Bake a batch of baked potatoes in your slow cooker – it costs so much less than using the oven and is a great way to get ahead with the cooking!
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Slow cooker basics
The recipes that seem to be most popular on my site are family slow cooker meals.
So I am going to be getting back to basics and sharing some simple family slow cooker recipes with you this year.
Sharing how I make slow cooker jacket potatoes seems like a good place to start.
Some people are often surprised to hear you can bake a potato in the slow cooker!
Baked potatoes as a family meal
If you have more than one slow cooker, as I know a lot of slow cooker users do since they are such an addictive thing to use, you can bake potatoes in one pot and a slow cooker chilli or casserole in the other.
Dinner done in one hit!
Or jacket potatoes can of course be a meal in themselves with just simple tinned store cupboard ingredients like baked beans, sweetcorn, or tuna.
All ideal for a simple midweek dinner.
I like to cook a couple more potatoes than I need for the evening meal. Then the extra ones can be a quick lunch for another day.
Why bake potatoes in the slow cooker
✓ Baking potatoes in the slow cooker is easy. Just put them in and wait.
✓ Another advantage is not having to use the oven which costs so much more to run, it is cheap.
✓ Leaving the slow cooker on to cook while I am out at work means I can come home to a meal which is ready to eat too! Less waiting and so convenient.
If you have a hungry family then that’s ideal!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need. You’ll find the quantities together with the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
All you will need is:
- potatoes – I buy the large potatoes intended for making baked/jacket potatoes. Amy medium to large potatoes will work. If you have a large slow cooker (6.5 litre size) then you should easily be able to fit in 4 large potatoes.
- olive oil – optional. To rub into the skin of the potatoes before cooking.
- salt – optional. A sprinkle of rock or sea salt over the potatoes before cooking adds a little flavour.
Method
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this slow cooker jacket potato recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step 1. Prick the skins of the potatoes, rub with oil and sprinkle with salt if desired (I often leave mine au naturel!), put in the slow cooker on a piece of baking parchment, this prevents sticking.
Step 2. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Large potatoes will take a little more time than smaller ones. To help the potatoes to brown on all sides, you can remove the baking parchment during cooking and turn from time to time.
Serve with butter garnished with a little fresh parsley with your favourite filings.
Fillings
If the options I’ve mentioned above aren’t tickling your fancy, Buzzfeed has you covered with 23 amazing ways to fill your baked potato.
Butter and grated cheese, or beans and cheese are our midweek favourites.
Storage
You can store any surplus slow cooker jacket potatoes in the fridge for up to two days. Cool them completely after cooking then pop in the fridge.
You can reheat them in the microwave, it will only take a couple of minutes.
You can also freeze jacket potatoes after cooking. Wrap them in clingfilm/foil indvidually and place in a freezer-safe container.
Freeze for up to 6 months for best results.
FAQ
No it is not necessary, the contact with the sides of the slow cooker pot will make the skin brown and crisp up as you can see from the photos.
Yes the edges of the potatoes go brown and the skin crisps up. If you can turn them over halfway then both sides will be brown.
They can get a slightly browner inside than if you cooked them in the oven but they still taste great. This tends to happen if you leave them to cook all day. If you cook on high for less time it doesn’t usually happen.
More recipes to try
If slow cooker jackets are just the sort of recipe you need for your family then you might also like:
There are loads more slow cooker recipes in my slow cooker archives as well – take a peek!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes
Equipment
Instructions
- If desired rub the potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt. Pierce the potatoes a few times with a fork.4 large potatoes, 1 tsp olive oil, salt
- Place the potatoes in the slow cooker on a piece of baking paper (to prevent sticking).
- Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
- Serve with butter garnished with some fresh herbs if you have them, with your favourite fillings.
dave says
going to give this a try…..
done them in air fryer but not slow cooker
do i/should i microwave them a bit before putting in the slow cooker?
i always do this for oven or air fryer to give them a head start!
bakingqueen74 says
no need with a slow cooker!
dave says
i found they fell apart when trying to turn/lift out!! did i cook too long? i only did 4-5hrs…..also didn’t get crispy skins
gill says
can you store these to bring out for another meal later
bakingqueen74 says
Yes you can put them in the fridge for up to two days. Cool them completely then pop in the fridge. You can reheat them in the microwave, it will only take a couple of minutes.
Lorainr says
Brillient will make again
bakingqueen74 says
great!
Kerri says
I made these yesterday following the recipe and they were so good and the house smelt amazing. I turned them over half way through and they got crispy as well. The parchment was great as the dish didn’t need much cleaning afterwards.
Will make them again when I need dinner quickly after getting g home!
bakingqueen74 says
Fab, so glad to hear this Kerri! 🙂
Lesley-Anne says
Could one use foil instead of parchment paper…??
bakingqueen74 says
You don’t need to use foil to ensure browning in the slow cooker for this recipe, as it is the contact with the base of the pot which makes the potatoes go crispy. But if you have no baking paper you could try foil. I haven’t tried it so do report back!