How To Cook Potatoes In The Microwave

The humble potato makes a great snack or accompaniment to your meal. To speed up the cooking process, you can cook potatoes in your microwave. When done properly they will come out just as good as they do when cooked in the oven.

In this guide, we are going to give you step-by-step instructions for how to cook potatoes in the microwave using three different methods. These include making a whole baked potato, making roast potatoes, and making mashed potatoes. Simply follow our instructions and you’ll have a steaming hot potato ready to devour in ten minutes or less!

Let’s start with how to make a baked potato in the microwave.

How to microwave a baked potato 

To make a baked potato in your microwave simply follow these steps:

1. Prepare your potato. The best type of potato to make baked potatoes in your microwave is Russet. Before cooking the potato, scrub it under water to remove any dirt and blemishes. Don’t remove the skin as it will hinder the cooking process. Once clean, dry the potato with a paper towel or kitchen cloth.
2. Put holes in the potato. Use a fork to poke a few holes (5 or 6) on each side of the potato. This will allow steam to escape during the cooking process which will prevent it from exploding.
3. Cook the potato. Once prepared, place the potato in the microwave on a microwave-safe plate or piece of baking paper. Set the microwave to 3 minutes and on high and press start. After 4 minutes open the door and check if the potato hasn’t exploded. If fine, cook for a further 3 minutes.
4. Check the potato. Once cooked, take the potato out of the microwave. To check if it’s cooked, hold the potato with a kitchen towel and then press on both sides gently. The potato should be tender but the skin should crack. If necessary, cook for a further 60 seconds on high.
5.  Garnish and serve. Once the potato is cooked, remove it from the microwave and place it onto a plate. Use a sharp knife to cut the top off the potato and then press the top down. You can then add your favorite toppings like cheese, cooked bacon, sour cream, and ground beef. Once ready, it’s time to devour!

How to roast a potato in the microwave

The next method for cooking potatoes in the microwave is to roast them. Unlike a baked potato, for this method, you cut the potatoes up into smaller pieces first before cooking them. 

Simply follow these steps to create roast potatoes in your microwave:

1. Prepare your potatoes. The best type of potato to make roast potatoes in your microwave is Russet or Yukon Gold. For best results, choose a large potato to cook. Before cooking the potato, scrub it under water to remove any dirt and blemishes. Don’t remove the skin as it will hinder the cooking process. Once clean, dry the potato with a paper towel or kitchen cloth.
2. Slice the potatoes. Once the potato is clean and has been dried, the next step is to slice the potato. For best results, cut the potato up into 1-inch cubes. Once cut, place the pieces into a suitable microwave-safe dish.
3. Season the potato slices. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and then season with your favorite seasonings such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and rosemary. Toss the slices to make sure they are all covered in oil and seasoning. You can then cover the dish with a lid or use plastic wrap.
4. Cook the potatoes. Place the dish into the microwave and cook for 5 minutes on high. After 5 minutes check if the potatoes are cooked by pressing a fork into them (if cooked the fork should go through the piece of potato easily). If required, cook for a further 2 minutes before checking them again. If they are still not cooked, cook them in 1-minute intervals until done.
5. Serve and enjoy! Once cooked, remove the potatoes from your microwave and serve!

How to cook mashed potatoes in a microwave

The final method we want to share with you is making mashed potatoes. This is a great hack to use to quickly make piping hot mashed potatoes to serve on the side for lunch or dinner.

Follow these steps to make mashed potatoes in the microwave:

1. Prepare your potatoes. The best type of potatoes to make mashed potatoes in your microwave are Russet, Yukon Gold, or sweet potatoes. For best results, choose a large potato to cook. Before cooking the potato, scrub it under water to remove any dirt and blemishes. Don’t remove the skin as it will hinder the cooking process. 

Once clean, dry the potato with a paper towel or kitchen cloth and then put it into a microwave-safe dish. Finally, cover the dish with plastic wrap but leave one corner open so air can get into the dish.

2. Cook the potato. Place the dish into the microwave and cook for 5 minutes on high. After 5 minutes remove the dish from the microwave and check if the potato is cooked through. This can be done by pressing a fork into the potato. If it doesn’t easily go through the potato it will need to be cooked longer. Cook the potato in 1-minute intervals until cooked through.
3. Peel the potato. Once cooked, take the potato out of the microwave and run it under cold water for a few seconds to slightly cool it down (wear oven gloves when handling the dish and the potato). You can then peel the potato with a small knife.
4. Prepare your mashed potato. Once peeled, place the potato in a bowl with half a cup of milk or sour cream, 1 tablespoon of butter, and salt and pepper. Mash the potato until it reaches your desired constituency. If required add more milk, butter, and seasoning.
5. Serve and enjoy!