These crockpot baked potatoes come out fluffy on the inside every single time, with no oven and almost no work. Just rub, poke, and let the slow cooker do the rest for most of the day. It’s the easiest side dish I make on busy weeknights.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Crockpot Baked Potatoes
- Frees up your oven. No competing for oven space when you’re already baking or roasting something else for dinner.
- Hands-off cooking. No flipping, no checking, no basting — just set the timer and walk away.
- Great for a crowd. Fit six or more potatoes in one crockpot, which is more than most ovens can comfortably handle at once.
What You’ll Need
- 6 medium-large russet potatoes — russets have the fluffiest interior and the best skin for baked potatoes; waxy potatoes like red or Yukon gold won’t turn out the same.
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil — rubbed onto the skins for flavor and a slightly crisper exterior.
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt — rubbed on with the oil; adds flavor right through the skin.
How to Make Crockpot Baked Potatoes
- Scrub the potatoes clean and dry them completely with a towel.
- Poke each potato several times with a fork, then rub all over with olive oil and salt.
- Place the potatoes directly in the crockpot — no water, no foil needed. Stack them if they don’t fit in a single layer.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, without opening the lid, until fork-tender all the way through.
- Serve hot, split open, with your favorite toppings.
Tips for Success
- Skip the foil. Wrapping potatoes in foil traps steam and makes the skin soggy. Cooking them bare gives you a firmer skin, closer to a real oven-baked potato.
- Dry them well. Any water left on the skin after washing turns to steam in the crockpot. Pat them completely dry before rubbing on the oil.
- Don’t overcrowd. If your potatoes are stacked three or four deep, the ones on the bottom may cook faster than the ones on top — check the bottom layer a little early.
Variations to Try
- Loaded potato bar. Set out shredded cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, and chives so everyone can build their own.
- Garlic herb potatoes. Mix 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs into the oil before rubbing it on.
- Top a split potato with a scoop of our Crockpot Salsa Chicken for an easy, filling meal.
- Turn leftovers into the start of Creamy Potato Soup With Bacon — just scoop out the flesh and skip the peeling step.
What to Serve With Crockpot Baked Potatoes
Crockpot baked potatoes are a natural side for almost any main dish, from a simple grilled chicken breast to a big pot of chili.
They also make a satisfying meal on their own with the right toppings — a loaded baked potato with cheese, sour cream, and broccoli is a full dinner in my house.
For a completely hands-off dinner night, run this alongside Crockpot Pot Roast in a second slow cooker — both cook low and slow, so dinner is ready at the same time with almost no work.
FAQs
Can I make crockpot baked potatoes ahead of time?
Yes — baked potatoes reheat well. Let them cool, refrigerate whole in an airtight container for up to 4 days, then reheat in the microwave or a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Do I need to wrap the potatoes in foil?
No. Foil traps steam and can make the skin soggy. Cooking the potatoes bare in the crockpot gives you a firmer, more oven-like skin.
What’s the best potato for this recipe?
Russet potatoes are the best choice. Their high starch content gives you that classic fluffy interior — waxy potatoes like red or Yukon gold turn out denser and gummier.
Can I cook other vegetables in with the potatoes?
It’s best to keep this batch just potatoes, since other vegetables often cook at different rates. If you want to add something, tuck in a few foil-wrapped ears of corn, which cook on a similar timeline.
Final Thoughts
Crockpot baked potatoes are one of those recipes that feels almost too easy to call a recipe — but that’s exactly why I make them so often.
Set them up in the morning, and by dinner you’ll have fluffy, oven-quality baked potatoes without ever turning on the oven.
Crockpot Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 medium-large russet potatoes scrubbed
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes clean and dry them completely with a towel.
- Poke each potato several times with a fork, then rub all over with olive oil and salt.
- Place the potatoes directly in the crockpot — no water, no foil needed. Stack them if they don’t fit in a single layer.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, without opening the lid, until fork-tender all the way through.
- Serve hot, split open, with your favorite toppings.