I Found the Best Frozen Potato Skins After Tasting 3 Brands

There aren’t a lot of frozen potato skins out there. But mark my words, this classic app is coming back. It’s pretty darn recession proof. Think about it: All you need are potato skins (usually trashed, now put to use), low grade cheese, and a sprinkling of bacon—one slice can be spread across at least two skins. And, not to get political, but we just might be teetering on the brink of yet another recession.

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So, when that time comes, you should be prepared with the knowledge of the best frozen potato skins to buy out of the few that are currently on the market.

What we looked for in the best frozen potato skins

Crisp skin. Cooked in the air fryer, the actual skins of frozen loaded potato skins should get nice and crisp—ideally crisper than your basic baked potato.
Tender potato innards. Frozen potatoes can get pretty dang mealy. And that sucks. We want creamy, tender potato meat.
Cheesy cheese. Not plastic—real melted cheese that actually tastes like something.
Savory bacon. Bacon crumbles aren’t just there for color, they should be salty, savory, and meaty.

Here’s the truth: I tried three brands of frozen potato skins and only one was even okay. I’ll continue to update this ranking as I find other contenders, but for the time being, here’s the only good brand of frozen potato skins.

The Best Frozen Potato Skins

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Best of the Best

Great Value Potato Skins

Walmart

Yep, the best frozen potato skins we tasted are Walmart’s in-store Great Value brand. Not only were these potato boats the biggest of the bunch, but the potato meat stayed nice and tender. The cheese really tasted like cheese (though I would recommend you keep it cooking for a couple minutes beyond what’s written on the box to ensure the cheese fully melts). And the applewood smoked bacon bits are plentiful and meaty. It ends up coming across more as a baked potato than a potato skin (there’s so much potato on the skin!) but that means it qualifies as a solid appetizer or, if you really load it up, a satisfying dinner. Grab the sour cream, some thinly sliced scallion, maybe some sautéed mushrooms and you’re made in the shade.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Other frozen potato skins we tried:

Signature Select, Snapps

About the Author

Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients. Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now). Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test! Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.