The Best Way to Freeze Baked Potatoes and Reheat Frozen Baked Potatoes

How to Freeze Baked Potatoes the Easy Way

Once you bake potatoes, it’s worth baking a big batch. And freeze baked potatoes to reheat when you need a hassle-free dinner or lunch. But how do you freeze baked potatoes, reheat them, and make them taste delicious? We tested many methods and will show you the best way to freeze and reheat them step by step.

Let’s start with freezing baked potatoes. Want to know how to defrost and reheat frozen baked potatoes? Jump straight to that section!

There are two ways to freeze baked potatoes.

The first way is to freeze plain baked potatoes without any filling.

The second way is to freeze baked potatoes with filling, such as butter and cheese. We’re definitely big fans of the second method, so give it a try!

But first, let’s go over how to freeze plain potatoes so they stay creamy and crispy.

How to Freeze Plain Baked Potatoes (Without Filling)?

• Let the baked potatoes cool completely to room temperature before you freeze them. If you freeze them warm, the steam stays trapped, the potatoes get icy inside, and you’ll end up with freezer burn.
• Put the cooled potatoes into freezer-safe bags—Ziploc bags work great. We like using small Ziploc bags, so one potato fits perfectly into each bag. This way, you can defrost exactly as many servings as you need. Notice any air trapped in the Ziploc bag after you put the potato inside? You can easily remove it! It’s better for storage because the potatoes take up less space. Check out our quick hack to see how!
• Then place the bags inside an airtight container. This way, the potatoes won’t get crushed or damaged in the freezer.

That’s it! Now check out our guide on how to defrost and reheat plain baked potatoes.

There’s a second method to freeze baked potatoes—and it’s our favorite! The potatoes turn out creamy, crispy, and absolutely delicious. To freeze them this way, you bake the potatoes first, fill them with butter and cheese, and then freeze. When you need a serving or two, just defrost, reheat, and add your favorite toppings. We tested so many methods, but this one came out on top! Let’s dive into the details on how to do it.

How to Freeze Baked Potatoes with Butter and Cheese?

First, let’s take a look at the equipment and ingredients you’ll need. For exact measurements and baking temperature, check the recipe card below!

Equipment:

• Ziploc bags
• Container

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Butter
• Mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Prepare the Potatoes for Baking

Wash and dry the raw potatoes. You can dry them with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Don’t choose small potatoes—go for large ones. The size matters a lot! Big potatoes turn out much creamier when you mash them.

Poke holes in the potatoes using a fork, toothpick, or skewer. Coat them with olive oil. Put the potatoes on a rack in the lower part of the oven. Bake at 200°C (390°F) until the potatoes are tender. The exact baking time depends on the size and type of your potatoes.
Smaller potatoes usually take around 60 minutes, while larger ones need about 90 minutes. Once done, remove the potatoes from the oven. Place them in a small dish or create a holder from aluminum foil to manage the heat.

Mash and Season the Potatoes

While they are still hot, cut off the top of each potato. Gently mash the insides with a fork. Gently mash the insides with a fork. Be careful not to break the skins. Mix in butter until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, mix in cheese with the mashed potatoes.

Check out our recipe for baked potatoes for precise measurements and tips on preparing the base. We also tested baking potatoes both in aluminum foil and without. Interestingly, baking without foil is the best. The potatoes turn crispy on the outside and fluffy and cheesy on the inside. What a combo!

Cool and Freeze the Potatoes

Now, put the potato halves back together and let them cool to room temperature. Then, place your potatoes in airtight freezer bags. We chose Ziploc bags because they are easy to close. We recommend using small Ziploc bags so you can freeze individual servings of baked potatoes. One baked potato is just the right size for a small freezer bag.

To save space in your freezer, use our quick hack to squeeze out the air from the bags. It makes a big difference! If you remove air from the Ziploc bags, there will be no air or humidity inside, and this way, you can omit freezer burn.

Put the filled bags into an airtight container and place it in the freezer. This way, the potatoes won’t get squished or lose their shape. They also won’t pick up any odors from other foods. You can freeze baked potatoes like this for up to 1 month. Perfect for quick midweek meals!

How to Defrost and Reheat Frozen Baked Potatoes

Let’s reheat frozen baked potatoes so they taste amazing. But first, you need to thaw them.

How to Defrost and Prepare Frozen Baked Potatoes

No matter if you have plain frozen potatoes or ones with fillings, here’s how to thaw them:

• Option 1: Leave the frozen potatoes at room temperature for 1–2 hours.
• Option 2: Place them in the fridge and let them defrost overnight, about 8 hours.

Once thawed, take the potatoes out of the Ziploc bags.

Reheat the Frozen Baked Potatoes

You can reheat frozen baked potatoes in the oven, microwave, or pan. It works great whether your potatoes are plain or filled with butter and cheese. We love reheated potatoes from the oven the most, so let’s start there!

Oven Method

• First, defrost your potatoes — here’s how!
• Heat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Set the potatoes right on the oven rack or place them on a baking sheet. If the potatoes have fillings, bake them whole—don’t open the halves. If you’re reheating plain potatoes, leave them whole and don’t cut them.
• Bake the potatoes on the middle rack of your oven for 20–30 minutes, depending on their size, until the skins turn crispy. Cooking time may vary depending on your oven, so keep an eye on them.

When you bake potatoes in the oven, especially with butter and cheese inside, you get a soft, fluffy inside and a crispy, delicious skin.
Oven-baked potatoes taste the best—better than reheating them in a pan or microwave.

Still want to use the microwave? No problem—here’s how to do it!

Microwave Method

• Before anything else, thaw your potatoes — check above to see how!
• Place the baked potato on a microwave-safe plate.
  Tip: Make sure the plate is wide enough so the potato heats evenly.
• Microwave on full power for about 2–3 minutes.
  If your potato is larger or still very cold from thawing, you might need an extra minute. Check halfway through.
• Check the potato after heating.
  It should be soft all the way through, both inside and outside.

Result: The skin won’t get crispy in the microwave—only the inside will stay soft and warm.

Pan Method

• Thaw your potatoes. Check above to see how!
• Warm up a pan over medium heat.
  Tip: A nonstick pan works best so the potato doesn’t stick or tear.
• Place the potato in the pan and cover it with a lid.
  With the lid on, the heat stays inside. This warms the potato faster without drying it out.
• Cook for 5–7 minutes, depending on the size of the potato.
  Flip it once or twice while heating to get a nice even crisp.

Check the texture: You’ll get a crispy skin with a soft, hot center—perfect for serving!

Add Your Favorite Toppings

Finally, add your favorite toppings and sauces. You can add a single layer of topping or multiple toppings – it’s up to you. Our favorite toppings for now are bean salad and guacamole. After adding toppings, sprinkle baked potatoes with green onions. Check out our easy baked potato toppings and sour cream sauce recipe for easy toppings and sauce ideas. 

Enjoy Delicious Potatoes

Happy cooking, and enjoy your delicious baked potatoes! Next time you make a big batch, you’ll know exactly how to freeze them.
Freeze, defrost, and reheat—and they’ll still taste soft, fluffy, and creamy!

Saved time and made something delicious? Perfect—Martha Stewart would be jealous. Enjoy!

Tasty Potato Dishes and How to Pick the Right Potatoes

Choose the right type of potato to get crispy fries, fluffy baked potatoes, or creamy kumpir — and make each dish turn out just right, whether you’re baking, frying, or freezing.

Discover Delicious Potato Dishes: From French Fries to Baked Potatoes and Kumpir!

You can prepare many delicious dishes with raw potatoes: potato gratins, pancakes, crispy hashbrowns, potato salad… And, of course, everyone’s favorite, French fries. Cut potatoes into thin slices, bake, and enjoy a crispy snack!

Have you tried baked potatoes with various toppings? In Turkey, they call this dish kumpir, and you can find it on almost every corner of Istanbul’s streets. It’s also famous worldwide. Haven’t tried it yet? Are you curious to give it a go? Try making your own baked potatoes or kumpir with our recipe. Check out one of our previous posts and videos for a step-by-step guide on how to make it. We also added lots of ideas for simple yet super delicious toppings!

How to Choose Perfect Potatoes for Baking and Freezing

The size of your potatoes is very important when baking and freezing. Set aside small potatoes for other delicious recipes. Use large potatoes with smooth skin for baking, ideally long ones. Large and long potatoes are ideal because they have enough flesh to mash with butter and cheese into a puree. Plus, they are long enough to hold plenty of different toppings.

To make baked potatoes or kumpir extra delicious, bake them in the oven without precooking. We tested baking cooked potatoes by cooking them first in boiling water. We thought it would be a great way to shorten baking time. However, we discovered it’s not the best way because cooked potatoes don’t taste delicious after baking. Pre-cooked potatoes have a watery consistency. And don’t develop a crispy skin when baked. Plus, when you mash the potato flesh into puree, the skin isn’t crispy enough and can tear. So, the best way is simply to bake them.

In Istanbul’s street stalls, potatoes are baked in special ovens at high temperatures. However, if you bake potatoes correctly in your oven, your homemade baked potato will be just as tasty. The cooking process for baked potatoes takes 1-1.5 hours, which is quite a while. So, we recommend baking a lot of potatoes (at least 3 kg) and freezing them for later. You can keep these potatoes in the fridge for up to 3 days (for fridge storage tips, check our step-by-step guide how to store). Additionally, put some potatoes in airtight freezer bags to store in the freezer.

More Extra Delicious Potato Recipes

Are you looking for more potato recipes? What about extra crispy hash browns? You only need two simple ingredients and some spices. Grate fresh potatoes and soak them in cold water in a large bowl. Drain. A lot of water will remain in the grated potatoes. Make sure you squeeze all the water out. Add cheese and bake! The hash browns turn extra thin and crispy. And you don’t have to stand at the stove to fry them because we bake them in the oven! Add some sour cream or cream cheese as a dip, and the dinner is ready.

Or, if you just bought new potatoes, go for potato salad. For the best results, we included tips on how to make potato salad extra crispy. You can also bake and fill potato shells for a tasty change.

Frequently Asked Questions