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Fully-loaded potato skins are the ultimate comfort food appetiser. Baked to crispy perfection and generously topped, they’re the perfect way to start any all American feast. Whether you prefer the cheese and bacon classic or something a little different - pizza skins, anyone? - when you see potato skins on the menu, you can take it as a guarantee you’ll be well fed.
Potato skins are pretty simple to make at home, too, but there are still a few things you need to get right in order to achieve that perfectly crisp texture. Choose a potato with a tasty but robust skin, and cook it at a fairly high temperature for a short period of time. You should also pierce the skins with a fork to allow excess moisture to escape and prevent soggy skins. This is particularly important if you’re baking your potatoes whole, as the steam can build up inside them and make them explode.
Best type of potato
If you’re thinking that one potato will work as well as any other, think again. There are more than 200 different varieties of potato in the USA alone, and some are more suited to certain methods of cooking than others. Make sure you always pick the right potato for the job with our guide to the different types of potato.
Russet potatoes are generally considered to be the best potato for making potato skins. They have tasty, sturdy skins that won’t tear when you scrape out their insides, and they’re large enough and strong enough to hold all your favourite fillings without falling apart. They’re also a dry and starchy potato, so they crisp up well rather than going soggy during cooking.
How to cook potato skins
When it comes to cooking potato skins, the secret is to use a relatively high temperature and short cooking times. For some people, only oven-baked will do, while others swear by the air fryer. We think both versions taste pretty great, so we’re sharing both recipes, one for the ultimate oven-cooked potato skins, and the other for the ultimate air-fried potato skins. Pick what works for you, and follow our simple, step by step instructions for perfect potato skins every time.
Oven
Ingredients
Baked potatoes,
4, large
Unsalted butter,
2 tbsp, melted
Parsley,
½ tsp, dried
Salt,
¼ tsp
Garlic powder,
¼ tsp
Bacon,
3 slices, cooked and diced
Chives,
2 tbsp, diced
Strong cheddar cheese,
1 cup, shredded
Sour cream,
to serve
Preparation
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
When your baked potatoes are cool enough to handle, take a sharp knife and cut them in half lengthways. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the insides, taking care not to tear the skins. Leave some of the fluffy potato around the edges, so you are left with around ¼ inch thickness.
Take a small bowl and mix together the melted butter, salt and garlic powder. Brush the mixture onto the potato skins, making sure that both the inside and outside are well coated.
Arrange the potatoes cut side down on a baking sheet and bake them for 15 minutes. Turn them cut side up and bake for another 5 minutes, so they become crisp and slightly browned at the edges.
Stuff the potato skins with the cheese and bacon, then put them back in the oven for a further 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese melts and begins to bubble.
Remove the potato skins from the oven, add a generous dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with the chopped chives.
Serve and enjoy.
Air Fryer
Ingredients
Baked potatoes,
4, large
Olive oil,
1 tbsp
Salt,
¼ tsp
Pepper,
¼ tsp
Ranch dressing,
1 tbsp
Bacon,
3 slices, cooked and diced
Chives,
2 tbsp, diced
Strong cheddar cheese,
1 cup, shredded
Sour cream,
to serve
Preparation
When your baked potatoes are cool enough to handle, take a sharp knife and cut them in half lengthways. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the insides, taking care not to tear the skins. Leave some of the fluffy potato around the edges, so you are left with around ¼ inch thickness.
Brush the olive onto the potato skins, making sure that both the inside and outside are well coated, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and drizzle with the ranch dressing.
Place the potato skins in the air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes at 400°F.
Remove the fryer basket, and stuff the potato skins with the bacon and shredded cheese. Replace the basket and cook for a further 2 minutes at 350°F.
Remove the potato skins from the fryer, add a generous dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with the chopped chives.
Serve and enjoy.
If you prefer a simple baked potato, our baked potatoes with bacon and cheese have that classic cheese and bacon topping, and you can keep those deliciously fluffy insides, too.
