Loaded Potato Skins

Loaded potato skins are hands down one of my all-time favorite appetizers and I genuinely think they deserve way more credit than they get. Like yes, mozzarella sticks and wings are great, but there is something about a crispy potato shell loaded with melted cheddar and bacon that just hits different. I have been making these for game days, girls nights, and just regular Tuesday snacking for years.

The trick to getting them really crispy is using a baking rack so the air gets all around the potato skin. I linked my favorite one on Amazon below — it is one of those kitchen tools that once you have it you wonder how you ever lived without it. These come out perfectly crunchy every time.

Starting with the Right Potato

Russet potatoes are the way to go here. They have the perfect thick skin that crisps up beautifully and enough starchy flesh inside to scoop out while still leaving a sturdy shell. Bake them at 400°F until a fork slides in easily — about 45 minutes. Let them cool enough to handle before you cut and scoop.

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The oven-safe baking rack on Amazon is what makes these extra crispy — totally worth it.

Loaded Potato Skins

Crispy baked potato skins loaded with melted cheddar, crispy bacon, and sour cream — the ultimate game day appetizer that disappears in minutes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup sour cream for serving
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick potatoes all over with a fork, rub with olive oil and salt, and bake directly on the oven rack for 45 minutes until tender.
2. Let cool 10 minutes. Halve lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Brush inside and out with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder.
3. Place skin-side up on a baking rack set over a sheet pan. Bake 10 minutes until crispy. Flip, fill with cheese and bacon, and bake 5 more minutes until cheese melts.
4. Top with sour cream and green onions. Serve hot.

Notes

A baking rack is key for ultra-crispy skins — it lets air circulate all around. Use the leftover potato flesh for mashed potatoes!

The Loaded Toppings

Classic loaded potato skins call for sharp cheddar and crispy bacon and that is exactly what we are doing here. The cheese melts into the potato and the bacon gets extra crispy in that final blast of oven heat. Sour cream and green onions go on after they come out of the oven so they stay cool and fresh against the hot potato. Perfection.

Make-Ahead Tips

You can bake the potatoes and scoop them out a day ahead. Keep the shells in the fridge and do the crisping and topping right before guests arrive. The scooped-out potato flesh makes amazing mashed potatoes for another meal so do not throw it away!

More Game Day Favorites

If you are planning a spread for game day or a party night, check out more of our appetizer recipes on the blog. We have so many crowd-pleasers waiting for you!

xo, Pam