Name: Classic Jacket Potato Recipe (British Baked Potatoes)
Yield: 2
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 large Russet potatoes (about 400 g - 500 g, 3/4 lb - 1 1/4 lbs); 1 tsp olive oil; salt and pepper, to taste; Butter; Grated old cheddar cheese; Chopped bacon; Baked beans (Heinz is the British classic, and you can make your own!); Tuna salad (check out my tuna salad from my tuna salad sandwich recipe); Coleslaw (try out my no-mayo coleslaw recipe!); Chives or spring onions; Sour cream or crème fraîche

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picture of jacket potatoes recipe — For weeknight dinners that involve very little hands-on time and dishes but are packed with flavour, this easy recipe for baked potatoes comes to the rescue! This British Baked Potatoes recipe is going to be iconically topped with cheese and baked beans!

Watch How to Make This Classic Jacket Potato Recipe Here:

Easy Jacket Potato Recipe

If you’re new here, you may not know that I’ve been called the king of potato recipes. What can I say, I grew up with potatoes ever since I was a little boy, and I’ve always loved them! Potatoes are definitely one of my favourite foods, and I love to try potatoes out in new ways all the time! From my favourite Indian Aloo and Matar Sabji to Diner-Style Hash Browns to Curly Fries, I’ll eat potatoes in all shapes and forms!

I’ve made baked potatoes a couple of times before, but it wasn’t a frequent dinner. However, when I wanted to explore a classic British recipe, I knew I had to go for a loaded jacket potato - specifically with cheese and baked beans! The reason I wanted to make this combination for jacket potatoes is because I was watching lots of YouTube shorts of a guy running a food truck in England, and I had to just take on this challenge! Now, I’ve never had cheese and baked beans together for any occasion, so I admit I was hesitant with the combination, but let me tell you it’s well worth it, and I truly believe you’ll love it to make the best baked potatoes you’ve ever had! This recipe for jacket potatoes will show you how to make the perfectly crisp baked potatoes on the outside with a fluffy and flavourful inside - no sogginess will be present here!

I also absolutely am hooked on making jacket potatoes now, and I certainly want to make them more often! I was blown away by how easy and fast they are to make, and there aren’t many dishes involved either, which is always a massive bonus!

jacket potatoes with cheese and baked beans

If you know someone who loves potatoes as much as I do, then be sure to put your heart on a plate with this British Style Baked Potato recipe as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! To get started on your cooking journey for free today, then sign up to my free email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent straight to your inbox so you’ve always got new kitchen inspiration!

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Where Did the Jacket Potato Come From?

The humble jacket potato has been a beloved staple in British kitchens and street stalls since the Victorian era. Jacket potatoes were originally sold as a warm, filling snack to workers on the go. The signature crispy “jacket” was prized for making the potato easy to hold and eat without cutlery. Over the decades, this simple yet hearty dish evolved into a comforting classic—topped with everything from melted cheese and baked beans to tuna salad and coleslaw.

Fun fact: During World War II, jacket potatoes were a popular ration-friendly meal in the UK, proving that simple ingredients can create mighty tasty dishes!

Questions You May Have!

What Temperature Is the Oven For Jacket Potatoes?

390 F to 400 F works great for these jacket potatoes to get a fluffy soft interior and a crispy skin.

Should Baked Potatoes Be Wrapped in Foil?

You may commonly see that baked potatoes are wrapped in foil, and this is how “baking potatoes” are branded and sold at grocery stores. However, it’s really not needed at all! When you bake your potatoes wrapped in foil, this traps the moisture, resulting in steaming the potatoes instead of making them. As a result, you can expect a gummy inside with soggy skin. Whenever I bake without foil, I get a perfectly crisp outside with a fluffy and light inside. Trust me, if you’ve been complaining about soggy baked potatoes, try removing the foil and see what a difference it can make!

photo of jacket potato with cheese and beans

Can This Jacket Potato Recipe be Vegan?

Yes, this jacket potatoes recipe can most certainly can be vegan! If you want to top with baked beans, this should be fine since usually baked bean recipes are vegan. Just skip the cheese and instead of topping with butter, you can top with additional olive oil. Alternatively, you can use a vegan cheese if you want.

Nutrition Snapshot: What’s Inside Your Perfect Jacket Potato?

Potatoes often get a bad rap, but they’re actually a nutritional powerhouse wrapped in a crispy jacket! Here’s a quick look at what you’re getting from one large Russet jacket potato (without toppings):

Calories: ~311 kcal
Carbohydrates: 67 g (a key source of energy!)
Fiber: 5 g (supports digestion and keeps you full)
Protein: 8 g (surprisingly decent for a veggie!)
Vitamin C: About 45% of your daily needs (immune boost!)
Potassium: Nearly 25% of your daily needs (heart and muscle health)
Fat: 3 g (this will mostly come from your toppings, so you control this!)

Tip: To keep your jacket potato lighter, go easy on the butter and cheese or try plant-based alternatives. Adding baked beans or veggies boosts fiber and flavor while keeping it nutritious.

Can Diabetics Have Baked Potatoes?

Yes, they definitely can so long as the toppings are kept simple and won’t raise blood sugar. I would avoid baked beans with added simple sugars and instead stick to a light coating of cheese and perhaps tuna or coleslaw on top.

How Do I Know the Potatoes are Finished Baking?

Once the potatoes are done baking, they should be soft and fluffy inside and the skin outside should be crispy.

What if the Potatoes Still Aren’t Crispy?

If your potato skin isn’t as crisp as you hoped, try baking a few minutes longer directly on the rack—no foil, remember!

jacket potatoes topped with cheese and beans

Tools Needed to Make The Perfect Baked Potato Recipe

Ingredients For This Cheese and Beans Jacket Potato Recipe

Scroll to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD, which contains all ingredients and their quantities, plus you can save the recipe for later. The recipe card also helps you scale the recipe based on how many potatoes you’re looking to make so that you have enough toppings to really load up these potatoes!

picture of ingredients for Jacket potatoes

For the baked potatoes

Potatoes: Russet potatoes are recommended here if you’re in North America. In the UK, the equivalent would be Maris Piper or King Edwards potatoes. Ideally, choose fairly large ones so that they are nice and satisfying! Keep in mind that the size of potatoes will impact the baking time.
Olive oil: A little bit to help crisp the potato skin.
Salt and black pepper: Basic seasonings to add flavour to the potato skin.

Toppings

Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. If you’re using unsalted butter, then you may want to add additional salt inside the potato when serving.
Cheese: I’ve got a blend of white cheddar and pepper Jack cheese.
Baked beans: As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, being realistic with what you can and can’t achieve given your circumstances is key to setting realistic goals in the kitchen. While I would love for you to make some Homemade Heinz Baked Beans to top over these jacket potatoes, if you don’t have the time to do that, then don’t worry! The canned Heinz British Style Baked Beans were my childhood favourite - they are so delicious, and they’ll be wonderful here. I admit that I used canned beans when making this too! However, if you’ve already made baked beans and have leftovers, then this is a wonderful opportunity for you to use your baked beans!
Fresh chives: Chopped.

How to Make The Best Jacket Potato?

Preheat the oven to 400 F and wash & dry the potatoes thoroughly. Prick all over with a fork to prevent bursting.

Rub with oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt and pepper.

Bake directly on the oven rack (no foil!) for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until skins are crisp and the inside is soft.

Check doneness by squeezing the sides — they should give easily. You can also insert a knife to see if it glides in.

Slice open in a cross, gently push the ends to fluff up the interior.

Add a pat of butter first to melt in the hot potato flesh.

Season the inside with salt, pepper, mix in the butter as you mash and fluff up the flesh.

Pile on your toppings and serve hot.

Tips to Make The Heartiest Jacket Potato Recipe

For the best fluffy interior stick to floury/starchy potatoes like Russet, King Edward, or Maris Piper.
For proper crispy skin on the potatoes, don’t foil wrap the potatoes. Instead bake them directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet. Flip them once halfway through baking so both sides crisp up evenly.
Rest for 5 minutes after baking before cutting open — this helps the interior fully steam and fluffy.
You can double bake the potatoes if you scoop out the flesh, mix with cheese and butter, and return to the skins. Bake again until golden and bubbling.
Add butter while the potato is piping hot so it melts into the fluffy flesh. This is the base for any great topping.

Topping Variations for This Jacket Potato Recipe

There is a large variety of toppings you can experiment with when making the best jacket potato recipe! Here are just a few ideas.

Cheese & Beans: This is the combination that I’ve used in the pictures shown here.
Tuna Salad: You can use the tuna salad mixture that I make in my tuna salad sandwich recipe.
Plain & Simple: Just salt, pepper, and some butter. Don’t knock it at all! My wife did this and she really enjoyed this combo!
Cheese & Coleslaw: Add butter and grated cheese, and mix in some coleslaw. If you would like, you could check out my No-Mayo Coleslaw Recipe.
Sour cream
Your favourite proteins: How about some chopped bacon bits or rotisserie chicken?
Green onions
Mexican-style: Top with Guacamoleand/orSalsa Roja.
Chili: If you’ve got extra chili, then feel free to go wild and top your baked potato with chilli! There are plenty of options to choose from, from my Instant Pot Beef Chilli, my Slow-Cooked Texas-Style Chicken Chilli, or for a vegetarian option, my Instant Pot Vegetarian Bean Chilli.

What’s your ultimate jacket potato topping? Classic cheese and beans or something wild? Share your combos in the comments below and/or share your photos of your jacket potato using #cookingwithanadi!

How to Serve Jacket Potatoes

Depending on what toppings you’re adding to your British Baked Potatoes, they can be quite hefty on their own! However, if you want a side dish, you can’t go wrong with salad, where my Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Roasted Almonds would be perfect. Gurkensalat, or a German cucumber salad, would also be delicious here! You can also serve with vegetables of your choice, such as roasted cauliflower, Garlic-Butter Broccoli or Coconut Green Beans.

Seasonal Serving Suggestions for Your Jacket Potatoes

If possible, I recommend going with the seasons for ideas to make your jacket potatoes a complete meal with fresh ingredients!

Spring: Brighten up your jacket potato with a fresh pea and mint salad or a dollop of tangy Greek yogurt mixed with lemon zest and chives. Light, vibrant, and perfect for those early sunshine dinners!

Summer: Keep it cool and crisp with a side of cucumber and tomato salad drizzled with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Add a scoop of homemade guacamole or fresh salsa roja on top for a refreshing twist.

Autumn: Embrace cozy comfort with roasted root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes tossed in garlic and rosemary. A side of garlic-butter broccoli or a warm apple and cabbage slaw pairs beautifully with the hearty jacket potato.

Winter: Go all in on warmth with a bowl of hearty vegetable soup or a rich slow-cooked chili to spoon over your potato. Add a sprinkle of crispy bacon or a warming mix of sautéed mushrooms and thyme for that ultimate winter indulgence.

Can I Make Jacket Potatoes in Advance?

No, I strongly suggest you don’t or else you’ll end up with soggy potato skins! However, here are some tips to help you prep so you’re ready to serve!

Prepping Tips for Jacket Potatoes

Before you’re ready to serve your jacket potatoes, you can do the following to set you up for success:

Grate the cheese in advance and store it in an airtight container until ready to serve
Make your baked beans in advance, if making them from scratch
Chop your garnish and store in a plastic bag or cover them with plastic wrap.

Don’t Forget Your Printable Recipe Card!

For a quick, easy-to-follow version of this Classic Jacket Potato recipe, complete with exact ingredient amounts and scaling options, be sure to scroll down and hit the “Jump to Recipe” button.

Perfect for printing, saving, or sharing—your future self will thank you next time you crave the crispiest, fluffiest jacket potatoes around!

Potato Lovers’ Next Steps!

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

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British

Yield: 2

Author: Anadi

Classic Jacket Potato Recipe (British Baked Potatoes)

For weeknight dinners that involve very little hands-on time and dishes but are packed with flavour, Jacket Potatoes come to the rescue! This British Baked Potatoes recipe is going to be iconically topped with cheese and baked beans!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

For the baked potatoes

2 large Russet potatoes (about 400 g - 500 g, 3/4 lb - 1 1/4 lbs)
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Classic Toppings (choose one or mix):

Butter
Grated old cheddar cheese
Chopped bacon
Baked beans (Heinz is the British classic, and you can make your own!)
Tuna salad (check out my tuna salad from my tuna salad sandwich recipe)
Coleslaw (try out my no-mayo coleslaw recipe!)
Chives or spring onions
Sour cream or crème fraîche

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 390 F and wash & dry the potatoes thoroughly. Prick all over with a fork to prevent bursting.
Rub with oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt and pepper.
Check doneness by squeezing the sides — they should give easily. You can also insert a knife to see if it glides in.
Slice open in a cross, gently push the ends to fluff up the interior.
Add a knob of butter first to melt in the hot flesh.
Season the inside with salt, pepper, mix in the butter as you mash and fluff up the flesh.
Pile on your toppings and serve hot.