Crispy potato skins get filled with pulled pork, cheddar cheese, and barbecue sauce for a hearty appetizer or easy supper. They’re a great way to use leftover pulled pork in a whole new way.
These Pulled Pork Stuffed Potato Skins are a great way to turn a handful of simple ingredients into a hearty appetizer, snack, or even a casual supper. They’re made with baked potato halves that get scooped out, crisped up, filled with pulled pork and cheddar cheese, then finished with barbecue sauce, sour cream, and green onions.
The trick to really good potato skins is making sure the skins are sturdy enough to hold the filling and crisp enough that they don’t turn soggy once everything is added. That’s why this recipe bakes the potatoes first, scoops them out, then sends them back into a hotter oven with a little melted butter and salt. That second bake helps firm them up and gives the edges a better texture.
For the potatoes, smaller potatoes work best because they’re easier to pick up and eat. They also cook a little faster than large baking potatoes. Cutting them in half before baking helps speed things along even more. Once they’re tender enough that a knife slides in easily, let them cool just long enough to handle, then scoop out most of the potato flesh. You’ll want to leave about 1/4 to 1/3 inch of potato attached to the skin so the shells don’t fall apart.
If the potato flesh is a little tough to scoop after baking, use a small paring knife to gently score around the inside edge before scooping. Just don’t cut all the way through the skin. Ask me how I know.
The pulled pork can be homemade or store-bought, which makes this recipe really flexible. If you have leftover pulled pork from another meal, this is a great way to use it. You can also grab a little from your favorite barbecue place if you want to save time. If you’re making it from scratch, pork shoulder or Boston butt works best because it cooks up tender and shreds easily.
The barbecue sauce adds flavor and moisture, but I like to drizzle it over the top rather than mix too much into the pork before filling the skins. That keeps the potato shells from getting too wet and helps them hold their texture a little better.
These are best served right away while the potato skins are still crisp and the cheese is melted. If you’re making them for a party, you can do some of the prep ahead. Bake and scoop the potatoes earlier in the day, then crisp them in the hot oven, fill them, and finish baking just before serving. You can also keep the pulled pork warm in a slow cooker and assemble them as needed.
And don’t toss that scooped-out potato. It doesn’t go into this recipe, but you can save it for mashed potatoes, potato soup, breakfast hash, or mix it with a little butter, sour cream, and cheese for a quick side dish. You can even stir some of it into the pulled pork and cheese filling if you want these to feel a little more like a loaded baked potato. It’ll make the filling softer and heartier, but it works.
A few tips for success:
- Use small potatoes so the skins are easier to eat and don’t take forever to bake.
- Leave a little potato attached to the skin so the shells stay sturdy.
- Don’t skip the second bake. That step helps keep the skins from getting soggy.
- Use warm pulled pork when filling the skins so everything heats through quickly.
- Go easy on the barbecue sauce before baking, then add more at the end if you want.
- Serve them soon after assembling for the best texture.
- These Pulled Pork Stuffed Potato Skins are great for game day, parties, or a fun weekend supper. They’re filling, easy to customize, and a great way to stretch a little leftover pulled pork into something that feels completely new.
Recipe Card
Pulled Pork Stuffed Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 8 small potatoes
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 1/2 pound pulled pork (see additional recipe)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup Stubb’s Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 3 green onions (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a pastry brush or basting brush, coat all sides of the sliced potato with olive oil. Place the potatoes cut-side down on the baking sheet and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through. You can test this by inserting a small knife through the potatoes. When they are done, the knife will slide right in without any resistance. Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
- Using a large spoon, scoop out the majority of the potato, leaving about a 1/3 of an inch. Using the half-cut method to make these sometimes makes the flesh tough to cut through. If that’s the case, you can gently score around the edges before scooping to make it easier.
- Increase the oven temperature to 475°F. Place the potatoes back on the pan, cut side up. Brush them with the melted butter and sprinkle the inside with a little more salt. Bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes. This will help firm them up so they won’t fall apart. Remove from the oven and fill the potatoes with the pulled pork and sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Drizzle with the Stubb’s Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce (or other favorite Stubb’s sauce), add a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle with the green onions. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 1 3 to 4 pound pork shoulder or Boston butt
- 2 tablespoons Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Pork Rub
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Rub the pork shoulder with a generous amount of the BBQ rub. I like to use one that has a smoke flavor to get more of that authentic smoked taste. Place the rubbed shoulder in the crock of a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker and pour 1 cup of chicken broth around the edges, being cautious not to wash the rub off. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat shreds easily with a fork (about 190°F). Remove from the slow cooker. Once it is cool enough to handle, use two large forks to shred the meat.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
This post is sponsored by my friends at Stubb’s, but the opinions and ideas are all my own – just as always. 🙂
Mel Lee
Planning to make these tonight. I was wondering,,,, do you use the potato flesh anywhere in this recipe?
I’m thinking of mixing the flesh with the pulled pork & cheese and using it for the skins stuffing.
I’d like to try to make this more of a full meal deal, maybe serve with a slice of Texas Garlic Toast.
Thx, Mel 🙂
I don’t use it in this recipe, but I think you 100% could do it like you mentioned. Hope you enjoy them!
I don’t typically, but don’t see any reason why you couldn’t mix it back into the pulled pork! Hope y’all enjoy them!
Mandy
Just made the perfect potato skins!
So glad you enjoyed them!!
Jeanette Merritt
Happy to share this on my Indiana Pork page! From Indiana’s 3,000 family pig farmers, thanks for loving pork!
Thanks for sharing!!
TJ
Any ideas on keeping them warm if I want to take to a party, or do you think they will get soggy?
They will get a little soggy, but it shouldn’t ruin them.
Samantha
I didn’t see this anywhere, but about how many does this recipe serve?
It makes 16 stuffed potato halves.
Lynn Elliott Vining
Awesome Stacey! I have some pulled pork left over from a wedding. These are gonna be yummy!
They’re so good! Hope you enjoy!
Liz C
Whoa! You have just taken potato skins to a whole new level of flavor!!!!!
Ha! My job here is done. 🙂