Alton Brown’s Simple Trick Makes the Fluffiest Baked Potato Ever

Baked potatoes have seemingly been around as long as time, so when Alton Brown’s self-proclaimed “Perfect Baked Potato” started trending on TikTok, I had to ask: Are baked potatoes suddenly groundbreaking? Naturally, I had to watch the video to find out.

While Alton shares a few useful tips throughout the process, the real secret isn’t in the ingredients. What sets this recipe apart from the rest is the technique—the final step, to be exact.

How Alton Brown Makes Perfect Baked Potatoes

Alton starts with russet potatoes, which have just the right balance of starch and moisture for that fluffy, cloud-like interior. He preheats the oven to 300°F, then washes, dries, and lightly coats each potato with olive oil and about a half teaspoon of salt.

His first tip? Poke the potatoes all over with a fork to let the steam escape. It sounds simple, but skipping this step can lead to dense, gluey potatoes. So far, pretty standard—but stay with me, because this is not where the magic happens.

He places the potatoes directly on the oven rack, set in the middle position, with a pan underneath to catch drips. After baking, he removes the potatoes with tongs and places them in a bowl. Then comes the second bake: a drizzle of olive oil, then back into a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes to crisp up the skin.

Here’s where this technique really sets this baked potato recipe apart from the rest. To split the potato, Brown uses a fork to poke several times across the top, from end to end, pressing all four tines into the skin with each poke. Then, he gently squeezes the ends toward each other, causing the fluffy interior to burst open through the crisp skin.

Why This Baked Potato Method Should Be Your Go-To

With Alton’s method, the potato practically blooms, revealing a steamy, tender center with plenty of surface area to catch all your toppings. A pat of butter melts instantly into the ridges. A dollop of sour cream seeps into every nook and cranny, adding cool creaminess and a touch of tang. A sprinkle of chives finishes it off with color and freshness. It’s simple, classic, and yes, perfect.

In a follow-up video that also went viral, Brown stitched another TikTok user who tried to follow his recipe… but didn’t quite get there. Instead of squeezing along the perforations, they sliced the potato in half with a knife. The result: two neat halves without a fluffy interior, Brown quickly called out that this wasn’t the method he described.

So, if you try this at home, make sure to follow his technique exactly as written. The final step really makes all the difference in turning a delicious, classic dish into the best version of itself.