Barbecue Chicken-Stuffed Twice-Baked Potatoes Recipe

Twice-baked potatoes are a classic, and for good reason. With their crispy skin and creamy filling, they are the perfect dish for almost any occasion. While the classic version is fine the way it is, there are so many ways that you can jazz them up with fun fillings. Recipe developer Jessica Morone brings us this exciting twist on the classic, which combines the smoky, savory goodness of barbecue chicken with the creamy richness of twice-baked potatoes. She came up with this variation after she visited a local barbecue restaurant that had baked potatoes with pulled chicken in them. She thought, "this would be even better if the potatoes were twice-baked and topped with tons of cheese." 

While classic twice-baked potatoes make a great side dish, the addition of barbecue chicken in these means that they can easily be filling enough to be an entree, too. Morone says, "the barbecue sauce infuses every bite with a tangy flavor, and the creamy, cheesy potato filling perfectly balances out the barbecue chicken, making these so incredibly crave-able you will want to make these all the time."

For this recipe, you will need potatoes, olive oil, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, barbecue sauce, sour cream, unsalted butter, salt, black pepper, cheddar cheese, and Monterey jack cheese. "The best potatoes to use for this recipe are Russet," Morone says. "Whatever your favorite barbecue sauce you like will work, or you can make your own."

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the potatoes on one baking sheet and use a fork to poke holes all over the potatoes.

Brush or rub the olive oil over the potatoes.

Place the chicken on the other baking sheet and brush with ¼ cup of the barbecue sauce.

Place the baking sheets with the chicken and potatoes in the preheated oven. Bake the chicken for 25–35 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. Set aside until the potatoes are done.

Bake the potatoes until tender, about 1 hour, depending on the size. Set the potatoes aside until cool enough to handle.

Use two forks to shred the cooked chicken.

Add the shredded chicken to a medium bowl, add the remaining ¼ cup barbecue sauce, and stir to coat.

Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise.

Scoop the insides of the potatoes into a large bowl, and set the skins aside.

Add the sour cream, melted butter, salt, pepper, half of the cheddar, and half of the Monterey jack to the bowl with the potatoes. Mix with a hand mixer until combined and creamy.

Spoon the potato mixture evenly into the potato skins.

Top each potato with the shredded barbecue chicken.

Add the remaining cheese on top of the chicken.

Return the potatoes to the preheated oven and bake until the cheese is melted, 10–12 minutes.

Serve hot, topped with sliced green onions, if desired.

The first tip for perfect twice-baked potatoes is to choose the right type of potato. For this recipe, you want large baking potatoes, so Russets work well here. Russets are starchy and have thick skins that hold up well for double baking. If you cant find Russet potatoes, you can use Idaho potatoes. Wash the potatoes before you start this recipe, and make sure that they are completely dry before piercing them with a fork. If your potatoes aren't totally dry, the moisture on them can keep the skins from getting nice and crispy. This is also why these potatoes are cooked on a baking sheet rather than in foil, because foil can make your baked potatoes mushy. 

Once the potatoes are baked, scoop out the flesh from the potato skin, but leave about ¼ inch of flesh so that the skins don't break. Once you stuff the potatoes and place them in the oven, keep careful watch as they bake and check them often to make sure that the filling doesn't burn. They can be taken out of the oven once the cheese is melted. 

Twice-baked potatoes are great because you can change up the fillings and toppings however you want. The barbecue chicken can be swapped out with other barbecue meats, such as pulled pork or barbecue brisket, whether homemade or bought at the store. Chopped-up, cooked bacon could also be used for an easy alternative. For a vegetarian option, you could try BBQ pulled mushrooms or leave out the meat completely. 

For the cheese, you can swap in any kind for the cheddar or Monterey jack. Pepper jack would be a good option, as it will give these twice-baked potatoes a bit of spice but will keep the creaminess. You can also use Colby jack for a mild flavor and creamy texture. You could also try smoked Gouda in this, as the smokiness will complement the barbecue flavor. Whatever cheeses you choose, it is best to freshly shred them instead of buying pre-shredded options. Pre-shredded cheeses tend to have stabilizers and preservatives in them that keep them from melting nicely.