Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes (No Foil, Fluffy & Hands-Off)
Yes, you can make the perfect baked potatoes in the slow cooker! This is the easiest, hands-off method to make fluffy, steamy Russet potatoes with almost no effort, and no foil required.
Let’s Make Easy Baked Potatoes in the Crockpot!
I’ll admit I was skeptical when I first tried cooking potatoes in my crockpot. Was a method so simple really going to produce perfectly fluffy Russet potatoes? But they really come out SO surprisingly fluffy, light & delicious that now it’s my favorite hands-off way to cook potatoes of all kinds – I’ve even created more recipes like my slow cooker baby potatoes because the method is so fool-proof.
This recipe really couldn’t be easier to make and is one of my favorite side dishes for busy weeks, for fun baked potato bar, or as a hands-off holiday side. You can also easily add your choice of protein to these jacket potatoes in the crock pot into an easy, filling & hearty dinner option too. All you need to do is add Russet potatoes (no foil required), olive oil, and salt to your crock pot, and then let your slow cooker work its magic. And no, you don’t need to add water, as the potatoes produce their own moisture as they cook low and slow. After they’re cooked, you can slice the baked potatoes down the middle and add any fun extras that you want & you’re ready to dig in!
Tested Tips for Perfect Crock Pot Baked Potatoes
- Yes, this recipe only has one main ingredient: Russet potatoes! All you need to do is add washed, dried and oiled potatoes to the slow cooker and then cook on low or high. After they’re cooked, you can slice them down the middle and add any fun extras that you want & you’re ready to dig in!
- I love that these slow cooker potatoes are cooked without foil because they don’t require any prep beyond a quick scrub. And, in contrast to traditional oven baked potatoes, you don’t need to poke holes in the potatoes prior to cooking them. They require no added water, too, so don’t add any to the slow cooker or you’ll end up with mushy potatoes, and no one wants that.
Getting Crispy Skinned Baked Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
If you’re wondering about the final texture, the skins come out moderately crispy, which is the nature of cooking in a slow cooker. If you prefer very crispy skins, just pop the cooked potatoes under a broiler for a few minutes after cooking until they crisp up, keeping careful watch, of course, to avoid burning.
Ingredient & Testing Notes
- Russet potatoes: Medium-sized russet potatoes are the classic choice for traditional oven-baked potatoes and I recommend them for this recipe. You don’t need to peel or pierce the potatoes before adding them to your crockpot, nor wrap them in foil. Just give them a good scrub, pat them dry and add them right on in.
- Olive oil: I love the light, buttery flavor of the olive oil here, but you can also use any other neutral flavored oil in its place like avocado, vegetable or canola oil. I’ve also tested this one with melted butter and it’s (not surprisingly) super yummy too.
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoVeganVegetarianWhole30
Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes (No Foil, Fluffy & Hands-Off!)
Ingredients
- 6 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the potatoes evenly in a 6-quart slow cooker. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to evenly coat the potatoes.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork. The size of the sweet potatoes will determine the cook time. Start checking at 3 hours on high, and 6 on low.
- To serve, carefully remove each potato with tongs, slice in half and add any desired toppings you prefer.
Notes
- Nutrition information calculated for 1 potato without toppings.
This recipe looks good! Can you make more than 6 potatoes at once, or do they need to be in a single layer in the crock pot? Thank you!
Stacey, I haven’t tested it with more potatoes, but I imagine it would work. You’ll just want to make sure they are layered as evenly as possible and that the lid still fits on top securely. If you try it let us know how it turns out!