Quick Potato Skins are an easy way to take an ordinary vegetable and turn it into something the whole family loves. These are crispy, healthy, and loaded with delicious toppings! To enjoy them with some spicy tang, top them with our 15-Minute Homemade Hot Sauce!
I’ve shared how you can cook a baked potato crazy fast, and today I’m showing you why.
Allow me to introduce the amazing, incredible, always a hit and not made nearly often enough, good enough as a side dish and NOT just an appetizer: potato skins.
Wait – did she really just say POTATO SKINS?!
Aren’t those just wanna-be vegetables filled with unhealthy saturated fat and deep-fried for 15 minutes to oblivion?
Oh friends, if this is what you think, then we need to have a little chat.
Ridiculously Easy Potato Skins
Why are potato skins one of my favorite side dishes to prepare? Here are five good reasons…
- Potato skins are made of POTATOES, which the last time I checked, were a vegetable. AND they’re a CHEAP vegetable.
- Butter and cheese are healthier than you think.
- Bacon.
- We’re keeping a good amount of potato flesh so it’s not like you’re literally serving just the skin of the potato.
- The combination of potato + butter + cheese + bacon + sour cream + chives is an explosion in your mouth that you MUST experience at least once in your life.
And it should definitely be tonight. Yes, make it tonight. Your family will love you forever and ever.
How do I know? Because every time I make potato skins they are LITERALLY devoured in minutes.
I’ve had to start making a double batch because the family loves them so much. And just when I thought potatoes like this wouldn’t go over so well as leftovers…
Wrong again!
The kids LOVE it when I give them leftovers in their lunches. And you know what? I don’t feel one ounce of mom guilt letting them have it.
Why? Because I made them and I know what’s in them. You can’t say the same thing for most things found in a kid’s lunchbox nowadays…
I will admit though, that there is a drawback and that’s the time it takes to cook a baked potato. BUT, I’ve found a way around that too.
The key is to plan ahead. You don’t have to plan WAY ahead, just a little bit.
Ingredients for Easy Potato Skins
With just 8 simple ingredients, this recipe is satisfying and delicious!
- Russet potatoes. Choose smaller potatoes. Potato skins cook better and taste the best when they can be eaten in 4-5 bites.
- Butter. Alternatively, some people use olive oil, and that’s okay if you don’t want butter, but canola oil is not recommended.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cheddar cheese
- Bacon
- Sour cream
- Green onions
Psst! If you’re going to add salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of the salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a bag for just 1¢!! (Get your penny bag of salt on this page.)
How to Make Potato Skins
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400F and bake the potatoes in the oven.
Step 2. While your potatoes are doing their thing in the oven, take 10 minutes to prepare the toppings.
Step 3. Scoop the potato flesh out of the skins and save for mashed potatoes or another recipe like potato salad.
Step 4. Broil for a few minutes to crisp the potato skins and melt the cheese…
Step 5. Add toppings!!!!
Put it all together and what do you get? A side dish that your family will absolutely love and one that will quickly make it to your weekly meal plan!
Potato Skins FAQs
You can make mashed potatoes, of course!!! Or how about potato salad?
Yes! Once completely cooled, flash freeze them for 1 hour. Then place them in a zip-sealed freezer bag. After defrosting, simply warm them in the oven until hot.
Yes, potato skins are healthy. They contain vitamin C, calcium, and B-complex vitamins!
Ways to Make this Meal Faster…
- You can use a slow cooker or an instant pot to cook the potatoes. Bake them while you’re getting ready in the morning (or watching a show before bed).
- You can even microwave the potatoes if you’re really short on time. You can find instructions for all these cooking methods in this post.
- When making bacon for another meal or for a weekend breakfast, set aside some for the potato skins (allow 1 piece per whole potato).
- Buy the cheese in bricks, shred it yourself and freeze it. Just pull out a package from the freezer.
- Sliced green onions will keep in a container for a good 3-4 days too. Pull them out when you’re already chopping something else.
More Easy Side Dishes
Ridiculously Easy Potato Skins
Quick Potato Skins are an easy way to take an ordinary vegetable and turn it into something the whole family loves. These are crispy, healthy, and loaded with delicious toppings! To enjoy them with some spicy tang, top them with our 15-Minute Homemade Hot Sauce!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 small russet potatoes (about 3–4 inches long each)
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- salt
- pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 pieces bacon
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 green onions, green parts sliced*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Poke potatoes several times with a fork and wrap them with aluminum foil. Place directly on the oven rack, in the center of the oven, and bake until a knife easily pierces through about 50-60 minutes. Alternatively, use one of these other baked potato cooking methods.
- Meanwhile, prepare the butter, cheese, and green onions.
- Slice the bacon into small pieces and cook until it is barely crispy. Drain the bacon pieces on a towel and save the grease for future cooking.
- When the potatoes are done, carefully unwrap them – they will be hot. Slice them in half lengthwise and let them sit for about 5 minutes so they’re cool enough to handle.
- Turn the oven to broil.
- Using a spoon, scoop about the flesh from inside the potato, leaving about 1/4″ worth of the flesh intact all around. Save the flesh for mashed potatoes or another recipe.
- Place the potato halves on a cookie sheet, skin side down. Brush the inside of the potatoes with melted butter; season generously with salt and pepper.
- Flip the potatoes over and repeat with the melted butter, salt and pepper.
- Place under the broiler for 2 minutes, setting the timer so they don’t burn.
- Using tongs, flip the potatoes over and broil again for 2 minutes, using the timer.
- Pull the potatoes out and divide the cheese among the potatoes. Top with bacon and place back under the broiler for 2-5 minutes more, until the cheese is thoroughly melted and just started to brown.
- Top with sour cream and green onions as desired.
Notes
- You can use a slow cooker or an instant pot to cook the potatoes. Bake them while you’re getting ready in the morning (or watching a show before bed).
- You can even microwave the potatoes if you’re really short on time. You can find instructions for all these cooking methods in this post.
- When making bacon for another meal or for a weekend breakfast, set aside some for the potato skins (allow 1 piece per whole potato).
- Buy the cheese in bricks, shred it yourself and freeze it. Just pull out a package from the freezer.
Nutrition
- Calories: 149
Keywords: potato skins, potato skins loaded, potato skins recipe
Have you ever made potato skins before? Cheese, bacon, sour cream and green onions are traditional toppings – what else would you put on top?
Hi Tiffany,
Question. If I baked the potatoes tonight to prepare for a party tomorrow afternoon, how do I reheat the potato so that I can broil them with the toppings without overcooking them?
Thank you!!
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca! I would put them in the oven at 200F for maybe 15-20 min, just until they’re warm to the touch. That should do it!
I’m thinking load the skins with your favorite omlet mixture and top with shredded cheese or whatever you like. Should make a great breakfast item. Love your site, btw.
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Thanks Gary! Your breakfast idea sounds delish!
These sound AMAZING!! I’ll give them a whirl tonight for my kiddos and use up some leftover chicken tinga as a filling for the skins! And to give it extra spice, I’ll rub some dried, crumbled chiltepines( a little round chile from Mexico) on the outside. The leftover scoop of soft potato from the middle can be used in Friday’s chicken flautas. I love, love, love your site Tiffany!! I’m new to the whole real food eating club but I’m willing to learn!! Lately I just go into your site and put my smartphone in my kid’s hands and ask them to pick out what sounds yummy as we meal plan for next week! I’ve noticed that if I include them more in the process ( like choosing one dinner each to be made, cooking/prepping food with me, and helping grocery shop), that they are more likely to eat and enjoy it!
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Tried this tonight with parmesan instead of cheddar and added a bit of Italian seasoning. AMAZING!
Ooh – I bet that would be a great mix-up in flavor. So glad you enjoyed it Heather!!
I love making these, however I have a finicky husband, he only buys store brand boxed yuk. I want to surprise him with homemade ones, but afraid he won’t like them, he is very plain and hard to cook for, all he likes on his boxed potato skins is bacon and cheese, so i am going to make bacon cheese, and a tad of sour cream, hope he can’t tell the difference he will get mad, when we first married i made him his favorite Sirloin steak in broiler, I marinated it in italian dressing thinking most people like it that way, I only cooked for one other man and thats the way he liked it, well I served his steak marinated it came out great but he SNAPPED, I won’t repeat what he said, but needless to say that was 12 years ago i have never marinated steak again in anything, it is just meat and salt. Same with potatoes its just butter and salt, I’m going to put the bacon,cheese on them, he will snarl over scallions I REALLY DON’T WANT TO TAKE THE CHANCE AND GET SCOLDED LOL. I wish he would like baked stufff potatoes i grew up eating homemade ones with scallion, cauliflower, cheddarcheese, and sour cream baked them back in oven (broiler) they were great, my dad owned a restaurant they were a big seller, but i just want my husband to be happy&smile, I am trying it tonight I’m hoping for the best, thanks for sharing this nice recipe, I love skins, and baked stuffed with just about anything in them, to each there own. Love your pinterest page and recipes. Thank you 🙂
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If your husband doesn’t like sour cream Jasmine, I’d skip that. They’re just as good with just bacon and cheddar. 🙂
I love potato skins. I usually only make them after we out out, why? I always bring home the baked potato skins from our dinners out. Hubby never eats his, I save mine just so I can make potato skins! We tend to buy tiny round white or red potatoes for at home. Because they cook fast for our food and the dogs food we make. No peeling or chopping. But there are times I buy that huge bake of russets at Aldi when its cheap! Then I started blanching potatoes cut into fries,cubes etc. i also made potato skins, and lots of them when hubby brought home a slew of marked down taters I had to cook pronto! I froze those potato skins.
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