How To Make Brined Baked Potatoes: This 10-Second Hack Makes the Spuds Crispier and Tastier

Potatoes are something I will never get tired of eating—there are just so many delicious ways to prepare them that I never get bored! My personal favorite is a baked potato (loaded with cheese, sour cream and bacon) to go enjoy with steak or chicken. Recently, I stumbled across a simple yet unexpected tip for making the tastiest and most flavorful spuds and it involves brining them. All you need is two ingredients and 10 seconds to use this trick on a batch of raw spuds. Keep reading for the scoop on brined baked potatoes and my experience trying out this method at home. 

The benefits of brining potatoes before baking them

Yup, you heard that right, we want you to soak your potatoes in a mixture of salt and water just like you would a chicken or a whole turkey on Thanksgiving to ensure it stays juicy and moist. America’s Test Kitchen writer Danielle Lapierre says brining can help season the inside and outside of a potato as well (just be sure to poke them with a fork beforehand).

Also, the salt dries out the skin, allowing it to get super crispy in the oven. What’s even better is that brining potatoes only takes a few seconds instead of a few hours when it comes to meat! So there’s no excuse why you shouldn’t be doing this every time you’re baking your spuds.

How to make potatoes using the brine method

In a video posted on the ATK YouTube channel, chef Elle Simone demonstrates how this method works when preparing baked potatoes.

Brined Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium or large russet potatoes, washed and patted dry
• ½ cup water
• 2 Tbs. salt
• Toppings and condiments like bacon, sour cream and/or cheese (optional)

Directions:

• Yield: 4 servings

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place wire rack on top.
2. Using a fork, poke holes into each potato; set aside. Mixed together water and two tablespoons of salt in a bowl until the salt was fully dissolved.
3. Rolling each pricked potato in salt water mixture 10 seconds to coat them evenly. Transfer potatoes to wire rack-topped baking sheet.
4. Bake potatoes 45 minutes or until they’re fork-tender and crispy on the outside. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve with your favorite toppings and condiments.

My taste test

Once my potatoes were baked and cooled, I dolloped each one with plain Greek yogurt and freshly cracked black pepper before digging in. I immediately noticed the crunchy skin was perfectly salty without being overpowering. The inside had a slightly salted flavor that perfectly complemented the tartness from the yogurt and the pungent kick of black pepper. Overall, I was really impressed with how this easy trick made the potatoes even more delicious than they already are.