Potato skins are a sports-bar classic everywhere football is on TV: russet halves filled with cheddar and bacon and finished with sour cream and green onions. The oven work happens ahead of time.
At the lot: Crisp the skins over direct heat and melt the cheese over indirect heat with the lid down, in rounds. Homegating: Finish them under the broiler and send them out hot.
Home gear: 2 sheet pans, a spoon for scooping, a skillet or a third sheet pan for the bacon, 2 lidded containers
1 HR 40 MIN
At home, up to 2 days ahead
20 MIN
At the lot
12
Serves
Ingredients
Skins
- 12 medium russet potatoes (about 8 oz each)
- 3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Filling
- 1 lb bacon
- 3 cups (12 oz) shredded sharp cheddar
Topping
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
Steps
At home
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes, dry them, poke each one a few times with a fork and rub them with the oil.
- Bake them on a sheet pan for 50 to 60 minutes, until a fork slides into the center easily. Let them cool for 15 minutes.
- While they bake, cook the bacon until crisp, in a skillet or on a sheet pan in the same oven for about 20 minutes. Drain it on paper towels and crumble it.
- Halve each potato lengthwise and scoop out the inside, leaving a shell about ¼ in. thick. Save the scooped potato for mashed potatoes.
- Mix the melted butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder, and brush it over the skins inside and out.
- Let the skins and bacon cool, no more than 2 hours out, then refrigerate them in separate covered containers. They keep up to 2 days. Slice the green onions and bag them.
At the lot
- Set up the grill for 2 zones at about 400°F. On charcoal, bank the coals on one side. On propane, run one side on medium-high and leave the other low or off.
- Lay the skins cut side down over the hot side for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cut edges are golden and crisp. Work in 2 rounds if they don't all fit.
- Flip them cut side up and move them to the cool side. Fill each one with cheddar and bacon.
- Close the lid and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the cheese melts and the potato reads 165°F.
- Move them to the serving pan. Top each one with a spoonful of sour cream and some green onions right before they go out, and put the sour cream back on ice.
Pack for the lot
Lot notes
- Fuel: charcoal or propane both work. You need a hot side to crisp and a cool side to melt the cheese without burning the bottoms. Some stadiums ban charcoal or open flames, so check yours in our stadium rules table before you pack fuel.
- Grill space: 24 skins take a lot of grate. On a small grill, do them in 2 rounds and serve the first round while the second one cooks.
- Dairy stays cold: the sour cream lives on ice at 40°F or below and only comes out to top the skins. Keep the cheese in the cooler until it goes on the grill.
- Holding them: potato skins are crispest right off the grill. Toss any that have been out past 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's over 90°F. Cook in rounds so nothing sits.
- Cleanup: scrape the grate while it's hot, and fold the serving pan over any leftovers and toss it.
Can you make potato skins ahead?
Yes. Bake, scoop and butter the skins and cook the bacon up to 2 days ahead, and keep them covered in the fridge. Fill and crisp them on the grill at the lot until they reach 165°F.
How do you keep potato skins hot at a tailgate?
Cook them in rounds and serve them straight off the grill. If a round has to wait, hold it on the cool side with the lid down so it stays at 140°F or above, and add the sour cream only when they go out.
How many potato skins for 20 people?
Plan on 2 each, so 40 skins from 20 potatoes. Use 5 tbsp oil, about 7 tbsp butter, 1¾ lb bacon, 5 cups cheddar, about 1⅔ cups sour cream and 7 green onions. Grill them in 2 or 3 rounds.
Can you cook potato skins on the grill?
Yes. Bake the potatoes ahead, then crisp the skins cut side down over direct heat and melt the cheese over indirect heat with the lid closed. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes per round.
Gear for this cook
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