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–+ servings
Square photo stacked on plate with sour cream.
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Loaded Potato Skins

Ditch the restaurant and make your own Loaded Potato Skins at home. Crispy, tender and filled with cheese and bacon making a mouthwatering appetizer!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 26 minutes
Total Time1 hour 41 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Tornadough Alli

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

  • 8 small russet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the potato skins:

  • 3 tablespoons salted butter melted
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

For the filling:

  • 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 8 slices bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
  • Sour cream to serve
  • Thinly sliced green onions to serve

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the potatoes very well and pat them dry with a paper towel, place them on a sheet tray.
  • Using a fork, pierce the potatoes all over so any excess steam can escape.
  • Brush the outsides with the olive oil, then sprinkle with the salt all over.
  • Bake for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, until a knife inserted into the potatoes goes in smoothly. Let them cool completely, or until they are cool enough to handle on the sheet tray.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
  • Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides, leaving about ¼ inch of the potato attached to the skin.
  • Place them cut side down onto the sheet tray and brush the outside with half of the butter mixture.
  • Bake for 8 minutes, turn them over, and brush the inside of the potatoes with the remaining butter mixture. Bake an additional 8 minutes until the edges are golden brown and crispy.
  • Add the cheese and bacon evenly to the inside cup of the potato skins.
  • Bake an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately with sour cream and scallions.

Notes

  1. Use a serrated knife to slice the potatoes. It doesn't tear the potatoes as easily as a regular knife does. 
  2. Smaller russet potatoes are easier to handle and bake faster than the larger ones. I recommend using smaller ones when you can, be sure to start checking on them after 30 minutes of bake time. 
  3. You can add any tasty meat combo to these, see some ideas above. 
  4. This recipe can be doubled easily to make more. 
  5. Feel free to serve any dipping sauce with these, see some of my favorites above. 
  6. Jazz these potatoes up even more with some other seasonings, above you'll find more ideas to try. 
  7. I used regular cut bacon, but you can use thick cut if desired. 
  8. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 479mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 1mg