Sometimes, a boiled potato won’t do. Only the fluffy starch and crunchy crust of a baked potato will quell the turbulent fall gusts of cool wind that follow us through the door. But baking a potato simply takes too long.
My oven takes 15-20 minutes to pre-heat to the scalding temperatures potatoes need to be baked to a crispy skin. Add 45 minutes to an hour to bake them and to someone who is used to pressure cooking everything the whole process just seems like a wasteful use of energy that takes entirely too much time.
On a whim, and then over and over and over again, I tossed the potatoes in the pressure cooker to pre-cook them a bit while my oven was pre-heating. Depending on the size of the potato, they need just 10-15 minutes in the scalding oven to crisp-up their skin and turn their flesh into a comforting fluffy pillow of potato-y goodness.
Start-to-finish your potato will go from raw to baked in under 30 minutes using this method!
| Pressure Cooker | Accessories | Pr. Cook Time | Pr. Level | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 L or larger | none | 10 min. | High(2) | Normal |
(per serving)
- Serves: 4
- Serving size: about 1½ potatoes
- Calories: 150.0
- TOTAL Fat: 0.0
- TOTAL Carbs: 39.2g
- Sugar Carbs: 4.5g
- Sodium: 0.0
- Fiber Carbs: 4.5g
- Protein: 6.0g
- Cholesterol: 0.0
- 1 cup water
- 2 pounds (or 1 k) medium baking potatoes (also called Idaho or "old potatoes"), well scrubbed - about 6 potatoes
- Place the washed potatoes in the pressure cooker and pierce the side of the potato facing up with a fork a few times or poke each a few times using point of a knife. Then, add a cup of water.
- Turn on oven to 450F/245C so to pre-heat while the potatoes are pressure cooking.
- Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker.
- Electric pressure cookers: Cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.
Stovetop pressure cookers: Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker indicates it has reached high pressure, lower to the heat to maintain it and begin counting 8 minutes pressure cooking time. - When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure.
- Using tongs, and being careful not to remove too much of the skin, place each potato directly on the middle rack of the oven (poked holes facing up) and bake for 10-15 minutes - take out the smallest potatoes and serve first. Then, turn off the oven and let the larger potatoes continue to bake using the oven's residual heat for another 5-10 minutes.
- Enjoy your crispy, fluffy baked short-cut potatoes!
Wow! I never thought of trying jacket potatoes in the pressure cooker before baking them. This would be a great time saver.
Would it work for very large potatoes (see left potato in picture)?
I leave the slightly larger ones in the oven a little longer- about 20 minutes. Enjoy!!
Ciao,
L
I will try uploading the photo again…
Here’s a BIG potato, on the left of the photo, if it uploads this time…
David, as with any potato-cooking you want to try and match the sizes as much as possible. However, if you really wanted to give this a shot with one large potato and two small – I recommend putting the larger potato in the bottom of the pressure cooker (in contact with the water where it will cook a teensy bit faster). Then, in the baking phase I would check if the small ones are ready at 10 minutes baking time, and let the larger one go for 20.
Ciao,
L
You stated to cook a medium potato at High for 10 mins in Instant Pot. My Farberware doesn’t have a High setting. It has P1 (slow cook) – P9 (brown / sear). Would P9 be considered High on my pot? So I should cook them at P9 for 10 mins prior to crisping in oven?
Hi Emily, we’re trying to sort out what means what on your pressure cooker. A kind lady from the Faberware Facebook group just photographed and sent me a copy of the manual. For now, as is standard for most electrics without dedicated “high” or “low” pressure settings, my best guess is that all the pressure programs (P2 to P8, or “Soup/Stew” to “Beans”) operate at high pressure.
Don’t use the Slow Cooker or Brown/Sear programs to bring your pressure cooker to pressure. ; )
Also, here is where you can find that friendly lady and her group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/936597149728226/
Ciao,
L
Leave the larger potatoes in the pressure cooker longer, they cook much faster in there.
Another way to “finish” the steam cooked potatoes is to fry them in a little bacon greese or corn oil. Add onions and serve with the meal. Or for breakfast, add a couple eggs to the fried potatoes just before they are finished.
How do you place a potato “face-up?” (Place in pressure cooker face-up)
Cut-side up. : )
Ciao,
L
Popping the potatoes in the microwave for a few min., depending on size of course, is another quick way to precook potatoes before crisping the skins in the regular oven
So the potatoes cook IN the water, not steamed above? You mention 1 cup water in the ingredients, but not in the recipe. I used to use a microwave to make potatoes faster, but have reduced that considerably. I am glad the pressure cooker can make baked potatoesfast again without the microwaves. Thanks, Laura!
You’re kind of steaming without a steamer basket. Just a few bits of the potatoes will actually touch the water.
I haven’t used a microwave in years, but if memory serves me right, you have to add microwave cooking time for each potato and it takes a LONG time to microwave 6 medium potatoes – at least it used to for me!
Ciao,
L
I also, pre pressure cook my baked potatoes. When ever grilling out, I stick the pressure cooked potatoes on the grill, to crisp up, with the rest of the meal being grilled. No real heat in the house and everything comes off the grill at the same time.
I have never pierced the skins on my potatoes for pressure cooking, baking or grilling.
The reason I pierce the skin is so there is “controlled breakage”. When I don’t pierce them the skin cracks irregularly along the sides and it’s more difficult to keep intact.
Ciao,
L
I made them today at lunch.
Fantastic!
This really works and saves time. I cooked larger potatoes than those photographed, so I did mine for 20 minutes in the pressure cooker at high pressure, preheated the oven (I have a “fan oven”) for 10 minutes whilst the potatoes were pressure cooking. Baked for 25 minutes and they came out lovely, equivalent to baking in the oven for an hour and a half.
There were no raw bits in the potatoes.
The secret is to bake them in a very hot oven, so I used the highest temperature (high temperatures are good for ovens with “self clean” panels too).
If the pressure cooker splits the potato skin – DON’T WORRY, the skin will “seal up” in the oven; yes I did pierce the potatoes first with a sharp knife.
I’m very pleased. Thanks for sharing this recipe Laura. I rated this 5 stars. :)
I tried your recipe and it worked out perfectly. The step by step for me was:
Pre heated oven at 450F while potatoes are in the pressure cooker
6 medium organic russets (rinsed and brushed clean) – manual mode / 20min / high pressure using the Instant Pot IP-DUO60
Fast (manual) steam release
Drizzled olive oil over the potatoes while still in the pot (easier clean-up)
Threw some handfuls of coarse sea salt over the potatoes while still in the pot (easier clean-up)
Removed carefully with tongs to preserve skin and placed directly on oven rack for about 15-20 minutes, while in the mean time I prepared the toppings like shredded cheese, chili, bacon bits, chives, broccoli, etc.
Amazing, delicious, and fast! This used to take me over an hour to do in the oven alone, heat up the entire house, and waste all that energy.
Thank you!
In your recipe you state “cook 10 minutes with normal release.” Is that the Quick release method rather than the natural release? The word “normal” throws me. I have the Instant Pot Duo. Thanks.
Each manufacturer calls their valve release something different – but the normal release means to turn of the pressure cooker and release pressure by opening the valve on the lid.
Ciao,
L
I tend to bake potatoes in the Toaster Oven. In my opinion why not pressure cook those potatoes and finish them up in the Toaster oven instead? I am one person but if you’re cooking for one to three people this could also save a lot of time and energy.
I’ve tried this method about 5 times since my previous comment. Results are still good.
Be aware that very large baking potatoes will take longer in the pressure cooker – yes you can buy “baking potatoes” in UK supermarkets and some of these potatoes are *BIG* and would need 25 minutes in the pressure cooker!
For a really crunchy skin, at least 30 minutes in the preheated oven seems to work. Don’t let that put you off, because using the pressure cooker prior to baking the potatoes is still considerably faster, compared to just putting these large potatoes in the oven and then waiting at least 90 minutes (sometimes even longer) for the same results! You can save at least 35 minutes by using the pressure cooker first. :)
And not just the time, but all that energy! I pretty much stopped making baked potatoes at home, because I lived in Arizona and the heat build up in the kitchen was not worth it in the end.
I agree I also live in Arizona, so do I have to use the oven after pressure cooking my potatoes
We made ours without putting them in the oven as it was optional on the recipe we found. They were the best baked potatoes I have eaten in years. Will try oven crisping next time, but it would be hard to improve on straight from the pot.
the instructions say to poke holes in the potatoes with a fork, or use a knife and add water.
the punctuation in this instruction would lead me to believe that if I use a fork to poke the holes, I do not need to add water.
is this truly what you mean?
also, I tried to copy the instruction so I could quote it exactly and I couldn’t get it to be “highlighted” so I could copy it. I also tried to copy all of the comments to add to my copy of the recipe and couldn’t get them to be highlighted either. How can I save all of the comments on my computer??
Thanks for your feedback, we have corrected the punctuation to reflect that you should still add water either way. My strong suit is pressure cooking – not grammar. : )
You can click on the button at the bottom of the recipe that says “print or PDF” to save the recipe.
We’ve had problems in the past where discussion groups and member of large recipe websites would just copy our recipes and post them without our permission or even citing the source – so we disabled the highlighting function. Our recipes still regularly appear in cheap e-books and such but disabling highlighting discourages the most frequent recipe theft, but unfortunately, not those who profit from it.
Ciao,
L
Laura, could you watermark the recipe text and photographs to help avoid theft?
Works great! Thanks Laura.
This also works wonderfully with Yams and Sweet Potatoes!
I discovered that steaming the potato in the pressure cooker is even better! The skin stays intact and because the potato is being steamed rather than partially “boiled”, the skin won’t become wet.
I will be steaming my jacket (baked) potatoes from now on, before baking them at full blast.
:-)
how do you steam in the pressure cooker? does that require a basket or something to keep them out of the water?
Hi Carly, come to our pressure cooking school. Or skip right to the steamer basket lesson!
Pressure Cooking School:
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooking-school/
Steamed Broccoli & Steamer Baskets:
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/steamed-broccoli-steamer-baskets/
Ciao,
L
I’m a total newbie to this method of cooking. I haven’t been in the same house with a pressure cooker since I went away for college, and Mom didn’t let anybody younger than her anywhere near her pressure cooker. I got so interested when I read about pre-pressuring baked potatoes that I bought the next pressure cooker I saw. I haven’t even taken it out of the box yet (still playing mostly with my new slow cooker). So excuse m, please, if I ask really dumb questions.
Doesn’t cooking the potatoes with a cup of water in the pot constitute “steaming”?
If the potatoes are in or touching the water, then no, it does not constitute steaming. To achieve “steaming” in the pressure cooker, the food has to be kept above the level of water (or liquid).
Yes, they are “mostly” steamed even if they’re not “technically” steamed. David – thanks for letting us know how the steaming in a basket is working out!
Ciao,
L
So glad I found this! This was a quick and easy way to make baked potato.
Great tip!
I wonder, if since our family doesn’t like the crunchy outside skin, could i do the entire cooking time in the cooker??
Absolutely! Just pressure cook for 15-20 minutes and use Natural Release (don’t forget to pierce the skin!)!
Ciao,
L
Do I use the steamer plate ,with about 2 cups of water and pressure cook my potatoes for 20 minutes. I don’t want crunchy potatoes
I’ve downloaded lots of smart recipes for my smart instant pot without any difficulty. But this recipe isn’t working right when I try to open it in the app. I’ve enclosed the picture of all that I see when I open this in the app. There is nothing that you can scroll up or down to. This is literally all there is.
Hi Betsy, this is an “older” script that only has the cooking instructions and not the recipe in it. I have removed the link to it and am in the process of creating and updated one for your to download, stay tuned! Find all of the recipes with Instant Pot SMART scripts here:
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/category/smartcooker/
Ciao,
L
Tnx for the recipe. My aunt used to p.cook then oven bake potatoes and they were the fluffiest, dreamiest bakers ever.
As a physicist, I think i can shed a little light in the steam, boil, ,p.cook issue.
When you steam food you are taking advantage of the fact that the condensation of steam to water transfers a large amount of heat-energy to the surface. The vapor-to-liquid phase change extracts a lot of heat-energy. Getting scalded with 212F steam causes a lot more heating of a cool surface than 212F boiling water. Once the potato surface is up to that temperature (say 212F for boiled or steamed) then the amount of heat adsorbed is primarily determined by the heat transfer to the potato interior (how rapidly the interior cools the exterior).
For some foods, steaming also avoids diluting the flavors and nutrition in water. Not a big issue for potatoes.
Potato starch gelatinizes at about 140F(60C) so we need to get the center of the potato up to that temperature, but all the common cooking method (inducing microwave) only heat the surface or near-surface. The rate that heat penetrates is dependent on the material (thermal conductivity), the geometry of the potato (smaller, flatter potatoes centers heat faster), but the only factor that we can control is the potato exterior temperature. The amount of heat penetrating the potato is generally proportional to the temperature difference between the exterior and interior.
In a 1atm p.cooker the temp is ~20C(36F) higher than at ambient, so when the potato is minimally done heat flows to the center at about a 50% greater rate then at ambient pressure. (120C-60C) vs (100C-60C).
You could get slightly faster cooking times by steaming potatoes inside a p.cooker, but any difference will be minimal.
In the case of a baking oven at say 400F (205C) the external temperature is much higher, however the rate of heat transfer from the hot oven air to the potato surface is lower than for condensing steam or boiling water.. The lesser heat transfer from air notably slows the rate of initial heating of the potato surface, and this slow heating can be improved with a convection oven. Pre-p.cooking the potatoes avoids some this initial heating.
This science nerd LOVES that you took the time to explain this. :) Thank you.
I think you can do the same for sweet potatoes! Although I think I’ll try the basket and the oven too.
You can, but I’ve always found that the narrow tapered ends get a little too crunchy compared to the center. However, when I halve and steam sweet potatoes I get tender results all the way to the tips!
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/sweet-potato-and-black-eyed-peas-one-pot-meal/
Ciao,
L
Hi Laura – Is it possible to do only two potatoes? If so, how would I adjust the cooking time in the pressure cooker? Thanks!
Yes it is. You can even do just one if the fancy takes you.
Cooking time varies with the SIZE of the potato. Not the number, so be sure to make sure they are about the same size.
Oops. I forgot an important detail:
cooking time will not change for the number you cook.
I hate how long baked potatoes take, love this idea! I love to use my pressure cooker, I’m definitely going to try this out! Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Im a newbie to pressure cooking.. Can I put the potatoes on the grill instead of the oven ?
Thank you.
Absolutely, that sounds like a great idea!
Ciao,
L
Thank you for responding. I’m going to try it soon
Well this worked perfectly! My family said they really prefer this texture vs the all pressure cooked tatoes! I think I’ll make this my go to for giant baking potatoes. (really giant. I added a little time :) )
Dhanya, this looks delicious – so glad you found this method useful and thanks for sharking a photo!!!
Ciao,
L
Thanks for this recipe! I just got a Breville pressure cooker, and was trolling the web for something simple with which to try it out. Can’t get much simpler than this. And the potato
was yummy.
I usually go 20 minutes then slow release. I use my canning trivet with the steaming basket on top of it so now water comes in contact with the potatoes. I finish them on the bun rack of my gas grill. Delicious every time