We’ve all been there. You have a raw potato sitting on your counter, and you’re in the mood for potatoes… but you don’t want to wait an hour for the potato to cook in the oven.
We don’t blame you!
The good news? The answer is YES. You can safely microwave potatoes.
In fact, many people prefer to cook their potatoes in the microwave! It’s both faster and (potentially) more delicious.
To microwave potatoes, follow these simple instructions.
Step 1: Poke Holes in the Potato
Use a fork or other sharp object to poke holes on every side of the potato. Try to make the holes as deep as possible… but not so deep that you split the potato in half.
These holes allow moisture to enter the inside of the potato.
Without holes, your potato will cook on the outside… but be completely raw (and inedible) on the inside.
Yuck!
Step 2: Add Water
Place your potatoes on a microwave-safe dish, like an ordinary plate or a paper plate.
Once you do, add a small amount of water to the bottom of the dish.
When the microwave starts doing its thing, this water will evaporate into steam and help cook the potato.
Microwaving potatoes is essentially a faster form of steaming potatoes.
Step 3: Set the Timer
Although cooking potatoes in the microwave is faster than in the oven, you will still need to wait at least a few minutes before your potato is ready.
As a general rule of thumb, add one minute per ounce of weight. For example, if your potato weighs seven ounces, put seven minutes on the timer.
(Most russet potatoes weigh between seven and eight ounces.)
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can also set the timer for five minutes, check the progress, and add more time as needed.
You may also consider buying smaller potatoes, such as red potatoes, to cook them in the microwave more quickly.
See? It’s easy. Just remember to poke holes in your potatoes… or else it won’t work!
Now that your potato is tasty and warm, add some butter, sour cream, and maybe some quick-cooked bacon for a fully loaded potato!
