Jamie Oliver’s jacket potato is a crispy-skinned baked potato made with olive oil and sea salt. It bakes at 200°C (400°F/gas 6) for 1 to 1¼ hours and serves two. The result is all golden crunch on the outside with a steaming fluffy centre.
Oliver published this recipe on jamieoliver.com, where he calls jacket potatoes a go-to when things get hectic at home. His version uses just three ingredients because he reckons technique matters more than toppings. No foil wrapping, no butter rubbed in, no fuss.
The step most cooks skip is drying each potato with a clean tea towel after washing. Wet skin steams instead of crisping, so Oliver insists you dry thoroughly before rubbing with oil. That single habit makes the difference between leathery skin and a proper crunch.*
Jamie Oliver Jacket Potato
Course: SidesCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy2
servings2
minutes1
hour15
minutes230
kcal1
hour22
minutesOliver’s method for the classic British jacket potato, built around one small detail most recipes skip. Pair it with any of his four filling ideas for a full meal under 30 minutes of active time.
Ingredients
2 baking potatoes (250g each), such as Maris Piper or King Edward
2 teaspoons olive oil
Sea salt
Directions
- Preheat: Set the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
- Scrub and dry: Wash and scrub the potatoes. Dry them thoroughly with a clean tea towel, since dry skin is what makes the outside crispy once baked.
- Oil and season: Rub each potato with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with a small pinch of sea salt. Use a fork to pierce each potato six times, all around.
- Bake: Place on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour to 1¼ hours, until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Open immediately: Transfer to a board and cut open straight away. If you let the potato sit after baking, the interior steams and the potato becomes soggy and heavy.
- Top: Add your favourite filling and serve.
Notes
FAQs
What type of potato should I use for a jacket potato?
Oliver’s website recommends Maris Piper as the go-to variety for jacket potatoes. It’s a floury, high-starch potato that breaks down inside to give a fluffy texture while the skin crisps up. King Edward works well too, with a slightly lighter, airier centre.
Waxy varieties like Charlotte or new potatoes hold their shape too firmly and won’t give you that soft, mashable inside. Look for potatoes around 250g each so they cook evenly. If you can only find larger ones, add 15 to 20 minutes to the bake.
Can I cook Jamie Oliver’s jacket potato in an air fryer?
Oliver has a separate air fryer method on his website. Prick the potatoes, rub with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sea salt, then cook at 180°C for 40 minutes, turning halfway through.
For something even quicker, pierce the potatoes and microwave on high (800W) for 10 minutes first. Then finish in the air fryer at 200°C for just 10 minutes. The skin won’t be quite as thick and crunchy as a full oven bake, but you save over 30 minutes.
What are Jamie Oliver’s best jacket potato fillings?
Oliver suggests four toppings on his website, and his homemade baked beans stand out. Fry chopped garlic with red chilli, then simmer with cannellini beans, plum tomatoes, smoked paprika and Worcestershire sauce until thick. Pile into the potato and top with grated Cheddar.
His rainbow slaw is the lightest option: grated red cabbage, carrot, apple and gherkins dressed with gherkin juice, olive oil, crumbled feta and toasted hazelnuts. He also lists a tuna mayo twist with cherry tomatoes and rocket, and caramelised bacon with red onion, thyme, spinach and natural yoghurt. All four work as weeknight meals with no real cooking beyond the potato itself.
How does this compare to Mary Berry’s jacket potato?
Berry’s “Posh jacket potatoes” from her cookbook take a different approach to the fillings. Her toppings include spring onion with soured cream and a bacon with mushroom combination, both richer and more traditional than Oliver’s baked beans or rainbow slaw.
Both recipes agree on the basics: scrub, oil, salt, high heat. Oliver focuses on the base technique with tips like drying the skin and opening immediately. Berry puts more effort into building the toppings into proper fillings with measured quantities, while Oliver’s are looser and more freestyle.
Should I wrap a jacket potato in foil?
Oliver doesn’t use foil, and there’s a good reason. Foil traps steam against the skin, which softens it instead of letting it crisp. You end up with a steamed potato in a jacket that bends rather than crunches.
Crispy skin needs direct contact with the oven’s dry heat. Place the potatoes straight on the baking tray or directly on the oven shelf. The oil and salt on bare skin is what creates that golden, crunchy coating you’re after.
How do I know when a jacket potato is done?
The outside should feel properly crisp when you tap it, and the potato should give slightly when you squeeze it with an oven glove. If the centre still feels hard, give it another 15 minutes and check again.
Potato size matters more than the clock. Larger potatoes can take up to 1½ hours, so don’t go strictly by the recipe timing if yours are bigger. When baking several at once, pick potatoes that are roughly the same size so they all finish together.
