These Loaded Baked Potato Skins are a classic appetizer that is perfect for game day, parties or your next movie night. They’re crispy and fully loaded with just a hint of garlic, plenty of cheese, tasty bacon bits and finished with chopped green onions.
Jump to:
Easy Loaded Baked Potato Skins
This simple appetizer is always the very first to disappear whenever we serve it at a party or game day gathering. It’s easy to see why these Loaded Baked Potato Skins are virtually impossible to resist. They are twice-baked to perfection, packed full of cheddar cheese and bacon bits, topped with crunchy green onions and served with your favorite dipping sauce.
The secret to making crispy baked potato skins is all about the preparation, so just follow our step-by-step instructions and you’ll be devouring these in no time!
What Goes Well With Baked Potato Skins?
Loaded Baked Potato Skins are almost like a blank slate just waiting to be topped with all sorts of delicious sauces, cheeses and other toppings. Here are a few more recommendations outside of what is already in this recipe:
Dipping Sauces
- BBQ Sauce
- Sour Cream
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Homemade Guacamole
- Southwest Ranch Dressing
- Garlic Basil Hemp Aioli
- Fresh Salsa
Toppings
- Shredded Ranch Chicken
- Chili
- Sauteed Veggies (Bell Peppers or Broccoli)
- Ground Beef
- Refried Beans
Ingredients in Loaded Baked Potato Skins
- Potatoes - we almost always use Russet potatoes for potato skins because they are large and thick.
- Cooking Oil - avocado oil is great, or else any other cooking oil will work.
- Salt
- Butter - this should be melted as it will be brushed onto the skins.
- Garlic Salt - you can buy garlic salt, or make your own by mixing 50% garlic powder and 50% salt.
- Cheese - shredded cheddar cheese is the most common cheese to use for potato skins. Other yummy ones to use would be Pepper Jack or Parmesan.
- Bacon Bits - it is really simple to make your own bacon bits. Just slice bacon into ½” pieces and cook in a saute pan until crispy. Drain on a paper towel and voila - bacon bits!
- Green Onions - sliced green onions are optional but really tasty. You could also substitute chives if you’d like.
How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Skins
- Prep the potatoes. Wash the potatoes, prick the skin on all sides with a fork then put the potatoes in a gallon freezer bag and add the avocado oil. Close the bag and roll the potatoes around until they're completely covered in oil. Remove potatoes from the bag, place in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt on all sides.
- Bake the potatoes. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft when pricked with a fork. Take the potatoes out of the oven and let them cool enough to handle.
- Scoop out the flesh and season. Once cooled, cut the potatoes into quarters lengthwise and scoop out the majority of the flesh, saving for another use. Potato skins should be about ½" thick. Place the skins onto a baking sheet and brush with the melted butter, then sprinkle with garlic salt. Top with the shredded cheese and bacon bits and return to the oven.
- Bake again. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bacon is crispy.
- Garnish and serve. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then garnish with green onions and serve with ranch dressing or your favorite dip. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make Loaded Potato Skins Ahead of Time?
If you want to get some of the prep out of the way ahead of time, we recommend baking the whole potatoes and letting them cool completely before storing in the fridge until you are ready to use them. You can store baked potatoes for up to 3 days in the fridge, or until you are ready to finish the potato skins.
We don’t recommend baking the actual Loaded Potato Skins ahead of time because they tend to dry out a bit in the fridge and lose their crispiness.
What Can I Do with Extra Potatoes from Potato Skins?
One of the best, and most obvious, uses for the flesh is to make mashed potatoes. You could also add them to a salad, add them to a casserole or turn them into potato soup.
What are the Best Potatoes to Use for Potato Skins?
Russet potatoes are hands down the best to use because they have a thicker skin that can hold up to being baked twice. You can also use Idaho potatoes and have good results.
What is the Best Temperature to Bake Potato Skins?
We like to bake at 400 degrees because it isn’t so hot that the potato skins burn on the outside, but hot enough that it doesn’t take forever to cook, drying them out completely.
Loaded Baked Potato Skins Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large Russet Potatoes
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil or any other cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
- ⅔ cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- ⅓ cup Bacon Bits pre-cooked or homemade
- 3 Tablespoons Green Onions chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Wash the potatoes, prick the skin on all sides with a fork then put the potatoes in a gallon freezer bag and add the avocado oil. Close the bag and roll the potatoes around until they're completely covered in oil.
- Remove potatoes from the bag, place in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt on all sides.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft when pricked with a fork. Take the potatoes out of the oven and let them cool enough to handle.
- Once cooled, cut the potatoes into quarters lengthwise and scoop out the majority of the flesh, saving for another use. Potato skins should be about ½" thick.
- Place the skins onto a baking sheet and brush with the melted butter, then sprinkle with garlic salt. Top with the shredded cheese and bacon bits and return to the oven.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bacon is crispy.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then garnish with green onions and serve with ranch dressing or your favorite dip. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Here are more potato recipes you"ll love...
- 33 of Our Best Potato Recipes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes
- Cheesy Hashbrowns
- Fingerling Potatoes
- Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Best Baked Potato in Oven
- More Best Potato Recipes
- More Side Dishes
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!
This Loaded Baked Potato Skins recipe is so delicious and the perfect appetizer for game day or your next party. They are twice-baked to perfection, packed full of cheddar cheese and bacon bits, topped with crunchy green onions and served with your favorite dipping sauce.
Renee Goerger
I don't know anyone who can resist these amazing baked potato skins! This recipe is a real winner!!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
This was such a hit! Thank you for this awesome recipe