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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 these 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 degrees F. Wash the potatoes and pat them dry with a paper towel, place them on a baking sheet.
  • Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork so any excess steam can escape.
  • Brush the outsides with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt all over covering the potatoes.
  • Place in the oven and 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 baking sheet.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
  • Next, cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides, leaving about a ¼ inch border of the potato attached to the skin.
  • Place the potatoes cut side down onto the baking sheet and brush the outside with half of the butter mixture.
  • Place back in the oven and bake for 8 minutes, turn them over, and brush the inside of the potatoes with the remaining butter mixture. Bake for an additional 8 minutes until the edges are golden brown and crispy.
  • Add the cheese and bacon to the inside cup of the potato skins evenly.
  • Bake for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
  • Serve immediately with sour cream and green onions.

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