How to Microwave Potatoes

//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0258/9324/0922/products/ANYDAY_Q1_20239347_360x.jpg?v=1672950404 How to Microwave Potatoes
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Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

3 mins

Free Time

to sit in the sunshine

There’s no more straightforward or faster way to cook this starchy staple than in the microwave. To save time, steam potatoes in the microwave as a shortcut before air frying or broiling. Microwaved potatoes also make great impromptu lunches or snacks! Eat them directly with butter, salt, and more toppings— “baked” potato-style.

Baking a potato can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour in the oven. When using an Anyday dish, potatoes take about 3-4 minutes to fully cook in the microwave. The secret is in the lid— the silicone gasket traps steam to evenly cook potatoes.

What You’ll Need

What You’ll Need

The Medium Shallow Dish

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Look no further for making poached eggs, desserts, dips, and small portions of meat or fish.
The Anyhand Mitts

The Anyhand Mitts

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Handle hot Anyday dishes with care with these microwave mitts that double as trivets!

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Select your serving size and microwave wattage in the dropdown. The recipe will change accordingly.

1 medium (160g) potato

Select your microwave wattage in the dropdown. The cook times in this recipe will automatically change accordingly.

[[video-wattage]]

To find your microwave’s wattage, look at the front panel, the side of the door, in the back, in the user manual, or Google the model number. If both an input and output wattage are listed, use the output.

Wattage translates to how powerful the microwave is. The higher the wattage, the faster your food will cook. The lower the wattage, the longer the cook time.

When in doubt, start with less time — you can always add more.

Microwave oven by power - 700w
700w

Ingredients

  • 1 medium (160g) russet potato

Preparation

  1. Rinse the potatoes.
  2. Cut the potato in half lengthwise.
  3. Place in an Anyday dish and cover with the lid (knob lifted).
  4. Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.

Serving suggestions & tips

  • Simple: Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper for a quick side dish
  • Cheesy sour cream: Mix together a dollop of sour cream, sliced scallions or chives, shredded cheddar, and crispy shallots to top the ‘baked’ potato!
  • Chile con carne: Serve ‘baked’ potatoes as a side for chile con carne instead of cornbread
  • German style: Cut the potato into medium-sized pieces and mix with sauerkraut and grain mustard
  • Classic mash: Mash the potato (skin on) with butter, garlic powder, and a dollop of sour cream

Recipe notes

  • Is your lid lifting up? This is totally ok! Steam is building pressure inside of the dish, cooking your food quickly and evenly. To prevent this from happening, consider lowering your power level.
  • Microwave ovens vary, even with the same wattages. Adjust cooking times as needed.

Microwave Match Up: Potatoes

See for yourself— microwaving potatoes is simply faster, start to finish.

Appliance Cook Time
Microwave in an Anyday dish 5-6 mins
Oven* 45-60 mins
Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker)* 20 mins
Stovetop* 25 mins
*Includes preheat time

Step by Step: Microwaving Potatoes

Cut potato in half lengthwise.

Cover with the lid (knob lifted).

Cook in the microwave.

Potato is done when fork tender.

All you need to know about microwaving potatoes

How long does a potato take to cook in the microwave?

Ingredient Cook Time
1 medium (160g) russet potato 2-3 mins
2 medium (320g) russet potatoes 4-5 mins
3 medium (480g) russet potatoes 6-7 mins
Cook time calculated for 700w microwave

Potatoes take about 5-6 minutes in the microwave for a 1000w microwave. We recommend cutting the potato in half lengthwise for quick, even cooking. For lower wattage microwaves, add 1-2 more minutes of cook time for a fully cooked potato.

How to cook potatoes faster in the microwave

Cook times can also depend on the size and starch levels of the potato. When cooking larger potatoes, consider adding more time or poking the surface of the potato with a fork to better distribute heat. Potatoes can also be peeled and cut into small (1” pieces) for an even faster cook time.

How to tell when a potato is cooked through

Using a fork, pierce the flesh of the potato to check if it is cooked through. If there is no resistance, the potato should be cooked. If it’s difficult to pierce the potato with a fork, pop the potato back in the microwave for an additional 2-3 minutes. Alternatively, potatoes are typically ready when their internal temperature reaches about 210°. Insert a probe thermometer into the flesh of the potato

How to freeze a microwaved potato

Like most starchy vegetables, potatoes need to be cooked prior to freezing. Cook the potato using the directions above and allow to cool completely. Cut the potato into even cubes (about 1” in size) and lay the pieces flat on a tray without touching each other. Pop the tray into the freezer, and when solid (about 6-8 hours later), transfer to a freezer-safe storage bag. Pop in the freezer and store for up to 1-2 months. To reheat the potatoes, simply place the chunks back in the Anyday and microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until warmed through.

Does the type of potato make a difference to the cook time?

Cook times can also depend on the size and starch levels of the potato. Russet potatoes are high in starch, making them more susceptible to becoming stiff and stodgy when overcooked. Medium starch potatoes, like Yukon or new potatoes, are reliably easy to cook because of their high moisture content. They hold together well in the microwave and cook quickly.

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