These potato skins are EXTRA crispy thanks to a special technique, EXTRA flavorful thanks to perfect seasoning, and EXTRA delicious thanks to herb butter, extra cheese, and crispy baked bacon! Follow along for a step-by-step guide, expert tips, and variations to guarantee a crowd-pleasing favorite!
Watch How To Make Potato Skins
Why you’ll love these Potato skins
Potato Skins Recipe Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at what you need to make this recipe (measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
How to Make Potato Skins
Let’s take a closer look at how to make this recipe with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
Potato Skin Recipe TIPS
What should I do with the leftover filling?
After scooping out all the potatoes, you will have a couple cups of filling leftover. Here are a few ideas to use it:
•Mashed potatoes: Mash with butter, milk, sour cream, and salt for an easy side dish.
•Stuff vegetables: Mix with cheese and seasonings, then stuff into peppers, mushrooms, or bell pepper halves.
•Potato pancakes (latkes): Combine with an egg, a little flour, and seasoning, then pan-fry until golden.
•Shepherd’s pie topping: Spread over your favorite recipe!
Gnocchi-style dumplings: Mix with flour and egg for quick potato dumplings.
Potato bread or rolls: Use as part of the liquid for extra-soft, tender baked goods.
MEal Prep Potato skins
•Bake ahead: Cook the potatoes completely.
•Hollow out: Halve lengthwise and hollow out the potatoes.
•Cool completely: Let them cool to room temperature to prevent condensation in storage.
•Store properly: Place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
•Broil: Resume the recipe by brushing with herb butter and broiling.
Homemade Potato Skins variations
Here are some tasty Potato Skins variations you can try:
How to serve Loaded Potato Skins
HOW TO STORE Potato Skins
•Refrigerate: Let potato skins cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
•Toppings storage: Keep bacon, sour cream, and green onions separate until ready to serve to maintain texture and flavor.
•Freeze: You can freeze baked potato skins without toppings in a single layer in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month; reheat in the oven directly from frozen until hot and crispy.
How to reheat
•Oven: Warm in a 375°F oven for 5–10 minutes to restore crispiness before adding toppings.
•Air Fryer: Preheat to 375°F, arrange the skins in a single layer skin-side down, and air fry for 4–6 minutes until hot and crispy again. Avoid overcrowding and check early, as potato skins reheat quickly and can burn.
•Microwave: You can also reheat for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave but they won’t be as crispy-still delish!
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Homemade Potato Skins
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Ingredients
- 8 small Russet potatoes, about 4 inches long
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly cracked pepper
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled or bacon bits (see notes for Baked Bacon)
- 8 oz. (2 packed cups) freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- Green onions for topping
- Sour cream for topping
Herb Butter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp EACH dried parsley, garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp EACH onion powder, paprika, dried dill
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
To Bake Potatoes
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (parchment delivers crispier skins than foil).
- Wash & Prick Potatoes: Thoroughly scrub and dry the potatoes (the drier, the crispier the skin). Place on the lined baking sheet. Use a fork to poke the potatoes about 3 times each on the top and bottom.
- Season and Oil Potatoes: Generously drizzle the potatoes with olive oil, then rub evenly all over the outsides. I find it easiest to pick up the potatoes individually to do this. Sprinkle half of the salt over the top of the potatoes, followed by some freshly cracked pepper; pat it in, then flip and repeat.
- Bake: Bake on the middle rack for 45-55 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork. Meanwhile, shred the cheese and leave it at room temperature.
To Prepare Potato Skins
- Hollow out: Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool until they're easy to handle. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving a ¼-inch thick shell. It's better to aim for more flesh than less, so they don't fall apart. (I like to use the spoon to carve a 1/4-inch guideline, then hollow it out, which prevents getting too close to the skin – see pics in post.)
- Season: Turn the oven to high broil (550°F) and move the rack to the second- highest position. Whisk together the Herb Butter ingredients. Brush the skins with about ⅓ of the butter (not the cut sides yet).
- Broil #1 Skins: Broil the potatoes, cut side down, for 2-3 minutes, until the skin gets crispy, watching closely so they don't burn.
- Broil #2 Cut Sides: Flip potatoes over and brush the cut flesh side with the remaining butter mixture (you may need to microwave the butter mixture for a few seconds if it's thickened). Broil for an additional 2 minutes.
- Broil #3 with Cheese: Fill each potato with cheese and broil for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Load and Serve: Top with sour cream, bacon bits, and green onions OR see the post for lots of variations!
Video
Notes
•Stuff vegetables: Mix with cheese and seasonings, then stuff into peppers, mushrooms, or bell pepper halves.
•Potato pancakes (latkes): Combine with an egg, a little flour, and seasoning, then pan-fry until golden.
•Shepherd’s pie topping: Spread over your favorite recipe!
Gnocchi-style dumplings: Mix with flour and egg for quick potato dumplings.
Potato bread or rolls: Use as part of the liquid for extra-soft, tender baked goods.
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Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You!
Leah James says
Why are these so so good! My kids loved them, and had so much fun helping make them. So crunchy, cheesy, and bacony (if that’s a word?) Why not just have these for dinner? Cause that’s exactly what we did, and I’m not mad about it.
Jen says
Hi Leah, I’m so glad to hear that! “Bacony” is definitely a word in my book—and I love that your kids got to help make them, too! There’s nothing wrong with having them for dinner—sounds like a delicious win for the whole family!