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These Crock Pot Baked Potatoes cook up perfectly tender with a fluffy interior. They are so quick and easy to prepare and save valuable oven space!
Even with two ovens I find myself frequently running out of oven space. Especially in the fall and winter months when we’re not grilling outside. This is just one reason why I’m so attracted to recipes that allow me to pop something in my Crock Pot and not worry about it again until I’m ready to serve dinner.
Have you ever forgotten to get your potatoes in the oven on time and had to delay dinner, waiting for those babies to get tender enough to serve? Getting baked potatoes going in your slow cooker early in the day is another big plus to this recipe. Done and done!
It’s not convenience alone that makes this a great recipe. Crock Pot Baked Potatoes bake up so perfectly tender and fluffy every time. This recipe could not be any easier with just a small amount of advance prep.
Ingredients
- You can use this method to cook up to 6 average sized russet potatoes. Try to choose potatoes that are close to the same size so that they will cook evenly. As much as I love Yukon gold potatoes, I prefer the thicker-skinned russet potato for this recipe.
- My oil of choice for these Crock Pot Baked Potatoes is olive oil and I prefer coarse ground kosher salt which has more oomph than table salt.
- You’ll also need a 6-quart slow cooker and a roll of aluminum foil.
How to Bake Potatoes in a Slow Cooker
- Scrub the potatoes well under cool, running water. Pat them completely dry with paper towels.
- Place a potato on a sheet of foil large enough to enclose it. Use a fork to poke it about 3 or 4 times on both sides.
- Drizzle the potato with olive oil and use your hands to coat it on all sides.
- Sprinkle the potato evenly on all sides with kosher salt.
- Wrap the potato tightly in the sheet of foil .
- Repeat this process with the remaining potatoes and transfer them to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, or until tender all the way through when pierced with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife.
- Time for toppings!
Crock Pot Baked Potato Tips
Be sure to wrap your potatoes securely in the foil to keep the moisture out. If you open one to test it and it is not cooked through yet, rewrap it securely in the foil before returning it to the slow cooker.
It’s okay to stack the potatoes if they don’t fit in one layer in the bottom of your Crock Pot but I don’t recommend trying to cook more than six at a time in a 6-quart slow cooker. If you’re home, go ahead and rotate the potatoes about halfway through the baking time if you’ve stacked them. I’ve cooked them without rotating and it just takes a bit longer for the top potatoes to get tender.
Loaded Baked Potatoes
Set out a variety of your favorite baked potato toppings so everyone can garnish their potato to their liking. Classic loaded baked potato toppings include butter, salt and pepper, bacon, sour cream, cheese, and fresh chives or thinly sliced green onions.
Make it a Meal
Barbecue Chicken Ranch Potatoes – Top baked potatoes with Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken or my Slow Cooker BBQ Buffalo Chicken, diced red onions, cilantro and a drizzle of Ranch dressing.
Sloppy Joe Potatoes – Load your baked potatoes up with the filling for my Cajun Sloppy Joes, shredded cheese, and sliced green onions.
Chili Stuffed Potatoes – Spoon a generous amount of Three Bean Turkey Chili, Halftime Chili, or Beef and Bean Taco Chili over the potatoes and top with the chili toppings you love. Cheese, a dollop of sour cream, a little hot sauce, and cilantro are our faves!
Pizza Potatoes – Split open the baked potatoes and place them on a baking sheet. Coat them with a little marinara sauce and add your favorite pizza toppings. Think pepperoni slices, cooked and crumbled Italian sausage, mozzarella cheese, and olives. Place the baking sheet in your oven set to broil for just a couple of minutes to melt the cheese.
Crock Pot Baked Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 russet potatoes
- 3 teaspoons olive oil divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
Optional Toppings
- salt, pepper, butter, shredded cheese, sour cream, cooked crumbled bacon, chopped fresh chives or thinly sliced green onions
Instructions
- Cut off 6 square sheets of foil large enough to securely wrap your potatoes.
- Scrub the potatoes well under cool, running water. Dry completely with paper towels. Poke the potatoes about 3 to 4 times on both sides. Place a potato on a sheet of foil, drizzle it with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and use your hands to coat the potato on all sides. Sprinkle the potato evenly on all sides with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Wrap the potato tightly in the foil and transfer it to a 6-quart slow cooker. Repeat with remaining potatoes, oil, and salt.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, or until tender all the way through. Cooking time will depend on the size of your potatoes. If not serving immediately, keep the potatoes in the slow cooker with the cover on and switch slow cooker to the KEEP WARM setting, if possible.
Notes
- Be sure to wrap your potatoes securely in the foil to keep the moisture out. If you open one to test it and it is not cooked through yet, rewrap it securely in the foil before returning it to the slow cooker.
- It’s okay to stack the potatoes if they don’t fit in an even layer across the bottom of your slow cooker but I don’t recommend trying to cook more than six at a time in a 6-quart slow cooker. If you’re home, go ahead and rotate the potatoes about halfway through the baking time if you’ve stacked them. I’ve cooked them without rotating and it just takes a bit longer for the top potatoes to get tender.
Dena says
Our family makes “irish tacos”… baked potatoes with all the taco fixings. Ground beef, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, hot sauce, we also use ranch.
Yvonne says
Do you add water to the crockpot ?
Valerie says
No, you don’t want to add any water.
Kathy says
We love to eat the skins as well. Do they come out soft or crispy?
Valerie says
The skins are delicious. I wouldn’t say they are crispy but definitely tasty.