The traditional baked potato is low on seasonings and is often preferred by people who are less adventurous when it comes to strong flavors in their food. As a result, baked potato spices tend to be among the mildest and are used sparingly. Whether you want to liven up the flavor of a baked potato significantly or you want to give it a mild boost, the spices you choose will be important. Here is a look at some of the best bake potato spices:
Garlic
Garlic is an excellent seasoning for most savory vegetables, including baked potatoes. The plant that provides garlic is a member of the Allium family, which makes it a relative of the onion. Like onions, garlic is particularly pungent in its raw form but mellows when cooked or when dried and powdered.
Your options for using it on a baked potato include the powdered form. You can sprinkle garlic powder or garlic salt on raw potato wedges before placing them in the oven, or you can use them to season the cooked potato before or after adding the rest of your toppings. Alternatively, you can flavor your potato with garlic butter or garlic-infused oil.
Olive oil
Olive oil is one of the key ingredients in a good baked potato and can be used to give potatoes a shiny, crisp skin. You can also drizzle extra virgin olive oil over your potatoes as a healthier alternative to butter. Extra virgin olive oil has a bright grassy flavor profile that perfectly complements garlic and other seasonings used on baked potatoes and can help to provide a rich flavor to the tubers.
Basil
A relative of the mint herb, basil shares some of its flavor properties with mint as well as with licorice. The basil flavor profile also includes hints of citrus. While it is a staple ingredient in recipes for Mediterranean dishes, basil is versatile enough to be used as a seasoning for baked potatoes as well.
You have the option of using the dried herb in a kind of dry rub that goes onto wedges before baking them, or you can chop fresh basil and sprinkle it on over a split baked potato along with your other toppings.
Black pepper
Often the spiciest flavor that baked potato lovers can handle, black pepper is best when freshly ground from fresh black peppercorns. The powerful woodsy and citrusy notes of the spice can enhance the bland and starchy flesh of the potato while pairing perfectly with garlic, olive oil, and other seasonings.
The mild flash of heat can add a little spark of excitement to what might otherwise be an excessively sedate dish.
Onion
Arguably an even more popular Allium than garlic, onion is available in many forms, and most of them will work with your baked potato. You can use onion powder or onion salt on baked potato wedges, or you can sprinkle them onto your split baked potato as you load up on toppings. An even better option would be to add chopped scallions or chives to your baked potato.
Green onions are more pungent and herbaceous than white or yellow onions, and chives are a finer, milder-flavored member of the onion family. The bright green color of scallions and chives makes them an attractive garnish as well as a flavorful seasoning. Fried onions are great too since they add nuttiness and crunch to the potato’s flavor profile.