Loaded Potato Skins Recipe

Preheat and prepare potatoes

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Thoroughly scrub the russet potatoes and dry them. Pierce each potato a few times with a fork to allow steam to escape.

Bake potatoes

Rub each potato with 2 tbs olive oil (divide across potatoes) and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Place directly on an oven rack or on a baking sheet and bake 45–60 minutes, until skins are crisp and a knife slides easily into the center. Baking time varies with potato size; medium potatoes typically take ~50 minutes.

Cool and halve

Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool until you can handle them, about 10–15 minutes. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch (6 mm) shell of potato attached to the skin to maintain structure. Reserve scooped potato for another use (mashed potatoes, etc.).

Brush with butter and crisp

Increase oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Brush the inside and edges of each potato skin with melted butter. Place skins cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Bake 10 minutes, then flip cut-side up and bake an additional 8–10 minutes, until edges are crisp and golden.

Cook bacon

While skins crisp in the oven, cook the bacon until crisp. For stovetop: place bacon in a cold skillet, cook over medium heat, turning, until crispy (about 8–10 minutes). For oven method: lay bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15–18 minutes until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then crumble or chop into small pieces.

Fill and top skins

Remove the partially crisped potato skins from the oven (from previous section) and spoon equal amounts of shredded cheddar into each skin (about 1–2 tablespoons per skin depending on size). Sprinkle crumbled bacon evenly over the cheese.

Melt cheese

Return the topped potato skins to the oven and bake at 450°F (230°C) for 5–7 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted and bubbly. If desired, broil for 1–2 minutes at the end to brown the cheese—watch carefully to avoid burning.

Finish with green onions

Remove skins from the oven and immediately sprinkle thinly sliced green onions over the hot cheese so they warm slightly but remain bright.

Transfer loaded potato skins to a serving platter. Serve hot with sour cream on the side for dipping. Garnish with additional chopped chives or green onions if desired.