Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes

A perfect baked potato stuffed with spicy taco meat and topped with cheese, sour cream and onions – my Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes are a delicious way to change up your Taco Tuesday.

Sometimes the recipes I share here are well thought out, planned and executed. And sometimes they are a complete spur of the moment, it’s past lunchtime and I need to eat something, anything, kind of thing. Today’s recipe falls into the latter category.

I had just made a bunch of baked potatoes and had a few leftover. I was foraging through the fridge for lunch, and came across the taco meat we’d had for dinner the night before. I had a lightbulb moment, and decided to marry the two and create these Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes!

Let’s just say it was pretty much the best idea I’d had in a very long time. A complete meal that I can serve to my entire family that they absolutely are going to love? I can that #winning. It’s a great way to use up leftover taco meat or leftover baked potatoes, too!

How do you make a stuffed baked potato?

For starters, you need to know how to make a baked potato. I shared my tips for Perfect Baked Potatoes a few weeks back, and they really are the best I’ve ever had…rivaling any steakhouse I’ve visited…so make those first.

Once you have your baked potatoes, let them sit and cool while you prepare the stuffing. I went with taco stuffed baked potatoes and used these ingredients:

• ground beef, cooked with onions, garlic and homemade taco seasoning
• salsa
• cheese
• sour cream
• green onions
• salt & pepper

Here are some tips for making delicious stuffed baked potatoes:

1. Gently slice open the potatoes and squeeze from the sides. You want to avoid the potato splitting all the way down the sides and falling open – it’s just prettier, and it will allow all the topping to be inside the potato instead of just laying on top.
2. Salt the potato flesh before adding any toppings for optimal potato flavor. Potatoes need a lot of salt, it what really brings out their flavor, so don’t skimp here.
3. After the salt, add sour cream and mash it into the potato a little for extra creamy texture.
4. Serve your stuffed baked potatoes in pasta bowls (aff) if you have some on hand. They are deeper than a plate but not as deep as soup bowls, making it easy to catch the potato and stuffing for easier eating.

If you’d like to try some more potato recipes, these are some of our favorites:

• Easy Breakfast Potatoes
• Twice Baked Potatoes
• Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
• Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes

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Author: Kristin Maxwell

Ingredients

• 4 baked potatoes
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 of a medium onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning or 1 packet
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup salsa
• Salt and pepper
• Your favorite taco toppings: shredded cheese green onions, sour cream, tomatoes, etc.

Instructions

• Prepare the baked potatoes and set them aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef, diced onion and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a spatula. Drain.
• To the ground beef, add the taco seasoning, water and salsa. Stir to combine then bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. If there is too much liquid, simmer with the lid off for a bit.
• Gently slice open potatoes lengthwise and squeeze the sides to open, careful not to let them break in half completely. 
• Season the potato with salt and pepper, and mash with a little sour cream. Divide the taco meat among the potatoes and top with freshly shredded cheddar, green onions or any of your favorite taco toppings. 
• Serve immediately.