This crispy Potato Skins recipe is easy to make at home and loaded with melted cheese, bacon, sour cream, and chives. Perfect as a game day snack or crowd-pleasing appetizer, these baked potato skins come out golden and delicious every time.
Baked Potato Skins come out crispy and delicious, every time.
Potato Skins are everything I love in a hearty appetizer; crispy, cheesy, salty, and totally satisfying. The combination of a crispy potato, melted cheese, smoky bacon, and a dollop of sour cream with chives is a flavor explosion in every bite! I always reach for russet potatoes because they get perfectly crisp in the oven, and I like using smaller ones when serving a crowd (they’re the ideal two-bite snack).
If you want them more filling, go for larger potatoes and leave a bit more of the insides intact. Whether it's game day, a family get-together, or a casual snack night, these baked potato skins are always a hit!
Check out my other appetizers, like Gazpacho, Pan con Tomate, Whipped Goat Cheese, or Easy Shrimp Cocktail!
How to make Potato Skins:
Bake and Scoop: Bake potatoes on a baking sheet at 400ºF for 1 hour, or cook them in the air fryer. Cut small potatoes in half; for large potatoes, slice lengthwise into three sections and discard the middle (or save it for Baked Potato Salad!). Use a small spoon to scoop out some of the flesh, leaving a thick border to form a “boat.”
Add Toppings: Brush the inside and outside of each potato with butter and place on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, then broil for 7–8 minutes. Remove from the oven, fill with shredded cheese and bacon, and broil again for 3–4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve: Garnish these loaded potato skins with sour cream and chives or green onion, and serve warm.
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Crispy Potato Skins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 small to medium sized Russet potatoes , washed and pat dry
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 slices bacon , cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (half of a stick), melted
- sour cream , for topping
- chives (or green onion), chopped, for topping
- salt , to taste
- freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
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Bake Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Poke potatoes with a fork, place on a baking sheet and cook for 1 hour. Remove from the baking sheet, and allow to cool for about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.6 small to medium sized Russet potatoes
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Cut Potatoes: For large potatoes, cut each potato lengthwise, into three sections, creating three long slices. (So each potato should yield two skins, plus a middle section that you can discard or use to make baked potato salad :). For small potatoes, just cut in half.
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Hollow out: Use a small spoon to scoop out some of the potato flesh in the center, leaving a thick layer near the skin, but hollowing it out slightly to create a "boat".
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Season: Turn your oven on to a high broil. Brush the potatoes with butter on the inside and outside and place them back onto the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.¼ cup unsalted butter, salt, freshly ground black pepper
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Broil for 7-8 minutes until the insides get a bit crispy from the melted butter.
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Add Cheese and bacon: Remove from the oven and add a generous amount of shredded cheese into each skin, topping with bacon pieces.8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, 8 slices bacon
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Broil: Place back under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
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Serve: Remove from oven and top with sour cream, chives or green onion. Serve warm.sour cream, chives
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Store leftover potato skins in the refrigerator. Rewarm them in the oven or air fryer.
Video
Notes
- Taco Style: Fill with taco seasoned ground beef and top with your favorite taco toppings.
- Sloppy Joe: Fill potato skins with sloppy joe beef filling.
- Chicken Enchilada: Fill with chicken enchilada filling.
- Pulled Pork: Load each potato skin with flavored, shredded pulled pork. Top with the best mango pineapple slaw.
- Mac and Cheese: Fill them with homemade mac and cheese for the ultimate comfort food.
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe January 2015. Updated February 2019, December 2022 and October 2025.
Adapted from Simple Comfort Food
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