These Crispy Potato skins are topped with smoked bacon, green onions, and plenty of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese. They are easy to prepare and so much better than the restaurants.
This is one of our favorite go-to appetizers and is perfect for football season and entertaining. My husband and I love to entertain, and I love to serve these with bacon-wrapped pineapple, sausage rolls, and jalapeno popper cheese balls, which are some of our favorites.
Fall will be here before we know it, and with it comes lots and lots of great appetizers and finger food. These skins are perfect for game day, family movie night, or kids’ sleepovers.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Russet potatoes: are the way to go. You need thick-skinned potatoes for potato skins.
- Oil: vegetable, canola, or olive oil
- Seasonings: sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
- Cheese: cheddar and Monterey Jack. Or try pepper jack cheese for a little heat.
- Bacon: smoked and preferably thick sliced for the best flavor
- Toppings: green onions and sour cream
How to make Potato Skins
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
This is just the summary version of the recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredients and complete instructions.
First, scrub and dry your potatoes. Then, rub them with a bit of canola oil using your hands. Next, sprinkle them with salt, place them on a baking sheet, and bake until they are cooked through and tender. Let them sit and cool for a while.
Then, slice them in half and scoop out the potato flesh, leaving about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of potato around the outside of the potato. Melt butter in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat. Stir in the garlic powder and onion powder. Brush both sides of the potatoes with the butter mixture. Place them back on the same baking sheet in the oven until browned and crispy, flipping halfway through.
Now evenly divide the cheese between the skins and top them with the bacon. Pop them back in the oven for a few minutes or until the cheese melts. Top with sliced scallions and serve with a side of sour cream.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Use Russet Potatoes for this recipe, as they will produce the crispiest potato skins.
- Don’t skip the canola oil and salt coating before baking. It helps produce a nice crispy skin.
- Save the potatoes you scoop out and use them in a side dish like mashed potato cakes in the next couple of days.
- Brush both sides of the scooped-out potatoes with the butter mixture and return them to the hot oven for extra crispy skins.
- You can substitute chives for the green onions.
- For optimal taste, these potato skins are best served promptly. However, I have successfully reheated them in both the oven and the microwave.
- For a party-perfect presentation, pipe some sour cream in each skin.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Recipe Variations
- Jalapeno Popper Potato Skins: top with shredded cheddar cheese, crisp bacon, and thin jalapeno rings.
- Hawaiian Potato Skins: top with shredded mozzarella, cubed smoked ham, crisp bacon, and pineapple tidbits.
- Taco Potato Skins: top with shredded cheddar, taco-seasoned ground beef, Pico de Gallo, and sour cream.
- Chili: substitute leftover chili in place of the bacon.
More Appetizer Recipes
Baked Potato Skins Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 small to medium Russet Potatoes
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil or olive oil
- sea salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup finely shredded cheddar
- ½ cup finely shredded Monterey Jack
- 4 slices bacon crispy cooked and chopped
- 1 green onion finely sliced
- sour cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Scrub, dry and poke the potatoes 8-10 times using the tines of a fork. Using your hands rub the potatoes with a little canola oil or olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Place them on a baking sheet. Bake potatoes for 50-60 minutes or until they are cooked through. Let them sit until cool enough to handle.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch around the inside of the skin.
- Melt butter in the microwave. Whisk in garlic powder and onion powder. Brush over the tops and bottoms of the potato skins. Using the same baking sheet that you cooked the potatoes on, place them in the oven for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Top evenly with both cheeses and bacon. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with green onions and sour cream (optional). Serve promptly.
Notes
- Use Russet Potatoes for this recipe as they will produce the crispiest potato skins.
- Don’t skip the canola oil and salt coating before baking. It really helps produce a nice crispy skin.
- Brush both sides of the scooped out potatoes with the butter mixture and place back in the hot oven for extra crispy skins.
- You can substitute chives for the green onions.
- These potato skins are best served promptly however I have reheated them with success in both the oven and the microwave.
- For a party perfect presentation pipe a little bit of sour cream in each skin.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Katie
The recipe doesn’t say what I do with the flesh. It said to scoop it out. Then to melt butter and add the seasonings and brush the potato. Do I add the butter with the flesh?? Do I season the flesh? Does the flesh go back in after I coat the skin with butter?? Please explain. Eager to make these….
Beth Pierce
The flesh does not go back in. Save the potatoes that you scoop out and use them in a side dish like Mashed Potato Cakes in the next couple of days.
Jack
🫣
Angelina
Hey Beth!! Thankyou so much, it was super yummy and crispy, everyone enjoyed it in my home. great recipe!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome. I am so happy that everyone liked it!
Linda
I entertained last night and I pretty much tripled the recipe. And my friends loved it. Thank you so much.
Beth Pierce
Awesone! I am so glad that they worked out!
Stephanie
Super easy and a crowd pleaser! They were gone before everything else! Making them again now!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stephanie! So glad that everyone liked them!
Susan
I’m planning on making them today for the game. But I’m going to try it with tiny potatoes, so they will be bite size. wish me luck.
Beth Pierce
Good luck! Let us know how they turn out!
Sandy
I made the a few weeks ago and they were a huge hit. Going back tonight and these were resisted again. So potatoes are in oven now. This is the best skins recipe I have found. Thanks so much for sharing.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Sandy! So glad that you liked it! Such a fun easy recipe.
Lauren
We’ve been craving potato skins since we saw them on a happy hour menu a few weeks ago, so with today being our anniversary, I thought I’d surprise my husband for lunch! WHAT.A.HIT! They were perfectly crispy and had so much flavor. My hubby said, “Add this one to this list,” referring to our go-to’s that never fail. Thanks for such an easy to follow recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Lauren! So glad that you and your husband enjoyed them! Happy anniversary!
Marg
Look so yummy!!
Can you bake ahead and finish off next day?
Thanks!
Beth Pierce
Yes you can.
imsen
These potato skins looks so yummy!!
Cavatinne
So delicious very flavorful and crispy will make again thank you!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine! Glad that you like them!
Pam
These are so good, but cheese, bacon and potatoes. How could you go wrong?
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Just gorgeous! My family love these and so crispy!
Jess
My mouth starts watering even just thinking about these Potato Skins. So crispy and delicious!
Stephanie
These are delicious! Potatoes are one of my favorite foods. My husband asked me to make these again when he has his fantasy football draft 🙂
Dannii
Add a big dollop of sour cream on top and I am happy. These look amazing.
April
OMG so good! I love making these for game days!
Trang
These are my game day go-to appetizers! So delicious! Who doesn’t like bacon?! Everyone loved them.