Let me show you how to make slow cooker baked potatoes and make your life easier with this set-it-and-forget-it side! Prep your potatoes in the morning and enjoy a delicious base for toppings or a “potato bar” for weeknight dinners. Stay hands-free and don’t worry about the oven!

cooking sheet with opened tin foiled potatoes and containers of green onion, bacon bits and sour cream with spoon, some potatoes halved and dressed with sour cream, bacon bits, and green onions

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What’s To Love About This Recipe

Let the slow cooker handle this one – it’s too easy! Sure, it’s simple enough to pop some potatoes into the oven, but with the slow cooker, you can leave them cooking all day without hovering around the oven.
After slow cooking, you’ll get perfectly tender, fluffy potatoes every time.
You only need 3 ingredients to prepare a tasty side or base for your meal – just potatoes, oil, and salt.
Baked potatoes in the slow cooker are a simple addition to main meals with grilled meat, BBQ plates, or you can set them up with toppings for a deluxe baked potato bar.
This is a fantastic shortcut for weekly meal prep! Spend a few minutes to prep a batch, cook them, and reheat throughout the week.

Ingredients Needed

Potatoes – You’ll need 2 pounds of gold potatoes or the potato of your choice. Russets have the fluffiest interior (a classic for baked potatoes), Yukon golds have a creamy texture, with slightly buttery flavor, and red potatoes hold their shape and are less fluffy. Simply wash them off, then pierce each potato a few times before adding it to the slow cooker.
Avocado oil – Avocado oil is my preferred choice for its neutral flavor and high-heat tolerance, but olive oil works too.
Kosher salt – Coarse kosher salt adds some extra flavor and texture to the potato skins.

slow cooker baked potatoes ingredients to include large bowl of gold potatoes, wooden bowl of kosher salt, and small container of avocado oil

How To Make Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

Wash and dry the potatoes and pierce them several times on each side with a fork.

cutting board covered with white tea towel and six gold potatoes with gold fork

Add potatoes to a large bowl and toss with avocado oil and salt.

white bowl with six gold potatoes covered with oil and kosher salt

Wrap each potato in foil and place it in the slow cooker.

sheets of tinfoil with one potato on top with black slow cooker containing prepared potatoes in background

overhead view of black slow cooker containing six tin foiled potatoes

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours, until fork-tender.
Serve topped with butter, cheese, sour cream, or as desired.

overhead view of black slow cooker with tin foiled potatoes, one uncovered with butter, green onion, and bacon bits on side

Pro Tips

No need to add water to the slow cooker – the moisture from the potatoes steams them naturally.
Foil helps the potato skins crisp slightly and makes cleanup easy, but you can cook without it if preferred. For crispier skin, unwrap them from the foil and broil for 2-3 minutes after cooking.
Choose potatoes of similar size for even cooking.
Cooking time varies by size.
- Small potatoes need approximately 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
- Large potatoes need approximately 5 hours on high or 9 hours on low.
Potatoes are done when they can be easily pierced with a fork or knife.
You can leave the potatoes on the “warm” setting for 2-3 hours without overcooking.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Use any variety of potato that you like. I love using gold or white premium potatoes for their firmer, smoother texture, but russet potatoes are always a good option, too.
Try out sweet potatoes with this same method for reliable results!
Use different oils, such as olive oil, canola oil, or melted butter. Avocado oil works well because it doesn’t burn as quickly, which is a benefit for slow cooking throughout the day.
Add extra flavor by seasoning the skins with garlic powder, smoked paprika, or herb blends before wrapping.

overhead view of black slow cooker with tin foiled potatoes, several uncovered, one being held by tongs, surrounded by green onions, butter and bacon bits

How To Serve Baked Potatoes

Serve a classic potato with butter alongside main proteins like grilled steak, Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken, or salmon.

Make a baked potato bar for a simple weeknight meal or for a larger gathering, with as many toppings as you like! Start with these ideas:

Butter, sour cream, shredded cheese
Bacon bits or sausage crumbles
Green onions or diced purple onions
Sliced jalapeños
A scoop of Slow Cooker Tailgate Chili or Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Broccoli with cheese sauce.

overhead view of white dinner plate with two halved potatoes dressed with sour cream, bacon bits and green onion, surrounded by bowls of tin foiled potatoes, bowl with sour cream, bowl of bacon bits, and bowl of green onions

Storing and Reheating

How To Best Store Leftovers

Fridge

Store wrapped potatoes in the fridge for up to 3 days. (Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes.)

How To Best Reheat Leftovers

Reheat baked potatoes in the microwave (the quickest option), or, for the best texture, heat in the oven or air fryer at 375℉ until warmed through.