Your Potato Skins Are Missing A BBQ Twist

Loaded potato skins are tasty, rich appetizers whatever you add to them. A big part of the beauty of these tasty snacks is that you can fill them with a wide variety of ingredients, and customize them to suit your taste buds. In the fall, you can swap out your spuds with sweet potatoes for a seasonal switch up. But if you're looking for a big-flavored twist on this classic dish any time of year, load up your skins with barbecue toppings.

The easiest way to get started here is to replace the more traditional crumbled bacon with your favorite barbecued protein. Use barbecued pulled pork, chicken, steak, burnt ends, or brisket instead. Because your potato skins are quite small, you'll want to chop your fully cooked meats before sprinkling them in. And feel free to branch out beyond these classic options. Barbecued shrimp, salmon, or even scallops would work here, as well as diced burger meat. If you're vegetarian, you can throw some tofu on the grill and crumble it afterward. Make sure your protein is cooked in plenty of barbecue sauce, or stuff it in your potato skins and then drizzle a helping over the top.

Aside from the main protein, there are plenty of other ways to give your potato skins a barbecue vibe. Cheese is a crucial component of any recipe for this appetizer, so sprinkle on some shredded cheddar, pepper jack, or Mexican cotija. You can also add whichever are your preferred chopped veggies that you'd find on barbecue plates — including peppers, onions, black or pinto beans, corn, coleslaw, collard greens, or zucchini. And for a little spice, include some chopped jalapeños or chipotles in adobo sauce. The latter is an ideal element to include if your original ingredients aren't already super sauced up.

Before you begin, make sure to read our tips on baking perfect potato skins, which include advice on the perfect potato to pick: Our favorite is a Russet. Of course, just because you're giving your potato skins a barbecue twist doesn't mean you have to abandon their original elements completely. Once they come out of the oven with any of the aforementioned fillings, topping them with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of green onions or chives is still a tasty move. You can also add a little hot sauce, salsa, guacamole or sliced avocado, pico de gallo, pickled onions, or chopped pickles. And as an alternative to sour cream, drizzle ranch or coleslaw dressing over the top of your skins before digging in.