These are literally the best crispy baked potato skins of your life! Why? They are extra crispy, perfectly bite-sized, and extra quick to make! Topped with cheese, butter, crunchy salt, and all the loaded potato skin toppings you want...I mean seriously friends, does it get any better than this?
What to Do With Potato Skins
Loaded red potato skins are everyone's favorite party appetizer, I mean what's not to love? They've got cheese, salty bacon, and delicious creamy potato. But they're even better when you make these homemade potato skins!
Around my house, when I put them out to eat they're gone in minutes! Serve them up with other party faves such as cowboy caviar, homemade queso, and meatballs!
And if you love cheese and potatoes, then you've got to try these cheesy potato wedges.
Serve up potato skins for game day events, family gatherings, backyard parties, movie nights, and more!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Great combination. Crispy skins, creamy potatoes, and lots of cheesy flavors.
- Kid-friendly. These baked potato skins are a hit with kids and adults!
- Simple ingredients. You only need a handful of ingredients to make a batch of crispy potato skins.
Ingredients
The ingredient list for this recipe for stuffed potato skins is short! Here's what you need.
- Potatoes: I use red skin potatoes! They have thinner skin that turns out extra crispy! Plus, since these potatoes are usually smaller they're perfect for bite-sized potato skins.
- Cheese: I am using sharp cheddar but you can choose your favorite shredded cheese!
- Seasonings: Melted butter make the skins crispy while garlic powder and black pepper give them flavor.
- Salt: Use a flaky, crunchy salt such as kosher salt or coarse sea salt.
- Toppings: This loaded potato skins recipe is simple, using sour cream, crumbled bacon, and chives or green onions for toppings. But don't feel limited by that and add whatever you want.
How to Boil Potatoes in the Instant Pot
If you don't want to spend hours baking potatoes in the oven cook them in the pressure cooker! Here is how!
- Add one cup of water to the instant pot.
- Insert the wire rack into the inner pot of your instant pot.
- Place the potatoes on the wire rack.
- Cook for 20 minutes quick release.
TOP TIP: If you open the instant pot and the potatoes are not fork tender add 3-5 more minutes and cook again.
How to Make Baked Potato Skins Crispy
After you've got your baked potatoes (or boiled) ready, let's assemble the crispy red potato skins and get them ready for the oven.
PRO TIP: Let the potatoes cool some- you do not need to let the cool completely- you can, but once they are warm to touch you can handle them.
- Cut the potato in half.
- The skin of the red potato is thin, to ensure it does not rip firmly hold the potato skin with your fingers.
- Use a melon baller scoop OR a spoon and press the tip into the potato, leaving a one-quarter-inch ring on the outside.
- Move around the potato cutting an oval-shaped opening.
- Gently scoop out the center of the potato. Repeat with the remaining potatoes until they are all hollowed out.
- Place the potatoes face down on parchment paper in a sheet pan.
PRO TIP: The secret for making the skins extra crispy is adding butter and seasonings plus some crunchy kosher sea salt BEFORE baking them.
- Combine a little bit of butter with garlic powder (or garlic salt).
- Use a silicone brush to lightly brush the butter mixture onto the outside of the upside-down potatoes.
- Sprinkle coarse salt on the outside
- Bake the potato skins for about 7 minutes at 475 degrees F. LOOK at that crispy bubbly deliciousness.
Now that you've got extra crispy potato skins, you're ready to add the fillings!
- Using the remaining butter brush the insides of the potato skins.
- Add a generous amount of cheddar cheese (sharp is recommended!)
- Add your bacon crumbles.
- Top with chives.
- Place them back into the oven and bake for another 7 minutes, and watch them instantly become drool-worthy.
Variations for Crispy Potato Skins
Want to change yours up? Here are some other ways to top crispy potato skins.
- sour cream
- ranch dressing
- jalapenos
- additional bacon
- chives or green onions
- diced red onion
- shredded chicken
- salsa or pico de gallo
- taco meat
- chili
- try a pepper jack cheese with cheddar
Expert Tips
- Use red potatoes! For the crispiest potato skins.
- Don't forget you can change up the toppings and create your favorite flavor combinations!
- Boil potatoes until tender. This makes them easier to scoop out and gives them great texture!
- Use coarse salt. It adds a bit of extra crunch to crispy potato skins.
FAQs
Yes! You can use larger or smaller potatoes as well as different varieties. Bake them in the oven or use my instant pot method and cook until fork tender. Then follow the same steps for brushing with butter, baking the skins, adding toppings, and baking again.
YES! Wash your potatoes and rub with a little olive oil and sea salt. Then place them in the oven and cook until tender. Then follow the steps to make them loaded!
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Crispy Baked Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 6-8 red potatoes
- 4 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 6-8 bacon strips cooked and crumbled
- shredded cheddar cheese
- shredded Parmesan cheese
- coarse sea salt
- sliced green onion or minced purple onion
Instructions
- Wash and scrub red potatoes. In pressure cooker place 1 cup water and rack. Place red potatoes in and seal. Cook for 20 minutes quick release. If they are not fork tender when finished add a few more minute and cook again.
- After potatoes have been baked cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the pulp leaving about ¼ inch in shell. BE SURE TO FIRM HOLD THE EDGES SO THE SKIN DOESNT TEAR. (see photo in post)
- Place potato skins flesh side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Combine butter, garlic powder.
- Brush over skin.
- Bake at 475 degrees skin side up for 7 minutes. Turn over and sprinkle bacon, cheddar cheese and chicves inside skins and bake 7 minutes(or until cheese is melted).
- Top with sour cream serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Erin V says
Mouth watering pictures- this looks amazing!!
Denise says
THESE are amazing!! loved them
Desarae says
thank you!!!