How to Make Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

These easy crock pot baked potatoes have fluffy insides and perfectly seasoned, slightly crispy skins. Only 3 ingredients and easy to make.

Why I Started Making Them This Way

I first tried making baked potatoes in my slow cooker during the summer, wanting to make potatoes and not turn on the oven. I was pleasantly surprised with the result.

So much so, that I made them three more times that month.

Now, I’ll still bake them in the oven from time to time. But, on a hot summer’s day or when the oven is in use for something else, I’ll make them in my slow cooker.

Especially when I have a hectic morning and don’t want to think about dinner.

Why the Slow Cooker Gets the Skin Right

There’s no active cooking involved. It doesn’t heat up the whole kitchen like an oven.

And it leaves your oven free to make something else if needed.

I’m sure you’ve seen slow cooker baked potato recipes that add water or call for wrapping the potatoes in foil. I’m here to tell you that neither of those things is necessary.

Potatoes will cook perfectly fine in a slow cooker without any added water, as they will steam with their own moisture. And, leaving them out of foil allows the skin to get slightly crispy, meaning it will NOT get soggy.

Crispy-skinned, perfectly-cooked potatoes make the best of baked potatoes. And the best part: They’re incredibly easy to make, even in bulk.

Three Ingredients — and Why Russets Are the Only Choice

Wondering how many crock pot baked potatoes you can fit in a slow cooker? A 6-quart slow cooker will fit 4 pounds of potatoes (or about 6 to 8 medium-sized potatoes).

If you’re cooking for a crowd, fire up two slow cookers to make as many potatoes as you’d like.

• Russet potatoes
• Olive oil (about 2 tablespoons is plenty)
• Kosher salt (don’t go easy!)

Save your oven space, especially during holidays, when the oven is necessary for casseroles, roasts and holiday dinners, by cooking your spuds in the slow cooker. Bonus: Grills work great for baked potatoes, too, if your ovens are at capacity.

Stick with russets for classic baked potatoes. Yukon golds are creamier and red potatoes are small and waxy; neither of these options will yield the best baked potatoes.

Pro tip: Choose potatoes that are all similar in size so they’ll cook at the same rate; otherwise, your smaller potatoes will be overcooked once the larger potatoes are done.

How to Make Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

Step 1: Prep the Potatoes

Scrub the potatoes under running water. You’ll be shocked how dirty potatoes can be — you’ll watch them go from drab to shiny as you wash them.

Then, dry the potatoes with a clean towel.

Step 2: Oil and Season

Coat each potato generously with olive oil, massaging it over the entire surface of the potato. The more thoroughly you coat them with olive oil, the better: Rather than crisp up in the crock pot, un-oiled potatoes will steam and have limp, sad skins.

Olive oil is best — better than melted butter, even — because salt penetrates and seasons it better than other options (like vegetable oil).

Next, shower them with kosher salt. Be sure to season the potatoes generously: Baked potato skins are a big part of baked potatoes, and without seasoning, they’ll be bland and starchy.

This is the step that can be easy to skimp on or rush through, but it’s important. A well-seasoned potato skin is one of the best parts of a perfectly-cooked potato.

Step 3: Into the Slow Cooker

Put the potatoes into the slow cooker without any foil or water. Do not line the slow cooker with foil, add water, or wrap the potatoes in foil.

Trust me, the potatoes have plenty of moisture; adding more will result in potatoes that are too soft.

Try to get the potatoes into the slow cooker in a single layer with little to no overlap, if possible. Again, you want to give the potatoes plenty of space to allow the heat to circulate.

Definitely don’t stack them.

Step 4: Cook and Check for Doneness

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. When you think they’re close to being done, test one by sliding a fork into the thickest part.

If it slides in easily, your potatoes are ready. They won’t look like oven-baked potatoes, they’ll be a bit shriveled, but the insides will be perfectly fluffy.

If it doesn’t slide in easily, cook an additional 30 minutes and test again.

Five Non-Negotiables for These to Come Out Right

• Pierce the potatoes all the way around
• Coat all sides with olive oil and salt
• Pick potatoes that are similar in size, as smaller potatoes will be done before larger potatoes
• Don’t cover the potatoes in foil, line the crock with foil, or add water, trust me on this.
• Give the potatoes enough room to allow the heat to circulate, don’t stack.

What to Load on Top

• Classic Loaded Baked Potato: butter, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, green onions or chives.
• Chili Baked Potato – Spoon some canned or homemade chili onto the potato along with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. An easy, complete dinner.
• Broccoli and Cheese – My kids like their potatoes topped with steamed broccoli covered with cheddar cheese sauce or just melted, shredded cheddar cheese. A filling, yummy combo.
• Simple and Good – If you rubbed your potatoes with olive oil before baking and seasoned them, I’d just add butter and salt and enjoy.

Some other topping ideas include salsa and cheese, refried beans, green chile sauce, sauteed vegetables, gravy, etc. etc. The toppings are half the fun of baked potatoes and they’re a great opportunity to be creative or just go with the tried-and-true toppings your family loves.

The wrinkly skin of these babies might surprise you, as potatoes made in the slow cooker don’t always have the appearance of traditionally baked potatoes, but don’t be fooled; they’re perfectly cooked and fluffy inside.

These make a great option to feed the crowd, too. Set out a variety of toppings and set up a baked potato bar.

What to Serve Alongside

I like to serve slow cooker baked potatoes alongside some sort of meat, such as grilled/pan-seared steak, rotisserie/baked chicken, pork chops, ribs, but that’s just me. There are so many topping options you could easily make these potatoes a meal.

How to Store Them and What to Do With Leftovers

Slow cooker baked potatoes will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Make sure they’ve completely cooled before placing them in an airtight container or wrapping them tightly with aluminum foil.

You can reheat in the microwave by pricking the potato’s skin with a fork and microwaving for 2-3 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking, or wrap them in foil and bake in a 350° oven for about 15-20 minutes, which is my preferred reheating method as they taste better this way, though they take longer.

Can I make them ahead of time?

Yes! These crock pot baked potatoes can be made ahead of time.

You can make them a day ahead of time, store them in the fridge, then reheat them in the oven wrapped in foil when you’re ready to serve them.

Can I use red potatoes?

No. Red potatoes are much smaller and more waxy.

Russets work best.

Four Easy Changes Worth Knowing

Make these slow cooker baked potatoes creamier: Use Yukon Gold potatoes instead of russets for a denser, creamier potato.

Want more flavor? Use melted butter instead of oil.

Technically you CAN use butter in place of the oil. But the crockpot baked potatoes are cooking on LOW for a LONG time (6-8 hours), and I’ve had mixed results with the butter sometimes burning during cooking.

Avocado oil, vegetable oil, and olive oil all work well here.

Spice up the skins: Mix garlic powder or other seasonings into the oil to rub onto the skins. It’s a nice way to add another layer of flavor.

Other potatoes: If using smaller baby potatoes or smaller russet potatoes, they’ll likely be done sooner. Check at 2-3 hours on high, 4-5 on low.

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes FAQ

Can you cook potatoes in a crock pot WITHOUT water?

You can and should make these in a DRY slow cooker with no water needed. Adding water will steam-cook them, resulting in white, soft, soggy skins.

Can you put foil in the slow cooker?

Technically, yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. For best results, bake them unwrapped in a dry slow cooker for better potato skins.

Foil will keep the potatoes from developing their best skins.

How to use leftover baked potatoes

Blend into chunky potato soup: Mash together with some leftover roast chicken, a little cream, some green onions, chives, parsley, salt, pepper. Top with croutons.

Make a breakfast scramble: Dice and toss into a skillet with eggs, cheese, green onions, chives.

Or try twice-baked potatoes.

Test for doneness by inserting a fork into the thickest part of the potato. If it doesn’t go right through like it’s cutting into soft butter, return potatoes to slow cooker for another 30 minutes and retest.

An underdone center will ruin these.

Can I make these with sweet potatoes?

Yes! Follow this recipe and cook times exactly as written.

Sweet potatoes make an awesome version of baked potatoes. The skins become super sweet and salty and a little bit caramelized.

Yum!

How many potatoes fit in a slow cooker?

A 6 quart slow cooker will fit about 4 pounds of potatoes. More than that and you’re going to get mixed results since they’re going to be cooking unevenly.

If you’d like to make a bigger batch, either enlist the help of a second slow cooker or cook potatoes in shifts.

Can I leave the Crock Pot potatoes on warm after they’re done?

If dinner’s not ready, remove the potatoes and reheat later. Leaving them longer than 1 hour on warm will negatively impact the texture of the potatoes.

Other Slow Cooker Dinners Worth Making

Pork Chop and Hash Brown Casserole – Layers of creamy, cheesy hashbrowns meet up with pork chops baked right in the casserole dish.

Crock Pot Beef and Noodles – Shredded beef + egg noodles = yum. Chuck roast cooks low and slow, then is mixed with beef broth and cooked with thick egg noodles.

Cheesy Potato Bake – Creamy hashbrowns, cheddar cheese & cream of chicken soup come together for the easiest and tastiest side dish ever.