Crispy Baked Potato Skins
With crispy, crunchy skins, and gooey melted cheese, these mouth-watering Baked Potato Skins are the perfect appetizer for any potato fan.
Got an air fryer? Check out this easy air fryer potato skins recipe, the skins get extra crispy!
You can never go wrong with potato skins! They’re budget-friendly, easy to make at home, and fun to customize with different toppings and seasonings.
If it’s just the two of us I usually make toaster oven potato skins since our little oven heats up faster and uses less energy. Of course, the recipe can be baked in a traditional “big oven” if you prefer.
Topped with Greek yogurt and green onions, these cheesy potato bites are delicious served as an appetizer. Or try them paired with a crisp green salad for a tasty vegetarian lunch or dinner!
Ingredient Notes
Small Russet Potatoes: We like to use potatoes that weigh around 6 ounces. They bake up quickly and 2 skins per person makes a good appetizer or starter. Larger potatoes work, just keep in mind that the bigger the potatoes are the longer they will take to cook.
Cheese: Cheddar is the classic choice but similar to making a grilled cheese sandwich, any kind of melting cheese will do. Just grab what’s in the fridge; mozzarella, pepper jack cheese, or your favorite cheese blend are all good options.
How To Make Baked Potato Skins
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. If using a toaster oven, adjust the cooking rack to the bottom or middle position, and select the BAKE setting.
2. Poke the potatoes all over with a fork, then brush or rub the skins with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet (or on a wire rack set inside of a baking sheet for crisper skins).
3. Bake until a knife slides easily into each potato, about 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.
Want to speed things up?
Use our quick-baked potatoes method. Depending on the size of your potatoes, it can cut the initial baking time down to just 25 minutes!
4. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oven and set them aside until they are cool enough to handle about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Then, carefully slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh leaving a thin 1/4-inch shell inside the skins.
6. Combine the remaining oil and paprika (or whatever seasoning you like – garlic powder or season salt are super tasty). Brush both sides of the potato skins with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
7. Then place the potato halves with the flesh facing the pan and the skins facing up.
8. Increase the oven’s temperature to 425°F. Bake the skins until they are crispy and browned around the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.
9. Remove the pan, flip the skins over, and fill each one with cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melty and bubbly, about 5 minutes more.
10. Top with dollops of plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and sliced green onion, serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t toss the middles: Mix the scooped-out flesh from the baked potatoes with a little butter and milk to make lazy mashed potatoes.
- Change up the flavors: Add garlic powder, onion powder, taco seasoning, or seasoned salt. Try swapping the sour cream for ranch dressing or this tangy yogurt salsa dip.
- Make pizza-style skins: Fill each crispy potato boat with a teaspoon of pizza sauce then top with sliced black olives and mozzarella cheese before baking. Serve with fresh basil.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F toaster oven until warmed through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
More Tasty Potato Recipes
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Addictive Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds
- Potatoes Au Gratin For Two
- Quick Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Baked Potato Wedges
- All Of Our Best Potato Recipes
Crispy Baked Potato Skins
These crispy potato skins are easy to customize and very versatile. Try filling them with black beans and salsa or marinara sauce and all of your favorite pizza toppings.
Ingredients
- 4 Small Russet Potatoes (about 6 ounces each), scrubbed and dried well
- 3 teaspoons Avocado Oil or Olive Oil, divided
- ⅛ teaspoon Smoked Paprika (optional)
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- ½ cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or more if you want them cheesier)
- For Topping: 3 tablespoons Plain Greek Yogurt (or sour cream) and 1 Green Onion, finely sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. If using a toaster oven, adjust the cooking rack to the bottom or middle position, and select the BAKE setting.
- Use a fork to pierce the potatoes on all sides. Rub or brush them all over with a light coating of oil (about 1 teaspoon of the oil) and place the potatoes on a baking sheet.
- Bake until a knife slides easily into the middle of each potato, about 35 to 45 minutes. If the potatoes are larger they will take longer to cook.
- Remove the potatoes and set aside until they are cool enough to handle about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Carefully slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out the flesh leaving a thin 1/4-inch border of potato inside the skins.
- In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and the paprika. Brush both sides of the potato skins with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the potato halves with the flesh facing the pan and the skins facing up.
- Increase the oven’s temperature to 425°F and bake the skins until they are crispy and browned around the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.
- Flip the skins over and fill each one with cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melty and bubbly, about 5 minutes more.
- Top with dollops of plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream), sprinkle with green onion slices, and dig in!
Notes
To Bake the Potatoes Faster
- Follow the instructions for these Quick Bake Potatoes.
- Allow potatoes to cool for 5 minutes before proceeding with Step 3 in the recipe.
Microwave + Toaster Oven Method
- Preheat your toaster oven to 425°F.
- Microwave raw potatoes for 6 to 10 minutes (flipping them after 5 minutes) until they are cooked through and a knife slides easily into each one.
- Proceed to Step 4 in the recipe.
Small Potatoes can be hard to find individually sold. Grab a bag of potatoes instead, the potatoes sold in sacks are usually small to medium-sized.
Cheese Options - we like to use a blend of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses but pepper jack or any kind of melty cheese is a good option.
For Pizza-Style Skins - Fill each crispy skin with a teaspoon of pizza sauce then top with sliced black olives and mozzarella cheese before baking. Serve with fresh basil.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Potato Skins Serving Size: 2 Topped Potato SkinsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 196Total Fat: 5.8gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 36mgCarbohydrates: 31.8gFiber: 2.4gSugar: 1.6gProtein: 5.6g
Oh my, little “gondolas” of delight. Also…new(ish) on the market…InstantPot (electric pressure cooker)…to give you wonderful “baked” (cooked) potatoes with less fuss and time but all the moisture, nutrients and flavor. If you try the IP let me know. You’ve done such a marvellous job exploring and expounding on the virtues of “the little oven”…perhaps looking at another “wonder” would pair well with your theme? Both appliances cut down on electricity used and time spent doing so.
My mom’s been raving about hers for the last year so last week I actually stopped at our library and picked up “How to Instant Pot” to see if one might be a good fit for us and how hard/scary it was to use one.
The librarian who checked me out was crazy excited when she saw the book and started telling me all about her instant pot and everything she makes in it.
Now with your glowing recommendation, I feel like their mini 3-quart one might be in our future. Though I think I’ll be the one hitting YOU up for tips 😉