Description
Baked Potato Skins: Crispy potato shells filled with bacon, cheese, and sour cream. Quick, comforting, and perfect for a crowd.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 medium russet potatoes (about 8–10 ounces each)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter (45ml)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (5g)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (2g)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (2g)
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (225g)
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (about ½ cup/80g)
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced (about ¼ cup/40g)
- ½ cup sour cream (120g), for serving
- Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced (8g)
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Potatoes Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Thoroughly wash and scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt, then pat them completely dry with paper towels. Using a fork, pierce each potato several times on all sides to allow steam to escape during baking. Place the potatoes directly on the middle oven rack and bake for 45-60 minutes until they’re tender when pierced with a fork.
- Step 2: First Cooling Period Remove the potatoes from the oven but leave the oven on. Allow the potatoes to cool just enough to handle safely, about 10 minutes. This cooling period makes the next steps much easier while keeping the potatoes warm enough to work with efficiently.
- Step 3: Hollow Out the Potatoes Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the potato flesh, leaving about ¼-inch thickness of potato attached to the skin. (Save the scooped potato for making mashed potatoes or potato pancakes later!) This thickness is crucial for creating baked potato skins that hold their shape while remaining substantial enough to support toppings.
- Step 4: Season the Skins In a small bowl, combine the olive oil or melted butter with the salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Brush this mixture generously over both the inside and outside of each potato skin. This seasoning step is what transforms basic potato shells into flavorful baked potato skins with incredible depth.
- Step 5: First Crisping Bake Place the seasoned potato skins skin-side up on a baking sheet. Return them to the oven for 10 minutes, then flip them over and bake for an additional 5 minutes. This initial crisping step creates the perfect base for your loaded potato skins.
- Step 6: Add Toppings Remove the potato skins from the oven. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly inside each skin, then top with the crumbled bacon. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes, just until the cheese is melty and bubbly.
- Step 7: Final Garnish Remove your baked potato skins from the oven and top with sliced green onions and a dollop of sour cream. For extra flavor and color, sprinkle with fresh chives if using. Serve immediately while they’re hot and crispy.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 potato skin
- Calories: 235
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 385mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 36mg