These easy English jacket potatoes are fluffy, buttery, and melt in your mouth delicious!
They’re baked with a coating of oil and salt, so when they’re done, the skin (jacket) is super crisp.
Load them up with your favorite baked potato toppings and dig in.
English Jacket Potatoes
At a glance, English jacket potatoes look like your typical baked potato. And the truth is, they are!
They’re called jacket potatoes because they’re baked and served in their jackets – the skin.
But the real difference between baked potatoes and jacket potatoes is how they’re served. In the UK, these babies have quite the cult following!
Jacket potatoes aren’t just a side you order at a steak house.
Instead, they’re a whole meal on their own!
Yes, you can have them with butter and salt as a side dish. But for the true British experience, it’s all about the toppings!
We’ll get into that later. For now, let’s check out how to make them!
Ingredients
If you have a couple of baking potatoes, you can have simple English jacket potatoes on the table in just over an hour.
And all it takes is five ingredients. Here’s a little bit about each:
- Russet Potatoes – Not sure what the best potatoes for baking are? In the U.S., it’s all about Russets. The high starch, low moisture, and larger size make these the ideal spud for baked potatoes. In the U.K., they usually go for Maris Piper or Kind Edwards.
- Olive Oil – For roasting. You’ll coat the skin before baking, so it gets nice and crispy.
- Salt – You’ll need coarse/sea salt for the skins and table salt for the filling.
- Butter – A classic topping! Melted butter all over the soft, fluffy center makes the potatoes irresistible.
- Pepper – A few cracks add a nice pop of warmth to the filling.
How to Make English Jacket Potatoes
Ready to master the baked potato? Then preheat the oven, grab your spuds, and follow these steps:
1. Prep the potatoes. Scrub and dry the potatoes. Then coat them evenly with olive oil and coarse salt. Rub them into the skin so every spot is seasoned.
2. Bake the potatoes on the oven rack at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. Flip them over and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
3. Serve! Cut the potatoes open as soon as they come out of the oven. Add some butter, salt, and pepper, then fluff it all up with a fork and dig in!
Tips for Success
Want the secret to achieving the best English jacket potatoes? Just follow these tips:
- Choose the right spud. As mentioned, Russet potatoes are, hands down, the best for this recipe. Yukon Gold and red are the next best potato varieties. But they won’t be as fluffy.
- Dry them thoroughly. If the skin is damp, it won’t crisp up.
- Use a baking sheet and wire rack. If you bake potatoes directly on a baking sheet, they’ll likely develop a hard bottom. But if you want to avoid a mess, bake them on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
- Give the spuds a cut. The Brits usually just poke the skin with a fork to help the steam escape. But if you like, you can cut a cross into the top about 1/4 inch deep. After an hour in the oven, carefully score deeper into the flesh.
- Ditch the foil. If you wrap the potatoes in foil, the skin won’t be crispy.
- Don’t let them rest. Unlike steak, you don’t want hot potatoes waiting on the counter. The longer they sit, the more the heat trapped inside will turn the fluffy flesh gummy. So, slice them right away!
Topping Ideas
As promised, it’s time to discuss toppings!
I’ve had plenty of jacket potatoes over the years (many in the U.K.!), and I can tell you, they’re even better with something spooned on top.
So, here’s a few fun ideas from across the pond:
- Shredded cheddar cheese and baked beans
- Cottage cheese
- Coleslaw
- Tuna
- Branston Pickle
- Chili
- Tuna mayo salad with corn
- Coronation chicken
- An array of curries
- Egg salad
As you can see, it’s a bit different from our usual sour cream and bacon!
Feel free to add whatever toppings you like. But if you want authentic jacket potatoes, I highly recommend cheese and baked beans!
More Potato Recipes
Air Fryer Baked Potato
Easy Cheesy Potato Casserole
Ultimate Potato Soup
Red Potato Salad
Air Fryer Potato Wedges
English Jacket Potatoes
Course: Sides, MainCuisine: British2
servings5
minutes1
hour25
minutes265
kcalThese easy English jacket potatoes are fluffy, buttery, and melt in your mouth delicious! Load them up with your favorite baked potato toppings and dig in.
Ingredients
2 large Russet potatoes (or Maris Piper or King Edward)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
butter, salt, and pepper for serving, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Scrub, clean, and dry the potatoes. Prick the tops of each potato a few times with a fork or sharp knife, then rub the oil and coarse salt into the skin, coating both potatoes evenly.
- Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 1 hour. Then, flip them over and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and the potato gives slightly when squeezed (use an oven mitt).
- Carefully remove the potatoes from the oven and immediatly cut a cross on top of each one. Squeeze the sides to fluff up the filling and serve with butter, salt, pepper, and any additional desired toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- The calories listed are an estimate based on a medium potato and a tablespoon of butter.
- Dry the potatoes thoroughly. If the skin is damp, it won’t crisp up.
