Taco Loaded Baked Potatoes (Printable)
Crisp baked potatoes piled with seasoned taco-style beef, cheese, avocado and salsa for a filling Tex-Mex meal.
# Ingredient List:
→ Potatoes
01 - 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
→ Taco Meat
02 - 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey or plant-based crumbles
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 1 small onion, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade
07 - 1/3 cup water
08 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Toppings
09 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
11 - 1/2 cup sour cream
12 - 1/2 cup sliced black olives
13 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14 - 1 avocado, diced
15 - 2 green onions, sliced
16 - Salsa or hot sauce, to taste
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick potatoes several times with a fork, rub with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place directly on the oven rack and bake for 60 to 70 minutes until the skins are crisp and insides are tender.
02 - While potatoes bake, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
03 - Add ground beef to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through. Drain excess fat if needed.
04 - Sprinkle taco seasoning over the browned meat, pour in water, and stir to combine. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
05 - Once potatoes are finished baking, let cool slightly. Cut a lengthwise slit in each potato and gently fluff insides with a fork.
06 - Fill potatoes generously with taco meat. Top with shredded cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, olives, avocado, green onions, cilantro, and salsa or hot sauce as desired.
07 - Transfer immediately to serving plates, allowing guests to customize toppings as preferred.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This lets you pile on all your favorite taco toppings, and nobody will judge how high you go.
- It’s one of those meals that feels like a cheat—hearty, vibrant, and ready for tweaking to every taste at the table.
02 -
- Don’t rush baking the potatoes—undercooked spuds are heartbreakers, especially under all those toppings.
- Cheese goes on right after the meat so the heat melts it just right and makes each bite creamy.
03 -
- Bake your potatoes straight on the rack, not a tray, so you get the crispiest skin possible.
- Warm the cheese a few seconds under the broiler if you want an extra-melty finish just before serving.