Stuffed potato skins are prepared by mixing mashed potato with sour cream, cheese and bacon, then spooning the mixture into hollowed-out potato halves. They are finished with grated cheese and baked until the cheese is melted and golden.
Serve them as a side with a roast, or pass them around as snacks for game day or a barbecue. A small dish of sour cream for dipping completes them.
I’ve wanted to publish this recipe for a while. Stuffed potato skins were a favourite at summer barbecues when friends came round, and with the warm weather now, it felt like the perfect time to bring them back.
The potatoes are effectively twice-baked: first to cook the flesh, then again to crisp the skins. Once the skins are crisp, they’re filled with a creamy potato, sour cream, cheese and bacon mixture, topped with more cheese and returned to the oven until bubbling and golden.
They work well alongside a roast as an alternative to standard roast potatoes, and they shine as pre-barbecue nibbles while the grill finishes. A plate of these with sour cream — bliss.
What I love about these stuffed potato skins
- You can bake the potatoes in the oven, but using a microwave greatly reduces cooking time if you have one.
- They’re economical — a small bag of baby potatoes will feed a crowd.
- They’re tasty served hot or at room temperature.
- Make a large batch and freeze some for later to save time and energy.
Here’s how easy they are to make.
Ingredients
Quantities are flexible — adjust to the number of people you’re serving.
This recipe used 4 medium potatoes to make 8 stuffed halves. We served them with air-fried chicken and vegetables, and still had leftovers the next morning.
Reheated the next day with a fried egg on top — delicious. If you plan to serve them for breakfast consider skipping the garlic so the flavour isn’t too strong early in the morning.
- Potatoes – I used 4 medium Jersey Royal potatoes (about 350 g). Any variety works; floury types yield a smoother filling while waxy potatoes give a chunkier texture.
- Bacon – Streaky bacon crisps well and adds flavour. Fry and crumble or cut into small pieces before frying.
- Butter – Melted and mixed into the potato filling for richness.
- Sour cream – Adds creaminess to the filling and also serves as a dip.
- Spring onions (scallions) – Finely sliced for texture and freshness.
- Cheese – I used cheddar, but any easily melting cheese works.
- Garlic powder (optional) – A little adds depth when served hot; skip it if you want a milder or cold snack.
- Salt – Season to taste.
See the printable recipe card at the end for the exact ingredient list I used for 4 medium potatoes.
Instructions
Overview:
- Cook the potatoes until soft.
- Scoop out most of the flesh and crisp the skins in the oven.
- Mix the filling and fill the skins.
- Top with cheese and bake until melted and golden.
Detailed steps:
Step 1: Wash and prick the potatoes, then microwave on full power for 3 minutes. Turn them over and microwave for another 2 minutes or until soft. Let cool.
Step 2: While the potatoes cook, fry the bacon pieces in a dry pan over low heat until crisp.
Step 3: When cool enough to handle, halve the potatoes and scoop the flesh into a bowl, leaving about ¼ inch of potato in each skin.
Step 4: Rub the outside of the skins with oil, place skin-side up on a lined baking tray, sprinkle with salt and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes until starting to crisp.
Step 5: Add melted butter, sour cream, grated cheese, fried bacon, sliced spring onions and optional garlic powder to the scooped potato. Mix well and season to taste.
Step 6: Divide the filling evenly among the skins, top with grated cheddar and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and is lightly golden.
Step 7: Sprinkle with extra chopped spring onions if you like and serve hot with a roast, or at room temperature as an appetizer with sour cream for dipping.
Tips for a perfect outcome
My top tips to ensure success:
- Microwave times vary by wattage and potato size. My 900W microwave cooked these in 5 minutes total.
- You can bake the potatoes in an air fryer or oven; coat them with oil and salt first so the skins crisp naturally.
- Test doneness by piercing with a skewer — it should meet no resistance.
- Allow baked potatoes to cool slightly before scooping to avoid burning yourself.
- Keep about ¼ inch of potato attached to each skin so they keep their shape.
- Use larger potatoes if you prefer — increase filling quantities accordingly.
Equipment
Main equipment needed:
- Baking tray – lined with parchment or foil for easy cleanup.
- Small mixing bowl – for the potato filling.
- Frying pan – to crisp the bacon.
Storage
To freeze: assemble the filled skins, place them on a tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to freezer bags and store for up to 4 months.
To reheat from frozen: bake at 180°C (360°F) for 12–15 minutes until heated through and the cheese has melted.
Leftovers keep in a covered container in the fridge. Reheat in the oven or microwave, or bring to room temperature before serving.
Stuffed potato skin FAQ
No. Use any potatoes you have. For larger potatoes increase the amounts of bacon, sour cream and cheese to suit.
Commercial sour cream is cultured cream — it’s thick and mildly tangy, not simply spoiled cream. It adds creaminess and a slight tang to the filling and also makes a great dip.
Save for later
If you want to keep this recipe, save it to your preferred bookmarking tool or print the recipe card below for easy reference.
Related recipes
Other potato recipes you might enjoy are listed in my recipe index and include sautéed potatoes and onions, boulangère potatoes, German fried potatoes with bacon and onions, and scalloped or battered potatoes.
📋The recipe
Stuffed potato skins
4 potatoes (8 halves)
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Baking parchment
- Small mixing bowl
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 4 medium Jersey Royal potatoes (about 350 g)
- 3 rashers streaky bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 oz (30 g) butter, melted
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream
- ½ cup (65 g) grated cheddar cheese
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- ½ tsp garlic powder (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil (to rub on the skins)
Topping
- ¼ cup (30 g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes, prick them with a fork and microwave for about 5 minutes total (3 minutes, then 2 minutes after turning) until soft. Remove and cool slightly.
- While the potatoes cook, fry the bacon pieces in a dry pan over low heat until crisp.
- When cool enough to handle, halve the potatoes and scoop the flesh into a bowl, leaving about ¼ inch of potato in each skin.
- Rub the outside of the skins with sunflower oil, place skin-side up on a lined baking tray, sprinkle with salt and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes to crisp.
- Add melted butter, sour cream, grated cheese, fried bacon, sliced spring onions and optional garlic powder to the scooped potato. Mix and season well.
- Divide the filling between the skins, top with grated cheddar and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
- Garnish with extra spring onion if desired and serve hot or at room temperature with sour cream for dipping.
Notes
Hints and tips
- Microwave cooking time varies by wattage and potato size. Adjust accordingly.
- If baking the potatoes in an oven or air fryer, coat them with oil and salt first so the skins crisp without extra oven time.
- Test doneness with a skewer. Allow potatoes to cool before scooping.
- Keep ¼ inch of potato on the skin so they hold their shape.
Freezing and storage
- Freeze assembled skins on a tray, then transfer to freezer bags for up to 4 months.
- Bake from frozen at 180°C (360°F) for 12–15 minutes until heated through and cheese has melted.
- Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an estimate only. If nutrition accuracy is important, calculate using your preferred tool.
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a star rating in the comments. You can contact me at [email protected].
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