Recipes that let you “set it and forget it” are some of the best. These Crockpot Baked Potatoes are no exception. Come home to a pot full of baked potatoes all set for dinner!
It seems that in recent years I’ve become remiss in serving baked potatoes. I’m not sure why that is, but I’m ready to bring back the good old spud.
Years ago when Bryan and I were first married, his mom and I would often go shopping or out to dinner together. Believe it or not, we had a favorite steak house where we’d go for just baked potatoes and salad bar. It was one of our favorite things to do together.
That steak house was probably pretty pricey. Good thing that this is such an easy meal to make at home! In case you didn’t know, a way to make it even easier is to cook your potatoes in the crockpot!
Yes, really!
How to make crockpot baked potatoes
To make crockpot baked potatoes you only need a few ingredients:
- baking potatoes
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
You want to make sure to scrub each potato and pierce it with a fork.
And then rub the olive oil all over the potato and season it with salt and pepper. I then wrap it in foil and place them in my crockpot. That’s it!
As with most crockpot recipes, Crockpot Potatoes don’t turn out exactly the same as those you bake in the oven. You won’t get the same crispy skin that you do with traditionally baked potatoes. What these lack in crispiness, they make up for in convenience!
There really couldn’t be an easier way to make baked potatoes. These Crockpot Potatoes are perfect for taking to a potluck supper or serving to a crowd. Make a bunch at one time and let the slow cooker do the work!
Why do you need to poke holes in the potatoes?
You always want to make sure to poke holes in the potatoes before you bake them so it can help steam escape. Otherwise you might end up with a baked potato explosion! And nobody wants that.
So make sure to pierce your potato with a fork before hand.
Can You Use Aluminum Foil In A Slow Cooker?
Absolutely! It’s what makes this easy to make.
And fast to clean up as well! Like I said…let the slow cooker do all the work here.
Crockpot Baked Potato Topping Ideas
Consider serving a baked potato bar and serving these toppings:
- Fajita Vegetables
- Baked Bacon
- Spicy No Bean Chili
- Lemon Broccoli
- Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe
- Santa Barbara Caviar
- Salsa Verde Beef
- Homemade Salsa
- as well as the traditional sour cream, chives, butter, and salt.
You can also prepare this Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe by making the sweet potatoes according to this method.
Leftover baked potatoes?
If you have any leftover, save them and turn them into the best Skillet home fries.
How to make this good and cheap:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. Stock up when you see potatoes on sale and then put a Baked Potato Bar on the menu! Generally you’ll see potato sales near holidays when spuds are on the menu, such as Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a great way to not overspend on groceries near the holidays.
- Price match. Check your grocery store fliers to see who has the best price on the items on your list. It’s just one way to lower your grocery store bill.
Tools I use to make this recipe easy:
This is a pretty straight-forward dish. You don’t need any fancy equipment. However, having some good basic kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.
This post contains affiliate links which provide a means for me to earn fees linking to Amazon and other affiliate sites.
- 6-qt slow cooker – A must-have for this recipe.
- Ergo Chef cooking tongs – I love these! They are my favorite cooking tongs and good for serving as well.
Crockpot Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Scrub each potato and pierce it with a fork. Rub the olive oil all over the skin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap each potato with foil and place in the crock of a slow cooker.
- Cook for 8 to 10 hours on low or 6 hours on high. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published August 5, 2009. Updated February 10, 2018.
Denise C. says
I love, love, love the idea of doing baked potatoes (and applesauce, really all the recipes listed. in the crockpot.) 🙂
My concern with the potatoes is having the foil burn since there is no liquid in there. Have you ever had any trouble with that?
Deb says
I have done this many times Denise and the foil never scorches. I also wet my hands a few times and let the water drip into my crockpot for a little steam while they cook. Yummmmmmmmo eats!
vickie harris says
I don;t wrap in foil and get a really moist potato. You could always crsip up the skins in the oven if you like. I do put poataoes in crockpot after washing but do not dry
Sam says
Love this idea but my family is large! How many can you fit in a crock pot? Do they have to touch the bottom or can I do 2 or 3 layers?
Jessica says
I’ve got six kids, so I think we’re large, too. 😉 You can layer them until it’s 2/3 full. I have a large oval slow cooker. I’ve done this for company, so I know you can fit a lot.
Charity L. says
I never thought of cooking potatoes in the crockpot like this. I will be trying this out this week. I have company coming and I will use them to test this out. Thanks!
Jessica says
@Charity L., never ever test a recipe on company. 😉 Enjoy.
Karena says
if I have less time can I do it on high for 4-5 hours??
Jessica Fisher says
Yes.
Kara W says
I’ve also done this without wrapping the potatoes. Turns out pretty well, but if you use that method, you need to keep the potatoes off the bottom of the crockpot. I just used a little foil…..I guess you could fuss with it one way or another!?
Jessica Fisher says
Good to know. Thanks!
Kara W says
I just wanted to rate the recipe
Jessica Fisher says
Thanks for your feedback!
Pat says
I didn’t wrap my potatoes and just put them in there and they were fine. You got 5 stars from my whole family.
Jessica Fisher says
Good to know! Thanks, Pat!