25 Best Baked Potato Toppings That Go Beyond Butter
Creative ways to spruce up your spuds.
Every item on this page was chosen by an editor from The Pioneer Woman. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
Baked potatoes are the unsung heroes of dinner—versatile, comforting, and ready to complement almost any main dish. But if you've been sticking to the classic butter and salt or sour cream routine (not that there's anything wrong with that!) you're missing out on a world of flavor possibilities. Whether you're serving the potato side alongside steak, roast chicken, or fish, these creative baked potato toppings are sure to make your spud the star of the show.
Loading up your potatoes is easy. Start by cooking your baked potatoes to crispy perfection in the oven or in an air fryer. Then, jazz them up with these tasty toppings for a spud-tacular family dinner! Turn crispy potato skins into a hearty side by filling them with classic potato pairings, like bacon and cheese. Or, grab a few baking potatoes (russets are a perfect type of potato for this) to top with buffalo chicken, steak and spinach, or cowboy beans.
You can even use sweet potatoes for some of these baked potato toppings like the spicy pecan crumble or chicken enchilada filling that is a meal in itself. And if you're looking for more potato ideas, try setting up a baked potato bar with different toppings, like pico de gallo, guacamole, and pepperoni. Then, let your family build their own spuds. You'll see that there are endless ways to top a potato, but these 25 options are a great place to start.
Cheddar Cheese and Green Onions
Twice-baked potatoes are double the fun! Load them up with melted cheddar cheese and top with fresh chopped green onions for a mix of flavors and textures.
Get Ree's Twice-Baked Potatoes recipe.
Steak and Spinach
Have a full steakhouse dinner in one potato by topping your spuds a scoop of creamed spinach and a few slices of steak. Fried onions and a drizzle of steak sauce will make the meal complete.
Get Ree's Steakhouse Baked Potatoes recipe.
Buffalo Chicken
This idea is easy but so flavorful. Just take shredded rotisserie chicken, toss it with melted butter and hot sauce, then use it as a topping along with blue cheese dressing, grated carrots, and thinly sliced celery.
Get Ree's Buffalo Chicken recipe.
Crab Cakes
Instead of serving baked potatoes alongside your seafood dinner, stuff the spuds with tender lump crab meat and breadcrumbs! Top them with jalapeño slices before baking if you want to spice things up even more.
Chicken Enchiladas
Turn your potatoes into a full meal by stuffing them with rotisserie chicken, a kick of green chiles and jalapeños, and a velvety, tangy sauce. You can use regular or sweet potatoes!
Curried Chickpeas
You can create an entire vegetarian meal inside a baked potato. Adding ground cumin, curry powder, and as many red pepper flakes as your heart desires really boosts the flavor.
Get Ree's Curried Chickpea Loaded Potatoes recipe.
Sour Cream, Bacon and Scallions
For those who like their potatoes on the savory side, just add a some crispy bacon bits, a dollop of tangy sour cream, and a sprinkle of chopped scallions or chives.
Get the Baked Sweet Potato recipe.
Pesto
Ree Drummond could eat pesto on anything—including baked potatoes! Layer these spuds with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and an herby pesto to mimic your favorite pizza toppings.
Get Ree's Pesto Pizza Baked Potatoes recipe.
Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato
Skip the bagged bacon bits and turn your baked potato into an impressive BLT. This version is topped with freshly crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and a creamy buttermilk dressing.
Get Ree's BLT Baked Potatoes recipe.
Eggs
For a twist on pasta carbonara, you can top your potatoes with eggs, bacon, and parmesan cheese. Ree recommends cooking the eggs until the whites are set, but the yolks are still runny.
Get Ree's Carbonara Baked Potatoes recipe.
Pepperoni
Serve these baked potatoes for a twist on pizza night! They're loaded with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and pepperoni. You can even go wild with other pizza toppings like sausage, peppers, or olives—we won't judge.
Get Ree's Pepperoni Pizza Stuffed Potatoes recipe.
Spicy Pecan Crumble
Twice baked sweet potatoes are delicious on their own, but add a toasty oat and pecan crumble on top and they become downright delectable! You can drizzle each one with hot honey for more sweet and spicy flavor.
Get the Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes recipe.
Spinach, Blue Cheese and Bacon
Get extra flavor by mashing a few crumbles of blue cheese into the potato mixture. Then top with the garlicky sautéed spinach, more blue cheese, and crispy, crunchy bacon.
Get the Spinach, Blue Cheese and Bacon Twice-Baked Potatoes recipe.
Pumpkin, Parmesan and Bacon
This sounds so seasonal and fancy but really, it's an easy way to use up leftover pumpkin puree and get some extra nutrition in every bite.
Get the Pumpkin, Parmesan and Bacon Twice-Baked Potatoes recipe.
Mushrooms, Goat Cheese and Herbs
This elevated twice-baked version has mushrooms, goat cheese, and fresh herbs. Be sure to cook the mushrooms in a skillet until they're soft and juicy.
Get the Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Herbs Twice-Baked Potatoes recipe.
BBQ Chicken
Making a slow cooker full of shredded BBQ chicken is batch cooking at it's most convenient and versatile. Try piling it high on a baked russet or sweet potato for an easy, hearty meal.
Get the Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken recipe.
Baked Beans
Take a cue from our friends across the pond by topping your spuds with baked beans! This classic "jacket potato" topping is made even better with bits of crispy bacon and barbecue sauce.
Get Ree's Baked Beans recipe.
Alabama White Sauce
This creamy, tangy condiment is typically used to dress up BBQ dishes down south, but it'll taste just as good on a baked potato! Top your spuds with pulled pork, chopped brisket, or your favorite smoked meat, then finish it with a drizzle of this white BBQ sauce.
Get the Alabama White Sauce recipe.
Cowboy Candy
Bring on the sweet-heart with these candied jalapeño peppers. They'll kick up your baked potato bar so you might want to have some sour cream handy to cool things off.
Get the Cowboy Candy recipe.
Chimichurri
This green herb sauce is popular in South America where it's often served with grilled meats. But you can also drizzle it over baked potatoes to enjoy the garlicky, herbaceous flavor with a hint of crushed red pepper spice.
Get the Chimichurri recipe.
Can You Eat Green Potatoes? Find Out Why Not
Cowboy Casserole
How to Reheat French Fries So They Stay Crispy
Grilled Potato Salad
