Name: How To Reheat Loaded Potato Skins
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 portion loaded potato skins; 1 portion extra toppings (cheese, bacon bits)

Table of Contents

Crispy potato skins with a delicious filling are a firm favorite straight out of the oven. But what about leftovers?

In this article, I share the results of my experiment reheating my loaded potato skins using four different methods.

The goal? to see which method gives a good as new skin with a crunchy outside and fresh, fluffy interior. All while preserving that cheesy goodness.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

A note on my experiment

I made a huge tray of loaded potato skins and then left them in the fridge overnight (except for the 3 or 4 that I just had to try).

The next day, I reheated the loaded potato skins:

In the oven (a good, reliable method)
In a microwave (okay, but a little chewy)
In a skillet (great crispy bottoms)
In an air fryer (good, but need to watch out for burning)

Fresh loaded potato skins come out of the oven with mouth-wateringly crispy outsides and deliciously tasty fillings.

I wanted to recreate that when I reheated them.

The air fryer and the skillet came out on top in terms of crispiness. But neither of them are suitable for large quantities of potato skins.

The oven worked well and the skins did get some crisp back. The oven is by far the most reliable and consistent method.

The microwave was quick, but there was no crisp to the potato skins.

Reheating loaded potato skins in the oven

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove any sour cream or salsa toppings before placing the loaded potato skins on a wire rack or lightly greased baking tray. Heat for 10-15 minutes, using the broiler to crisp the top for the last 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon on any cold toppings.

How to reheat loaded potato skins in the oven:

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Remove any toppings you want to remain cool, like sour cream or salsa.
Place the loaded potato skins onto a wire rack or lightly greased baking tray.*
Add extra toppings if you wish (I always add some fresh cheese).
Heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Optional: use the broiler for the last 2 minutes to crisp the top.

*I prefer using a wire rack because the increased air circulation means the skins crisp all the way around.

Just make sure to have a baking tray underneath the rack to catch any drips.

To reduce heating time, you can microwave the potato skins for 5-10 seconds first to give the middle a head start warming up.

If you’re using a toaster oven, be aware it will heat more quickly due to its smaller size.

My verdict

Often, the best way to reheat a dish is to do it the same way you cooked it.

In this case, the oven worked brilliantly.

I managed to get some crispness back into the skin, although the air fryer did produce a crispier finish.

Using the oven to reheat the skins is very easy and is ideal if you have a lot of potato skins to get done at once.

The only downside is it can be a bit slow if you’re in a rush.

Reheating loaded potato skins in a microwave

Remove the sour cream, salsa, or other cold toppings before microwaving. Place 1-2 skins on a microwave-safe dish and heat for 30 seconds. Check on the skins, then continue to heat in 30-second intervals until hot. Remove the skins from the microwave and let them rest for 1 minute before serving.

How to reheat loaded potato skins in a microwave:

Remove the sour cream, salsa, or any other cold topping.
Place 1-2 skins on a microwave-safe dish. If the skins seem really dry, cover them with a damp paper towel to re-moisturize them.
Heat the skins for 30 seconds before checking on them.
Continue to heat in 30-second intervals until hot.
Remove the skins from the microwave and let them rest for 60 seconds before serving.

If you want to add some crispness to the skins, broil them after removing them from the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Only microwave skins you’re going to eat right away. If you leave them to cool they will dry out and become very cardboard-like.

My verdict

I knew that the potato skins wouldn’t be crispy. In fact, they turned out kind of chewy and tough.

They weren’t unpleasant to eat, but you could tell they weren’t fresh.

On the plus side, the cheese melted nicely, and it was very quick.

Reheating loaded potato skins in a skillet

Heat a small quantity of oil or butter in a skillet on medium heat. Remove any sour cream, salsa, or other cold toppings before placing the potato skins in the pan. Press the skins down as flat as possible. Add any extra toppings you want and cover with a lid, heating the skins for 4-5 minutes.

How to reheat loaded potato skins in a skillet:

Heat a small quantity of oil or butter in a skillet on medium heat.
Remove any sour cream, salsa, or other cold toppings from the potato skins.
Place the potato skins in the hot pan and press them down as flat as possible. Only the skin that’s touching the pan will crisp up.
Add extra toppings if required and cover with a lid.
Heat the skins for 4-5 minutes.

The oil crips the bottoms of the potato skins while the lid keeps heat in and warms the fillings.

If you don’t have a lid for your skillet, you can use some foil.

My verdict

The skins got nice and crisp on the bottom and had a nice crunchy texture.

The one thing I would recommend is that you don’t overdo the oil or butter. Using too much will leave the potato skins greasy, which isn’t pleasant.

Reheating loaded potato skins in an air fryer

Before reheating the loaded potato skins in the air fryer, remove the sour cream, salsa, or other cold toppings. Set the air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Place the skins in the basket and heat for 4-5 minutes. Remove the skins from the air fryer and replace any cold toppings. Serve immediately.

How to reheat loaded potato skins in an air fryer:

Set your air fryer to 350°F (175°C).
Remove the sour cream, salsa, or other cold toppings from your potato skins.
Place the skins in the basket and heat for 4-5 minutes.
Add extra cheese or other toppings a minute or two before the skins are fully reheated.
Remove the skins from the air fryer when they’re crispy and the cheese has melted.

An air fryer is a powerful machine. Don’t forget about your potato skins, as chances are they will burn!

My verdict

The air fryer was great for crisping the potato skins.

The only downside was that the filling dried out a bit.

But it’s easy to solve this problem by adding some extra sauce or cheese.

How to store loaded potato skins

To store loaded potato skins, remove any wet toppings like sour cream or salsa. Once the potato skins have reached room temperature, place them in an airtight container lined with paper towels. Separate layers with more paper towels or some parchment paper.

Loaded potato skins will last 3-4 days in the fridge.

Always wait for the potato skins to reach room temperature before storing them. Otherwise, condensation can build up in the container and turn them soggy.

If you plan to store just the shells (without the fillings), I suggest freezing them if you’re going to keep them for longer than 2 days.

Can you freeze loaded potato skins?

It’s best to freeze empty potato skins (the shells) and then fill them just before reheating, but you can also freeze loaded potato skins. Try to use the potato skins within 3 months. They will remain safe to eat beyond this, but you may notice a drop in quality.

How to freeze loaded potato skins:

Allow your potato skins to cool to room temperature and remove cold toppings like sour cream or salsa. These won’t freeze well.
Place the potato skins on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Flash freeze the potato skins in the coldest section of your freezer.
When frozen, remove the skins from the freezer (2-3 hours).
Place the skins in a freezer bag and remove all the air.
Label the bag with the date of freezing.
Store in your freezer without anything heavy on top of it.

Flash freezing the potato skins means you can easily take 2-3 out at a time instead of having to defrost the whole batch to separate them.

Removing the air from the freezer bag helps to prevent freezer burn.

I use two tricks to remove the air.

I either use a straw to suck the air out, or I dunk the open freezer bag in some water to force all the air out.

If you have a vacuum sealer, this is even better!

How to reheat frozen loaded potato skins

It’s best to reheat frozen loaded potato skins straight from the freezer without defrosting them. Thawing them can cause them to become soggy and lose their crispy texture. Remove the potato skins from the freezer bag and place them on a lightly greased baking tray. Reheat in the oven at 375°F (190°C).