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Do you want an incredible way to make “baked” potatoes without using the oven? These Fluffy Crock Pot Baked Potatoes are easy; you will wonder why you hadn’t done them before. Using the slow cooker allows you to have the oven for another dish or to keep the oven off during those hotter months is perfect.

Now, what to do with those deliciously baked potatoes? Why not try our 25 Awesome Stuffed Baked Potato Recipes? A lot of these recipes can be a whole meal inside a potato which is what I love. Or if you really want to impress try our Duchess Potatoes, great make ahead too.

Sticking a fork into a Fluffy Crock Pot Baked Potatoes with classic toppings.

Just want a traditional potato with those delicious toppings like cheese, sour cream, green onions, and bacon? Then these are the perfect way to go. They sit and wait hot for you in the slow cooker to have them with your favorite meal like a big juicy steak.

Potatoes cooked with this low and slow method turn out light and fluffy and not hard and dense at all, which sometimes happens to potatoes in the oven. Potatoes cooked this way make the perfect side dish for so many entrees.

Overhead of fluffy potatoes on a wooden platter.

Helpful Items For This Recipe

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Crock-Pot 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker | Stainless Steel

8 oz. ramekins for toppings, White Porcelain, Set of 6

Porcelain Fluted Dinner Plates – 10 Inch – Set of 6, White

What Goes into Making Baked Potatoes in a Slow Cooker?

Ingredients for Fluffy Crock Pot Baked Potatoes.

You don’t get any simpler than the ingredients that are needed for a classic baked potato. If you want to jazz your spud up, though, we have a whole section on alternative toppings; read on!

These Fluffy Crock Pot Baked Potatoes aren’t traditionally oven-baked per se, but I think they are even better and easier too. They are perfect to serve for a baked potato bar. The potatoes stay piping hot in the slow cooker and are waiting for you when you want to serve them. You can “hold” them on warm for 2 hours.

Ingredients

4 Russet potatoes

2 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

Serving suggestions – butter, chives, green onions, crisp bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream

How to Bake a Potato in a Crock Pot

This recipe is not only great for baked russet potatoes, but sweet potatoes also work wonders. Sweet potatoes may take slightly less time, so I would be checking them after 5-6 hours if they are smaller potatoes.

Wash the potatoes and set them aside to dry.

Poke holes in each potato 4-5 times with a fork (watch your fingers, speaking from experience, it is painful if you miss the potato!).

Drizzle each potato with olive oil and rub to cover the entire potato evenly. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper.

Place the potatoes in the slow cooker and set them to low (don’t add any water).

Cook with the lid on for 6-8 hours until fork-tender; check after 6 hours as the time may vary depending upon the size of your potatoes. You can cook them on high for 3.5 to 4 hours also.

You can “hold” the potatoes on warm in the slow cooker for up to 2 hours. This extra time gives you some wiggle room to keep them hot while you finish dinner.

Want a crispier potato skin? Then you can quickly broil or grill them.

What to Top Your Baked Potatoes With?

A baked potato is really a blank canvas for many toppings. Wendy’s restaurant has made it a great side dish or main for years and years. Think outside the box and create your own. The toppings list is really endless, but here are some of our favorites.

Serve your Fluffy Crock Pot Baked Potatoes with your favorite toppings like:

The Classic: Butter, sour cream, good quality cheddar cheese, crispy bacon

Mexican: Taco meat, salsa, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, black beans, refried beans, Monterey Jack cheese or cheddar cheese, diced green onions, fresh or pickled jalapenos, or Cotija cheese.

Cheesy Chili Con Carne: Chili with or without beans, cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, corn chips, tortilla chips; you could do a Sloppy Joe version too.

Broccoli Cheddar: Fresh steamed broccoli, cheese sauce, a sprinkle of paprika or cayenne

Pepperoni Pizza: Small chopped pepperoni, pizza sauce, pizza mozzarella cheese

Veggie Lover: Steamed vegetables, homemade ranch dressing, chives

Buffalo Chicken: Cooked chicken, Frank’s hot sauce, blue cheese crumbles, celery

Classic BLT: Crispy bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, a drizzle of mayo

Sweet Potato Toppings: butter, brown sugar, pecans, marshmallows, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, blue cheese, honey, walnuts

Horizontal photo of baked potatoes with toppings on a wooden platter.

FAQs

Here are some commonly asked questions and answers about potatoes and cooking them in a slow cooker.

Can potatoes be put into the slow cooker raw?

Absolutely, just like we did with this recipe, but they can also be added to soups, stews, goulash, and more.

How do you keep potatoes from drying out in a crock pot?

The key here is not to overcook them; if they are cooked, then turn the slow cooker to warm instead of continuing to cook on low. Crock pot baked potatoes can burn if left in too long.

Do baked potatoes cook faster with or without foil?

Some recipes use aluminum foil, but that really isn’t necessary. They don’t actually cook faster at all as the foil also has to heat. When wrapped in foil, a potato will steam more than roast or bake. I find oiling and salting the potato skins make them super delicious, and you will want to eat the skin and all.

Can you make mashed potatoes out of these slow cooker potatoes?

Another great use for these potatoes is to make mashed potatoes. You can pop them into the slow cooker and then be free to do what you like for the rest of the day.

The cooked potatoes will be waiting for you at dinner time. This method also gives you a more consistent cook as opposed to boiling, therefore giving you light and fluffy mashed potatoes too. Mash your potatoes with lots of milk or cream, butter, and maybe even sour cream if you like to.

Square photo of two baked potatoes with toppings on a plate.

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