How Thick Should Homemade Potato Skins Be?

Who doesn't love a loaded potato skin? These popular appetizers are so full of flavor and texture that you can find them on just about every happy hour menu (which restaurant actually started the craze is a hotly debated topic). They are incredibly easy to make at home so you can recreate that delicious experience whenever you want without having to leave the house. If you're a fan of these tasty snacks, you've probably had many different versions and learned they are not all created the same. Some chefs scoop out too much potato, leaving the skins too thin. Others barely scoop out any, leaving you a thick mouthful of potato with not enough toppings. Which makes us wonder, how much potato should you scoop out to get the perfect thickness for homemade potato skins?

While everyone has their personal preference for how much potato they like in their loaded skins, if you remove enough potato to leave a quarter-inch-thick skin you'll have an ideal potato-to-topping ratio. This thickness allows the skin to become crispy on the outside yet still leaves enough on the inside, so you get an even blend of flavors from both the potato and the added ingredients. Pro-tip: don't throw out that scooped-out portion of the potato. It's perfectly good and can be used in many ways, like mashed potatoes or as a shortcut for a rich and creamy potato leek soup.

You've no doubt enjoyed classic loaded potato skins topped with cheese, bacon, and scallions with a side of sour cream for dipping. However, creative cooks don't stick to this basic formula. Potatoes are one of the most versatile foods and appear in cuisines around the world. Your loaded potato skins offer incredible versatility, giving you the perfect opportunity to unleash your creativity with unique ingredients and bold flavor profiles. Now that you've mastered getting the thickness right, it's time to explore some ways to elevate this great appetizer.

You can give your skins a Latin twist by switching out the bacon in a classic potato skin recipe with carne asada, or al pastor meat or go for a spicy protein swap with some flavor-packed chorizo. Don't forget a dollop of guacamole for some extra texture and flavor. Chopped pieces of grilled steak topped with crumbled blue cheese and chopped chives will give your potato skins an elevated steakhouse vibe. Goat cheese and honey give them an unexpected bougie upgrade.

Potato skins are a great way to play with flavors and ingredients, but don't forget that people eat with their eyes as much as with their mouths, so be sure to incorporate a variety of colors along with your flavors and textures. A great way to do that is to think completely outside the box and add a fried quail egg to the top of each skin (this add-on works with any number of topping choices), so each bite not only looks incredible, but is bathed in the creamy egg yolk once it breaks.