Crispy Oven Baked Potato Skins

These crispy potato skins are baked and delicious. The perfect appetizers or great for game day snacking, or movie night. We love them simply loaded with some shredded cheese and bacon but there are endless ways to fill these little spuds. These crispy oven baked potato skins are also easy to make with a few basic steps and ingredients that will ensure your potato skins are crispy every time without deep frying or pulling out the air fryer.

Simple Ingredients To Make These Crispy Baked Potato Skins

• Potatoes - russet potatoes or baking potatoes are best for this recipe as the skins are thicker Thick is important since we are baking the skins and want them to get nice and crispy something that is hard to do with new potatoes
• Butter - I recombine salted if you have some on hand for more flavour but feel free to use unsalted and make sure to use more seasoned salt or add a little extra salt
• Spices - I like to season the potatoes when I brush them with melted butter so I use seasoned salt and garlic powder which has the salt and some extra spices - this is optional and you can use your own seasoning blend if you like (taco seasoning, cajun seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning etc) or you keep things simple with salt and black pepper
• Bacon - I used a cheddar cheese blend with bacon bits in this recipe but you can use bacon bits as many as you like or fry-up or bake-up your own bacon and crumble it over these tasty potato skins
• Cheese - I used a marble cheddar but you can use any cheese you like - I prefer something melty and salty but you can easily do a blend of cheeses as well. Shredded is best
• Herbs - I like to garnish with fresh chopped parsley and fresh chives or green onions
• Sour Cream - this is optional as a topping
• Variations - spice them up with a rich of chili powder, or paprika , make them extra cheesy by adding some parmesan cheese or use up leftover baked ham these instead of bacon - add extra protein but mixing in some shredded chicken or black beans using the skins sort of like a mini taco
  
  

How To Make These Easy Crispy Potato Skins

1. Bake the potatoes whole in the oven, poking a few holes in them - no need to wrap them in foil and do not boil them. You don’t want to introduce them to any moisture because you want your skins crispy not soggy or soft. Once cooked remove from oven and allow them to cool enough for you to handle them. To check for doneness, slide a fork or a skewer into the potato. If it slides in and out easily, the potato is done.
2. Slice potaoes in half lengthwise then scoop out the flesh leaving a thin border of flesh on the skins
3. Brush potatoes inside and out with a thin coating of seasoned melted butter
4. Bake skin side down 10-15 min then flip and bake another 5-10 min or until golden and very crisp
5. Fill skins with bacon and cheese
6. Bake again until cheese is melty
7. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley and serve with sour cream and chopped chives or scallions
   
   

Can I Use a Microwave To Cook The Potatoes?

Yes you can here is how:

1. Prick each potato a few times all over with a fork, then place them on the outer edge of the microwave turntable.
2. Microwave on high for 8 minutes, then flip potatoes and microwave on high for another 8 minutes.
   
   

Tips for MakingThese Cripy Potato Skins

• Use Russet potatoes (baking potatoes) for best results as they have thicker skin
• Try to chose potatoes that are similar in size so that they all cook for the same or close to the same amount of baking time - also smaller or medium size potatoes make the best bite size potato skins to grab off a plate or platter
• Poke holes to prevent them from exploding
• Rub seasoned butter or oil on the skins for extra flavour - just a thin coat is all you need - you don’t want it pooling in the skins and making them soggy
• Do not wrap your potatoes in foil to bake them or do not boil your potatoes
  
  

Alternative Filling Options To Try

• Tex Mex style with ground beef cooked in taco seasoning and baked with cheese and served with cilantro, salsa and sour cream
• Leftover shredded chicken with the cheese - any seasoning including Buffalo sauce and blue cheese
• Leftover shredded beef for a Philly steak version
• Leftover pulled pork with cheese and pickles
• Fill with chili or sloppy Joe meat and cheese of course
• Fried onions with gruyere or any cheese
• Cooked broccoli and cheddar cheese is a great combo
• The options are endless…
  
  

Storage & Make Ahead

• STORAGE - Cooked and cooled potatoes skins can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 5 days. The best way to reheat is using a toaster oven or back in the oven. If you want to add a little extra cheese you can as well - but keep an eye on them while they are reheating as they can burn easily - cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Unfortunately they will not be as crispy as the initial time making them.
• MAKE AHEAD - Potato skins (baked, cooled and unfilled) can easily be partially made ahead. Bake and scoop the potato flesh from skins and allow them to fully cool. Place the unbaked skins in an airtight container or bag for 2 days in the fridge. Remove the skins from container and allow them to come to room temperature then brush them with seasoned melted butter and continue with recipe as directed. You can also cook the bacon if you are making your own and not using bacon bits. Once its cooked allow it to cool then crumble and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring them out to room temperature when you take out the skins from the fridge too. You can also prep the cheese - grate it and store in an airtight container in the fridge a couple of days ahead and that goes for chopping and storing the chives or scallions as well.