Smoked Potato Skins

Crispy, delicious Potato Skins that are made on your smoker with the perfect subtle hint of smoke. This quick and easy appetizer is perfect for parties, tailgating and more. Perfectly crispy and loaded with bacon, cheddar, sour cream and green onions!

Anyone else like me? The person drooling over the Potato Skins at the restaurant when you are pouring over the appetizer list? There’s just something about those crispy potato boats loaded with cheese, bacon and sour cream isn’t there? They are always a go-to appetizer on my list.

Want to know how to make them even more amazing? Make them on your smoker that’s how!

Then you have a Smoked Potato Skins with just the right amount of smoke flavor without being overwhelming.

We start with delicious Smoked Potatoes then transform them into Potato Skins. That smoky flavor is amazing!

What are Potato Skins?

Potato skins are a very popular item on many restaurants menus across the United States. I love ordering them at restaurants, so we figured they would be even better on our smoker and we weren’t disappointed.

A potato skin is a hollowed out baked potato topped with toppings like cheese, bacon, green onions and then baked.

Why You’ll Love Smoked Potato Skins

• Taste better than your favorite restaurants potato skins because of that smoke flavor.
• Super easy to make with minimal ingredients.
• You can eat them with your hands making them the perfect finger food for parties.

Ingredients for Smoked Potato Skins

• Potatoes – I highly recommend using a russet potato that will hold up nice and that skin will get crispy.
• Seasonings – My go-to mixture of seasonings for these potatoes is a combination of sea salt, garlic powder and pepper.
• Olive Oil
• Bacon – Get extra fancy and throw some Smoked Bacon on that smoker while you are smoking some potatoes!
• Toppings – We love topping this potatoes with cheddar cheese, sour cream and green onions.

How to Make Smoked Potato Skins

The first step is always to prep your smoker and heat it to 225 degrees F according to your manufacture’s directions.

After that’s taken care of clean you potatoes and pieces them several times with a fork. Then in a small bowl combine olive oil, sea salt, garlic powder and pepper. Brush on potatoes. Save remaining olive oil mixture for later.

Place potatoes on your smoker for about 3 hours or until soft and fork tender.

After the whole potatoes are smoked it’s time to make the potato skins!

Remove the potatoes from the smoker and let cool until you can handle them.

Cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, making sure to leave about 1/4” shell. Brush reserved olive oil mixture on flesh of potatoes. Place them directly on the smoker rack with the skin side down. Smoke for about 15 minutes or until shells are crispy.

Sprinkle bacon and cheese on skins. Then close the smoker lid and smoke until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Remove and top with sour cream and onions. Serve immediately.

More Topping Ideas

There are so many options for these Potato Skins. You can easily change up the flavor by adding different toppings. Here’s some great inspiration.

• Pulled Pork
• Taco Meat
• Leftover Brisket
• Salsa
• Pico de gallo
• Gaucamole
• Chicken Taco Meat

Make Ahead Instructions

You can make and assemble these up to one day in advance. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you are ready to use. Smoke per directions when ready to enjoy.

How to Store Leftover Potato Skins

These are best enjoyed as soon as you smoke them, but if you have leftovers here’s tips on storing them.

Refrigerator: Place in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Freezer: Let cool, place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to three months.

Serving Suggestions

We love serving these along side our favorite Pulled Pork or even topping them with pulled pork! Another great recipe to pair them with is our Beer Can Chicken. And don’t forget that they pair wonderfully with hearty Stuffed Bacon Cheeseburgers or Blackstone chicken wings.

Fire up that smoker and make this great appetizer on it today. It’s great for any party!

More delicious appetizer recipes!

• If salty is your thing make sure to make a batch of Smoked Snack Mix to go with these!
• You can never go wrong with Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers at a party!
• These bit sized Poor Man’s Burnt Ends will have everyone fighting!
• Just when you thought Little Smokies couldn’t get better we went and added bacon to them!