How to Make Potato Skins

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 9, 2023 Tested

Potato skins are the perfect snack for your next backyard barbecue and are always a welcome companion when you're spending a day in front of the television watching sports. You can make them to entertain your guests or as a snack for yourself just because you're having a craving for some tasty crispy potatoes. If you want to know how to make a variety of potato skins, just follow these steps.

Ingredients

Simple Potato Skins

2 lbs. baking potatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions
4 tbsp. bacon bits
1 cup sour cream

Nacho Potato Skins

3 Russet potatoes
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
¼ lb. ground beef
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded lettuce
1 sliced tomato
½ cup sliced black olive
1 peeled and diced avocado
½ cup crumbled tortilla chips
1 cup warmed cheese sauce

Tuna Melt Potato Skins

8 Russet potatoes
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1½ cups tuna salad
1½ cups shredded provolone cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Low Fat Potato Skins

4 large potatoes
non-fat cooking spray
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. olive oil
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
4 slices extra lean turkey bacon
1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 medium diced tomatoes
4 chopped green onion stalks
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Simple Potato Skins

1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).^{[1]
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2
Cut 2 lbs. baking potatoes in half lengthwise.

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3
Perforate the potatoes with a fork. Poke each potato with a fork a few times. This will help them cook in the microwave.
4
Microwave the potatoes on high until they're cooked through. Wrap the potatoes in a wet paper towel and microwave them. It takes about 5 minutes to microwave a single potato, and about 10 minutes to microwave 3 potatoes. Place several potatoes on a plate at a time and keep checking to see when the potatoes are baked through by poking them with a fork.
5
Remove the potatoes from the microwave. Take off the wet paper towel and wait for them to cool.
6
Scrape out the inside of the potato. Use a sturdy spoon to scrape out the inside of the potato, leaving only the skin and a thin layer of potato. If you scrape out the insides too much, you can tear the skin of the potato, which will make it more difficult for the potato to hold the ingredients later.
7
Make the potato mixture. Combine 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese, 1 bunch of diced green onions, and 4 tablespoon (59.1 ml). bacon bits with the potato insides in a bowl. Stir well until the ingredients are blended.
8
Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add salt and pepper to the mixture to taste.
9
Place the potato skins in the oven for 5 minutes. This will let them get a bit crisp.
10
Scoop the mixture inside the potato skins. Bake the potato skins and insides together in the oven for at least 20 minutes. Check on them to make sure that the cheddar cheese doesn't burn. When they're ready, the skins will be nice and crispy and the insides will be tasty and brown.
11
Serve. Remove the skins from the oven and let them cool for at least 5 minutes. Then serve them with either 1 cup of sour cream on the side, or with a dollop of sour cream on each potato skin. They're also delicious with a glass of beer.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Nacho Potato Skins

1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).^{[2]
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2
Bake 3 Russet potatoes in the oven. After you wash the potatoes, use a paper towel to cover them in non-fat cooking spray and place them on a baking tray. It should take 45-60 minutes to bake the potatoes. You can test them by poking them with a fork.
3
Remove the potatoes from the oven. Wait at least 10 minutes for them to cool down.
4
Cut each potato lengthwise. Use a knife to cut one long slice through each potato to separate it in two.
5
Scoop out the potato flesh. Use a spoon to scoop out most of the potato flesh, so that only 10-20% of the flesh is remaining in each potato. Repeat this process for each potato half.
6
Melt 3 tbsp. unsalted butter in the microwave. Place it in a microwave-safe covered bowl and melt it for 30-60 seconds until it has a liquid consistency. Make sure to cover the bowl or the cheese will splatter.
7
Heat your broiler to high.
8
Brush the butter over all of the potato skins. Use a brush or paper towel to coat the insides and outsides of the skins with the butter. This will make them crispier and will prevent them from burning.
9
Season the inside of each skin with salt and pepper. Add just a punch of salt and pepper to each skin. You can add more, depending on your preference.
10
Broil the skins for 8-10 minutes. Wait until the insides are nice and crispy.
11
Remove them from the oven.
12
Scoop ¼ pounds ground beef and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese into the skins. Distribute them evenly along the skins.
13
Cook the skins for 3-5 more minutes. Cook them until the cheese is melted.
14
Remove the skins from the oven again.
15
Fill the skins with ½ cup shredded lettuce, 1 sliced tomato, ½ cup sliced black olives, and 1 peeled and diced avocado.
16
Crumble ½ cup tortilla chips over the top of each skin.
17
Pour 1 cup of warmed cheese sauce over the tops of the skins.
18
Place the skins in the oven again. Cook them for another 3-5 minutes, until the warmed cheese is melted.
19
Remove the potatoes from the oven. Sprinkle them with more salt to taste.
20
Serve. Enjoy this perfect snack of nacho-riffic potato skins. You can enjoy them as they are or add a side of sour cream to the mixture. They're perfect with a glass of beer.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Tuna Melt Potato Skins

1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).
2
Bake 8 Russet potatoes in the oven. After you wash the potatoes, use a paper towel to cover them in non-fat cooking spray and place them on a baking tray. It should take 45-60 minutes to bake the potatoes. You can test them by poking them with a fork.
3
Remove the potatoes from the oven. Wait at least 10 minutes for them to cool down.
4
Cut each potato lengthwise. Use a knife to cut one long slice through each potato to separate it in two.
5
Set the oven to broil.
6
Scoop out the flesh of the potatoes. Leave just a quarter inch of potato flesh on the potato to make the skins a bit more sturdy.
7
Melt 2 tbsp. unsalted butter in the microwave. Place it in a microwave-safe covered bowl and melt it for 30-45 seconds until it has a liquid consistency. Make sure to cover the bowl or the cheese will splatter.
8
Brush the insides and outsides of the potato skins with the melted butter. This will make the potatoes more crispy and will keep them from burning.
9
Season the potato skins with salt and pepper. Add salt and pepper to the skins, to taste.
10
Place the potato skins on a baking sheet. Make sure they're evenly spaced and are not touching.
11
Put them in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Watch them closely so they don't burn. Halfway through the cooking process, you can flip them over so both sides of the skins are evenly crisped.
12
Remove the potatoes from the oven.
13
Divide 1½ cups tuna salad evenly into the potato skins. Scoop the salad into the potato skins with a spoon.
14
Sprinkle 1½ cups shredded provolone cheese over the tuna salad.
15
Place the potato skins in the broiler for 4-5 minutes. Keep them there until the tuna is warmed and the provolone cheese is melted and bubbling. Keep an eye on the skins to make sure that the cheese doesn't burn.
16
Serve. Wait 2-3 minutes for the skins to cool off and enjoy them as a snack or even as a main course.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Low Fat Potato Skins

1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).^{[3]
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Research source}
2
Bake 4 large potatoes in the oven. After you wash the potatoes, use a paper towel to cover them in non-fat cooking spray and place them on a baking tray. It should take 45-60 minutes to bake the potatoes. You can test them by poking them with a fork.
3
Remove the potatoes from the oven. Wait at least 10 minutes for them to cool down.
4
Quarter the potatoes lengthwise. Use a sturdy knife to do this.
5
Scoop out the flesh of the potatoes. Use a big spoon to scrape out the insides of each potato wedge, leaving only a thin layer of potato over the skin.
6
Make the inside mixture. Place 1 tsp. chili powder, ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. olive oil, and ½ tsp Tabasco sauce in a small bowl. Stir the mixture until all of the ingredients are combined.
7
Scoop the mixture back into the potato wedges.
8
Place the skins on a large nonstick baking sheet. Put them on the sheet in a single layer, so that they aren't touching.
9
Sprinkle 4 slices of crumbled extra lean turkey bacon and 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the mixture.
10
Place the skins back in the oven. Bake the skins and the mixture until the potatoes and mixture are crisp and brown. Check in on the potatoes to make sure the cheese hasn't burned. It should take about 15 minutes for the skins to finish baking.
11
Remove the potatoes from the oven again. Let the skins cool for at least five minutes.
12
Sprinkle the skins with 2 medium diced tomatoes and 4 chopped green onion stalks. This will add a fresh and crunchy kick to the baked potato skins.
13
Serve. Serve the skins with 1 tsp. of low-fat sour cream each.