Potato Skins
Potato Skins are easy to make and the perfect appetizer for game day, holiday parties, or any get-together. They are made in the oven or air fryer with crispy russet potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, and topped with green onions. No deep fryer is necessary!
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Easy Appetizer
Potato skins are definitely one of my favorite easy appetizers to make! These are perfect for appetizer night or even for game day!
Potato Skins are made with simple ingredients you probably already keep stocked in your refrigerator and pantry.
This easy potato skin recipe is made without having to use a deep fryer! They can be baked in your oven or made in an air fryer and turn out so good!
If you are looking for more easy and delicious appetizer recipes, check out my Firecracker Little Smokies, Cheesy Sausage Wonton Cups, Jalapeno Cream Cheese Pinwheels, and Crockpot Sausage Cheese Dip.
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Bacon
- Sour cream
- Green onions
Prep Potato Skins
To prep the potato skins, start by scrubbing and washing russet potatoes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and poke holes in the potatoes using a fork.
Place potatoes on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for about one hour, or until they are fully baked.
While the potatoes are cooking I like to go ahead and cook the bacon. I usually put it on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper and bake it at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Once the bacon is cooked set it aside and drain the grease.
Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove them from the oven and let them cool.
Make the Potato Skins
Once the cooked potatoes have cooled enough to handle them, use a big spoon to scoop out the insides of the potatoes.
Be sure to leave a thin layer of potato to the skins. This will help them hold their shape and hold all of the delicious toppings.
Use a brush to brush on olive oil all over both sides of the potatoes that have been scooped out. Season both sides with a little bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Place the potatoes in an air fryer at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the skins are nice and crispy. I did two batches of these in my air fryer.
If you would rather cook them all at once or don’t have an air fryer you can also bake them in the oven at 425 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until they are crispy.
Once the skins are nice and crispy, top the potato skins with some shredded cheddar cheese and the chopped bacon.
Place the potato skins back in the air fryer or oven for just a couple of minutes until the cheese is melted.
Serve Potato Skins
Once the cheese is nice and melted top the potato skins with some chopped green onions and serve with some sour cream.
These are delicious on their own or served with other appetizers like crockpot meatballs and little smokies, crockpot buffalo chicken dip or spinach and artichoke dip!
If you have any leftovers save them in a container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven or air fryer just until warm!
You will love these potato skins because they are fairly easy to make, made with simple ingredients, and absolutely delicious! Make these for game day or a holiday party and they will disappear real quick!
Tips and Substitutions
- I used Russet potatoes for this recipe.
- I shred my own blocks of cheddar cheese for a better consistency than pre-shredded cheese.
- My favorite way to cook bacon is in the oven on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. It bakes at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
- Once potatoes are halved and scooped out I like using my air fryer to cook the potato skins. If you don’t have an air fryer or would rather cook all of the skins at one time you can also bake them in the oven at 425 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes until they turn crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of potatoes are best for potato skins?
Russet potatoes are usually the best type of potato to use for potato skins because the inside gets fluffy when baked, but the skins stay sturdy enough to hold all of the toppings.
Can I make potato skins in the air fryer?
Yes, making them in the air fryer is my favorite method for getting the potato skins super crispy! Work in batches to cook all of the skins. In my air fryer, 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes gets the potato skins really crispy.
Can I make Potato Skins in the oven?
Yes, the oven works well to make potato skins! It’s also nice because they can all be made at once instead of working in batches in the air fryer.
How do I store and reheat potato skins?
Store any leftover potato skins in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat the potato skins in an air fryer or oven to keep them crispier.
Can I make a smaller batch of potato skins?
Yes, if you don’t want to make 20 potato skins you can halve or quarter the recipe to make this appetizer for a smaller crowd!
More Easy Appetizers
- Jalapeno Popper Wontons
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip
- Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Pinwheels
- Bacon Wrapped Steak Bites
- Garlic Bread Meatball Subs
If you make this potato skin recipe, I hope you love it! If you make the recipe please leave me a recipe rating or save this to your Pinterest account!
Equipment
- 1 Oven
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 10 medium sized russet potatoes (5 lbs)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp each salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Scrub/wash the potatoes and poke holes in the potatoes with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 1 hour or until your potatoes are fully cooked.
- While your potatoes are cooking, cook bacon however you'd like! I bake it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper at 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes. Drain grease from the bacon and chop it into small pieces. Set it aside.
- Once the potatoes are fully cooked let them cool. Once cool enough to handle them, cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides of the potatoes using a spoon.
- Cover both sides of the potatoes with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Place the potatoes in an air fryer at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. You can also put them in the oven at 425 degrees F for 25-30 minutes if you don't have an air fryer.
- Once the skins are cripsy, top with shredded cheddar cheese and cooked/chopped bacon. Place back in the air fryer or oven just until the cheese melts.
- Top with chopped green onions and serve with sour cream and enjoy!
Notes
- I used Russet potatoes for this recipe.
- I shred my own blocks of cheddar cheese for a better consistency than pre-shredded cheese.
- My favorite way to cook bacon is in the oven on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. It bakes at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
- Once potatoes are halved and scooped out I like using my air fryer to cook the potato skins. If you don’t have an air fryer or would rather cook all of the skins at one time you can also bake them in the oven at 425 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes until they turn crispy.
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Good cooking and it’s delicious too
It’s also easy to make I love it
Great cook on my skins!
What can I do with the insides you scoop out?
I added bacon bits, Italian seasoning and mashed them, to reheat later! delicious also!
Even my picky kids liked it! Thanks.
Can you freeze the skins before stuffing them?
easy and good!!