Easy Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes
34 Comments Aug 28, 2023
Updated Nov 30, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
You can make Baked Potatoes in the slow cooker! It only takes a few minutes to prep, and baked potatoes are ready when you arrive home! Just add toppings such as butter, sour cream, bacon and green onions when you arrive home!
Love sweet potatoes? Try my Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes recipe! Talk about easy holiday dinners!
Table of Contents
- Can I make baked potatoes in the crockpot
- Recipe Ingredients and Supplies
- Step-by-Step Directions
- Can I add oil and salt to the skins of the crock pot baked potatoes?
- Can I cook the potatoes without foil?
- Can I use an instant pot instead of a slow cooker?
- Recipes FAQs
- Recipes to use up leftover baked potatoes:
- More potato recipes to make in your crockpot:
- Crock Pot Baked Potatoes Recipe Recipe
Can I make baked potatoes in the crockpot
Most people don’t think to cook baked potatoes in the crock pot, but it’s actually an easy, low prep way to cook them. You’ll want to make sure to use baking potatoes (like Russet potatoes) to ensure they cook nice and fork tender all the way through. You can even use sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes.
This crockpot baked potatoes recipe also works perfectly for creating a potato bar. You can leave the cooked potatoes directly in the slow cooker and fill a table with potato dressing such as shredded cheddar cheese, jalapenos, chives, and seasonings like salt and pepper. It’s a low-maintenance way to make the best loaded baked potato.
Recipe Ingredients and Supplies
- 6-quart slow cooker – This will fit the potatoes well.
- 4-7 russet potatoes – Wash and dry.
- Foil – You will be wrapping each potato in aluminum foil.
- Toppings: Bacon bits, sour cream, salted butter, shredded cheese, and green onion.
Step-by-Step Directions
- Wash and dry your potatoes, removing any dirt.
- Wrap each potato in a piece of aluminum foil being sure to cover the entire potato.
- Add the potatoes to the slow cooker, spreading them out. Try not to pack them in. Put the potatoes in on to two layers only.
- Cover and cook potatoes on low for 7-8 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
Can I add oil and salt to the skins of the crock pot baked potatoes?
- Yes, if you like to oil and salt the skins of the potatoes before wrapping in foil it works fine for this recipe.
- Make sure to dry the potatoes well before adding the vegetable oil (or olive oil) and kosher salt.
Can I cook the potatoes without foil?
- You certainly can! I know some can not cook with foil for health reasons.
- This recipe will work fine without wrapping in foil if you don’t want to use it.
Can I use an instant pot instead of a slow cooker?
You can use an instant pot instead of a slow cooker if you don’t have time to slow cook. I use this recipe for Instant Pot Baked Potatoes.
Recipes FAQs
Russet is the only potato that you should use for baked potatoes. The russet has a fluffy texture you can count on to soak up the deluxe toppings. If you use another type of potato like Idaho potatoes, you may be disappointed. The Russets are large potatoes that yield a nice serving per potato.
You do not need to add any liquid to baked potatoes in the slow cooker; it will bake similar to an oven.
Please do not overload your slow cooker with potatoes; this causes them to steam more and will cause them to turn black or orange. For a 6-quart slow cooker, do not add more than seven small potatoes and space them out.
If you want to do a baked potato bar (this is even fun for a weeknight), place out bowls of butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon, green onion, and even cubed cooked chicken is delicious. You can’t go wrong using your favorite toppings. For healthier options, serve the potatoes with plain Greek yogurt and steamed broccoli.
Ranch dressing is a wonderful baked potato topper! Try it, and you may never go back to sour cream.
I let the potatoes cool on the counter for about an hour; then, I place them in the fridge right in the foil. They are already packaged and ready for storage.
Piercing the potatoes is for when you are microwaving. It’s extremely rare for potatoes to explode in the oven or slow cooker.
You can use these baked potatoes to make mashed potatoes, potato salad, or add it to grilled chicken for a quick meal for a dinner party.
Recipes to use up leftover baked potatoes:
- Perfect Breakfast Potatoes – Recipe By Center Cut Cook
- Mojo Potatoes – Recipe by Food.com
- Loaded Potato Skins – Recipe by Spend with Pennies
- Baked Potato Soup – Recipe by Allrecipes
More potato recipes to make in your crockpot:
Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
Crock Pot Baked Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 russet potatoes, (6-7 potatoes fit perfectly in a 6-quart slow cooker)
Optional Toppings
- butter
- sour cream
- cheddar cheese
- bacon
- green onions
Instructions
- Scrub and wash the potatoes; Dry well.
- Wrap each potato in foil, making sure to cover the potatoes completely.
- Add the potatoes to the slow cooker, spreading them out. Try not to pack them in. Put the potatoes in two layers.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours. Do not open the lid during the cooking time.
- Unwrap, slice, garnish and serve.
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- Yes, if you like to oil and salt the skins of the potatoes before wrapping in foil it works fine for this recipe.
- Make sure to dry the potatoes well before adding the oil and salt.
- You certainly can! I know some can not cook with foil for health reasons.
- This recipe will work fine without wrapping in foil if you don’t want to use it.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
If the slow cooker potatoes can be cooked without the foil wrap, why use the foil? Seems like a waste.
so you don’t add water or anything to it, just the wrapped potatoes?
yep!
You can do corn on the cob this same way!
This sounds great but sadly there are only two of us. I don’t think it would cook right with just two potatoes.
Hi Gaile, this last weekend my grandma told me she does just two in a smaller crock pot and they do just fine! 🙂
I was wondering about just two potato’s myself. Happy to see the answer. However is it the same for just 2? 7-8 hours? On low?
Maybe do several and save for later in the fridge?
You can make several baked potatoes at a time and keep them in the fridge for a few days… or scoop the cooked potato out of the skin and put into small container and freeze.. to add later to soup etc … I cook just for me but make enough for several meals and freeze in individual servings
I’ve never done baked potatoes in my slow cooker. What a great idea!
I so need to try this soon! Such a great idea to “bake” potatoes in the slow cooker! 🙂
I love baked potatoes and will definitely try making them this way! Such a fast and easy recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Can’t wait to give this a try! I haven’t tried cooking potatoes in the slow cooker.
My daughter discovered she loved loaded baked potatoes this summer. This is a perfect way for me to make them on a school night.
The rotisserie chicken recipe that calls for the three foil balls could the potatoes be used instead?