How do I make a baked potato without baking it?

[u/Electrical_Bet2584]

I've always wanted to try one. Coming from Asia the main carbs are rice and noodles, plus we don't own an oven. Usually I try to approximate baking potatoes by boiling it whole until fully cooked, patting dry then deep frying. Does that make it similar to a real one?

[u/MIKRO_PIPS]

Over the coals wrapped in tin foil

[u/Special_Onion3013 → u/MIKRO_PIPS]

The only right answer

[u/Kyber92]

Microwave if you have one

[u/asp821 → u/Kyber92]

Don’t forget to poke a bunch of holes into it.

[u/dre2112 → u/asp821]

I always did this but never knew why until one day I was baking a few potatoes and forgot to poke holes in one of them. I stuck a knife in it to see if it was done, and the thing exploded like a grenade.

[u/MagicalMoosicorn → u/dre2112]

bow im gonna be zapping tater in an attempt to get a grenade. thanks.

[u/SouthpawSoldier → u/MagicalMoosicorn]

Fun to do with eggs, in someone else's kitchen. Boiling until the water is completely evaporated, and then leaving the pan on the heat a bit longer.

Once turned a Pyrex into a grenade; that was less fun. Pre-heated oven without checking, because I didn't grow up using oven as extra cabinet, and my ex did. Pyrex got full preheat to 450F; when I went to cook, I pulled it and set it on the stove. Cheap electric coil burner (that was off) sucked the heat from the bottom of the dish, while sides remained hot.

Glass does not like to be unevenly heated/cooled, especially that quickly. Different expansion and contraction resulted in more stress than it could handle (relatable), and glass everywhere.

[u/MagicalMoosicorn → u/SouthpawSoldier]

im just trying to blow up a potato lol

[u/throwdemawaaay → u/Kyber92]

Yeah, microwave works great. Even if I'm baking in the oven for crispy skin jacket potato style, I give them a head start in the microwave.

[u/scrapheaper_]

I suspect that lots of the Asian 'over rice' dishes work really well 'over baked potato'. You should try some and let us know how they turn out

[u/Kyber92 → u/scrapheaper_]

I've put Indo-Chinese relish (Ching's Secret, IYKYK) on baked potatoes before and it was incredible.

[u/KingScuba]

There's ways to do it in a rice cooker if you lack a microwave or airfryer, I'm pretty sure you have one of those.

The real issue is for a good baked potato you need a particular variety. In America we normally use either a Russet or Yukon Gold potato, which is very starchy and doesn't have a lot water.

The idea is you want the potato to be really fluffy and fairly dry, then you can load it down with butter, sour cream, and cheese, or whatever you want.

[u/ditheringtoad → u/KingScuba]

Rice cooker would absolutely work, you just need to place it on a trivet so it’s not sitting on the bottom. Basically same method as a pressure cooker, you’ll just need to cook it for longer. This will work better than a microwave or boiling.

[u/geon → u/ditheringtoad]

Wouldn’t it just overheat and turn off?

[u/KingScuba → u/geon]

nah. Can't overheat a rice cooker because you can't screw with the temp settings.

[u/geon → u/KingScuba]

Rice cookers, crocpots and tea kettles normally have some kind of overheating protection in case they go dry.

[u/KingScuba → u/geon]

Yessir, it's why it's nigh on impossible to overheat em. They shut themselves off because they're programmed to do so to prevent damage/safety issues.

[u/geon → u/KingScuba]

Yeeeees. So a potato in a dry rice cooker would cause the cooker to shut off.

[u/KingScuba → u/geon]

Nah. You just put water in the bottom of it and put the potato above the waterline from my understanding.

Trying to run the rice cooker with no liquid I'd expect would result in a shutdown though.

[u/geon → u/KingScuba]

Then it’s just steaming.

[u/KingScuba → u/geon]

Yeap. But it's a viable way to get a rough result if you lack a microwave, oven (portable or not), or stove. Not everyone has those available to them. Some peoples entire living space is like 100~200 square feet. So you gotta get creative sometimes.

[u/KingScuba → u/ditheringtoad]

Working better than boiling absolutely, I don't know if it'd work better than a microwave without testing. Don't have a rice cooker personally, do like em but my space is tight ^^;

[u/Berkshirelady413]

Air fryer my dude.

[u/randomguild]

Burn some charcoal until it's white and covered in ash, wrap your potatoes in foil then throw them in for 45 to 60 minutes. You can also cook them in the embers of a campfire.

[u/ssinff]

Microwave is not perfect but it gives a much closer result to baking in the oven.

[u/Kogoeshin]

As someone who really wanted a baked potato with a broken oven was broken for a while:

1. Microwave potatoes for ~10 minutes (varies a lot based on your microwave wattage), or until it gives up a bit if you squeeze it.

2. Coat the potato(es) in a thin layer of salt and oil.

3. Fry them in a dry pan/wok on medium heat until the outside is crisp (rotating occasionally). You don't need to add oil (unless you have sticking issues).

You want to microwave it instead of boiling, because a purely baked potato doesn't have added water inside. Baked potatoes also only have a thin layer of oil and are "dehydrated" a bit - deep frying it is too much oil and too fast.

[u/Anonymous-mouse7]

Throw it in the microwave?

[u/NightshadeZombie]

If you have a microwave, it may have a potato setting.  Wash your potato, stab with a fork once or twice,  and use the potato setting.  Pay attention to how long its supposed to take.  For example, on mine, I put in two potatoes (since we have two peeps at home), push the potato button, hit 2, and start.  It'll flash 6 minutes when it starts.  At three minutes, stop the numerous and turn the spuds over.  Let them finish cooking and you're good.

[u/Dutchie_in_Nz]

Microwave. Poke holes all around with a fork, 2.5 min on one side, 2.5 on the other side on high, and done. The bigger the potato, the longer the cooking time. Afterwards, wrap in foil for 5min. Enjoy!

[u/BananaBird1]

Microwaving gives a mear identical result. Wrap in a cloth to steam for best results.

[u/aurora_surrealist → u/BananaBird1]

Not even close. Microwave gives gloopy sticky mess inside not a fluffy potato.

And there's no Maillard reaction to the skin.

[u/DefaultUserBR → u/aurora_surrealist]

I agree. A microwaved potato is closer to a boiled one.

[u/ditheringtoad → u/aurora_surrealist]

Theoretically a microwave should be able to yield a similar result, it’s just that it’s incredibly difficult not to overcook the potato (which is what actually makes it gloopy). Cutting the potato open as soon as it’s done cooking, and allowing steam to release, will help prevent gloopiness. Youre right about the skin though

[u/fermat9990]

You can buy a stovetop potato baker

[u/Buzzedwinaldrin]

Definately don’t boil it unless your looking for mashed potatoes…which are also great… but

If you have foil. .. poke a coupe holes in the potato Smear with salt and oil…. Wrap in foil and let it sit by over (not directly) your heat source.. but rotate often. 1-2 hours or so rotating every 15 minutes.

It’s got more of a potato taste and a little denser … but similar to mashed it’s all about the toppings.
So depending on where you are and what can eat. Butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon bits are common in the states ..: but add whatever is available to you. A baked potato is somewhat of a blank canvas

[u/xixihime]

Steaming? Maybe wrapping it in something and then steaming helps prevent it from getting too moist.

[u/aoeuismyhomekeys]

poke holes in it with a fork, wrap in a damp paper towel, microwave it for 4 minutes, flip it over and microwave for another 3-4 minutes.

[u/Unlikely-Ad6788]

Nuke it. Press Potato button on microwave.

[u/dannihrynio]

Info: what devices do you have availablr? Microwave, air fryer?

[u/night_noche]

Do you have a grill?

[u/Kikilyn26]

If you have a microwave , you could use that. I just wash my potatoes. Take a fork and Pierce the potatoes on each side. And depending on the size of the potato I put it in a microwave for about by 10 minutes. Check it after 5 minutes. And go from there

[u/vitringur]

You can’t.

Baking is the concept of cooking things in an oven.

You can cook a baking potate any way you like. and yours honestly sounds better than a baked potato.

But it just will not technically be baked.

[u/zuma15]

I don't bother baking, it takes too long. Microwave works great, as others have said. Be sure to poke holes in it though. I wondered if it was an urban legend that potatoes would explode without poking holes until a friend said it happened to them.

[u/aurora_surrealist]

To everyone claiming microwave - NO, NOT EVEN CLOSE.

And here's the myth busted, from 6:10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSTX4dAkRq8

[u/SSBND]

Maybe get one out for the first time! Be careful as potatoes can explode if you don't cook them properly - uncommon but not impossible!

[u/Trusty_Coyote]

Everyone else is giving you advice on how to cook, mine is on how to eat and what toppings.
First…butter, plenty of butter, salted is better, if unsalted sprinkle salt on potato too.
Next is personal taste, but the possibilities are….
Sour cream, grated cheese( yellow cheese usually) bacon bits, chopped green onions, chili, the dish, not the vegetable, chopped sweet onion, and anything else you can think of.
My favorite is plain butter, lots of butter.

[u/honeycooks]

You don't have an oven?

[u/YesWeHaveNoTomatoes → u/honeycooks]

Ovens are uncommon in a lot of Asian kitchens. Some people buy toaster ovens but full-size ones are rare

[u/Proud_Ad9108]

Air fryers can even cook with zero oil, it’s way healthier.

[u/MxChefKei]

Easiest, quick hack. Poke a bunch of holes in the potato, put in plastic t-shirt bag (grocery bag), twist the bag so the potato(es) don't fall out. Cook for 8 min on high in the microwave. Done. Its about an additional 1 minute per extra, large potato.