in the microwave steamer with the white inside uppermost.  Sprinkle salt on if you’re a salt user.  Pour some boiling water into the microwave steamer and set the timer for 4 minutes.
3. After 4 minutes turn the two halves over and microwave again for a further 4 minutes.
4. After 4 minutes turn the two halves over again and microwave again for a further 4 minutes.  Once the microwave finishes cooking, leave the potato inside the microwave steamer to continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
5. Check the potato – is that nice and fluffy?  If not, return the lidded steamer to the microwave oven and microwave for a further 2 minutes.

Once the potato is cooked and fluffy, top with your favourite toppings.  Grated cheddar cheese and baked beans is a staple choice in my house, two ingredients I am always guaranteed to have in the house!  Before I add the jacket potato toppings, though, I always add a knob of butter to each potato half!

What If You Don’t Have a Microwave Steamer?

You could try this method in a regular steamer if you’ve got one handy.  Or, simply think about a way of retaining the moisture of the potato while it cooks and use a microwave safe container and cover the dish with clingfilm (with a small vent hole to let excess steam out).

The “secret” is in keeping that moisture and the potato together as much as you can!  Steaming the potato in its jacket ensures the inside of the potato remains soft and fluffy.

Menu Cost 50p

This jacket potato filled with grated cheddar cheese and baked beans is a cheap and filling meal that’s a real winter warmer – and costs just 50p