Baked Potato for Acid Reflux

Baked potatoes are an excellent light lunch or side dish for those that struggle with acid reflux. They are naturally low in fat which can trigger symptoms and high in starch which can reduce symptoms. But what is the best way to prepare them?

We like to bake our potatoes using a modified version of Alton Brown’s famous method. He lightly rubs the outside of the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkles with salt for crispy and flavorful skin.

While a (very) light coating of oil on the outside adds fat, it is actually perfect for those watching their fat as it makes the potato flavorful enough that you do not need to douse it in butter to be satisfied.

The potatoes are then baked, without aluminum foil, directly on the oven rack as you’d bake a pizza. Or, you can use our air fryer instructions for the same, if not better, crispy baked potatoes in an air fryer.

Ingredients for Perfect Baked Potatoes for Acid Reflux

• Russett Baking Potatoes - You can make baked potatoes with any type of potatoes. But to make the perfect baked potatoes for acid reflux, I believe that Russets are the way to go. The skins of Russet potatoes are thicker, which allows them to crisp up perfectly in the oven. And the insides are extra starchy, which can help relieve GERD symptoms.
• Olive Oil Spray - I like to use the spray because it allows me to get a nice light coating that fully covers the potatoes.
• Sea Salt - To really boost flavor.

How to Make Baked Potato for Acid Reflux

First, Scrub potatoes well and pat dry. Poke with the tines of a fork in at least 5 places.

Then, f****or the crispiest and most flavorful skin, lightly spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

To oven bake: Place oven racks in the bottom and middle positions. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place a sheet pan on the bottom rack, just in case the potatoes drip oil as they bake. Place the potatoes directly on the middle rack and bake for 50 minutes, until fork tender.

To air fry: Place 1–4 potatoes in the air fryer basket. Set air fryer to 375°F and cook 35 minutes for 1 potato or 40 minutes for 2 or more potatoes, until fork tender.

Tips for the Perfect Baked Potato for Acid Reflux

• Know that your cooking time may vary. My recipe says to bake for 50 minutes but be prepared that times may vary depending on the size of your potatoes.
• Don’t skimp on the salt. Coating the spuds in Sea Salt will make the skins extra-crispy and flavorful.
• Try not to use foil. Baking your potatoes directly on the oven rack without aluminum foil really allows for the extra crispy skin which adds such dimension and flavor.

How to Serve Baked Potatoes for Acid Reflux

To keep things lower in fat, we skip topping the potatoes with butter and make herbed ricotta cheese from part-skim ricotta and a mixture of chopped fresh herbs. Any mixture of herbs will work and you’ll get even more flavor with less than half of the fat of butter.

For even less fat you can top these potatoes with reduced-fat, or even fat-free, sour cream. Use fat-free sour cream in place of the ricotta cheese and you can make an herbed sour cream topping with no fat, only flavor!

You can’t go wrong with a perfect baked potato. Enjoy this baked potato recipe as a meal or on its own, or pair it with your favorite protein like our Slow Cooker Asian Honey Chicken. It would also be yummy with a hearty salad topped with our Low-Acid Creamy Dressing.

Have You Made This Recipe?

Please leave a comment and star rating to let me know how this recipe turns out! Your feedback is so helpful to me and other GERD Chef readers!

📋 Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

For the Potato:

• 1 Russet baking potato
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt

For the Herbed Ricotta Topping:

• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (parsley, basil, dill, oregano, and/or thyme)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Scrub potato well and pat dry. Poke with fork tines in at least 5 places
2. Lightly spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt
3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place oven racks in bottom and middle positions
4. Place sheet pan on bottom rack. Put potato directly on middle rack
5. Bake 50 minutes until fork tender
6. For herbed ricotta: whisk together ricotta, minced herbs, garlic powder, and salt
7. Cut open baked potato and top with herbed ricotta

Notes

• Air fryer method: Cook at 375°F for 35 minutes (1 potato) or 40 minutes (2+ potatoes)
• Cooking time may vary depending on potato size
• Can substitute fat-free sour cream for ricotta for even lower fat

Storage

Best served immediately