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Taco baked potato is the fun, hearty mashup that turns taco night and baked potato night into one easy, crowd-pleasing dinner. A fluffy, crispy-skinned russet potato gets split open and piled high with seasoned taco meat and all your favorite toppings, so everyone builds their own. It is one of those budget-friendly meals my whole family cheers for, right alongside our air fryer baked potatoes.
If you love a customizable dinner that stretches a pound of beef into a full meal, this taco potato bar is about to become a weeknight favorite.
Taco Baked Potato Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 60 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 371kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Fluffy baked potato loaded with savory, seasoned taco beef and toppings
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a fun spin on a classic like our baked potatoes
Quick Answer
Scrub russet potatoes, prick them with a fork, brush with olive oil, and rub with salt, then bake at 400 degrees for about an hour until tender. While they bake, brown ground beef, stir in taco seasoning and spices, then add water and salsa and simmer until thickened. Split the baked potatoes open, fluff the insides, and stuff them with the taco meat and your favorite toppings. It is a hearty, customizable dinner everyone can build their own way.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Oil and salt make the skin crispy. Rubbing the potatoes with olive oil and kosher salt gives you that irresistible crackly, restaurant-style skin.
- Homemade taco meat beats a packet. Adding garlic powder, cumin, and onion powder to the seasoning packet deepens the flavor in just a couple of minutes.
- Salsa keeps the meat juicy. Simmering the beef with salsa and a little water makes it saucy and flavorful instead of dry.
- It is a build-your-own dinner. Everyone tops their own potato, so picky eaters and adventurous eaters are all happy.
- It stretches a pound of beef. Filling, inexpensive potatoes turn one pound of ground beef into a full meal for six.
- Great for using up toppings. Cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, green onion, jalapenos, whatever you have on hand works perfectly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It combines taco night and baked potato night into one easy, hearty dinner.
- It is a fun, budget-friendly meal the whole family builds their own way, like a potato version of our Mexican lettuce wraps.
- The crispy-skinned potato and savory seasoned taco meat are a seriously satisfying combo.
Key Ingredients
Simple, budget-friendly ingredients come together for these loaded taco baked potatoes.
- Russet potatoes: Their thick skin and fluffy interior make them perfect for baking and stuffing.
- Ground beef: Lean ground beef is the savory base for the taco filling. Drain off the fat for the best texture.
- Taco seasoning plus spices: A packet boosted with garlic powder, cumin, and onion powder gives the meat deep, well-rounded flavor.
- Salsa: Simmered into the beef to keep it saucy and add bright, tangy flavor.
- Olive oil and kosher salt: Rubbed on the potatoes to create that crispy, flavorful skin.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These taco baked potatoes are endlessly customizable.
- Switch the protein: Use ground turkey, chicken, or seasoned shredded chicken in place of the beef.
- Make them vegetarian: Swap the beef for seasoned black beans or a plant-based crumble.
- Go loaded: Pile on shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapenos, and green onions.
- Use sweet potatoes: Swap in baked sweet potatoes for a sweet and savory twist.
- More easy dinners: Loving Tex-Mex night? Try our Mexican lettuce wraps or white chicken chili next.
How to Make Taco Baked Potato
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub and dry the potatoes, prick them all over with a fork, then brush them with olive oil and rub with kosher salt.
- Bake the potatoes for about 1 hour, until a knife slides in easily with no resistance.
- While the potatoes bake, brown the ground beef in a skillet, drain the fat, then stir in the taco seasoning, garlic powder, cumin, and onion powder and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the water and salsa, then reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer the taco meat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 to 15 minutes, then cover and keep warm.
- Slice each baked potato open, pinch and press to fluff the insides, then divide the taco meat among the potatoes and add your favorite toppings. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Prick the potatoes first. Piercing the skin lets steam escape so the potatoes do not burst in the oven.
- Do not skip the oil and salt. That rub is what gives you the crispy, seasoned skin that makes baked potatoes so good.
- Check for doneness. A knife or toothpick should slide into the center with no resistance. Larger potatoes may need extra time.
- Drain the beef. Pouring off the excess fat keeps the taco meat from being greasy.
- Let the meat simmer. Cooking off the extra liquid concentrates the flavor and keeps the filling from making the potato soggy.
- Set up a toppings bar. Lay out bowls of cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, and more so everyone can build their own potato.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Taco baked potatoes are a full meal on their own, but they are even better with a few sides to round out taco night. Serve them with a simple green salad, Mexican street corn, or a side of our Mexican lettuce wraps for a fun Tex-Mex spread.
Set up a toppings bar so everyone can customize their potato. Shredded cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, green onions, black olives, jalapenos, guacamole, and extra salsa are all delicious. It turns dinner into an interactive, build-your-own experience the kids love.
Leftover taco meat keeps well and is great for nachos, quesadillas, or another round of stuffed potatoes the next day. If you love easy, hearty dinners, our white chicken chili and creamy pepperoncini chicken are perfect for busy weeknights too.
Taco Baked Potato FAQs
Russet potatoes are the best choice. Their thick skin crisps up beautifully and their fluffy, starchy interior is perfect for fluffing and stuffing with taco meat. Look for medium russets that are all about the same size so they bake evenly.
Yes. The seasoned taco beef can be made up to three days ahead and stored in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to three months. Just reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave while your potatoes bake, and dinner comes together fast.
Scrub and thoroughly dry the potatoes, then rub them all over with olive oil and kosher salt before baking. Baking them directly on a tray at 400 degrees, rather than wrapping them in foil, also helps the skins turn crisp instead of steamy and soft.
Absolutely. To save time, microwave the potatoes until tender, or air fry them at 400 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes for crispy skin. Then make the taco meat and stuff as directed. The oven gives the crispiest skin, but both shortcuts work great.
All your favorite taco toppings. Shredded cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, green onions, jalapenos, black olives, guacamole, pico de gallo, and extra salsa are all delicious. Set out a variety so everyone can build their own.
Store the baked potatoes and taco meat separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat the potatoes in the oven or microwave and warm the meat on the stovetop, then stuff and top just before serving for the best texture.
Looking for more easy weeknight dinners? Try our creamy pepperoncini chicken next.
Serve up our creamy, spicy jalapeno deviled eggs for your next get-together.
Stuffed Taco Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 6 medium russet potatoes
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup salsa
- your favorite taco toppings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes under cool water. Pat the potato dry with a paper towel.6 medium russet potatoes
- Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, just piercing the skin.
- Place the potatoes on a baking tray and brush them all over with olive oil.¼ cup olive oil
- Sprinkle them with the salt and rub it in.1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick or knife slides in easily with no resistance. If it is not done in an hour, I start checking every additional 10 minutes. Timing depends on how big the potato is, if they are on the smaller side, start checking at 45 minutes.
- While the potatoes are baking, make the taco meat. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, breaking it up into crumbles, and cook until there is no pink left, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.1 pound lean ground beef
- Add the taco seasoning, garlic powder, cumin, and onion powder, stir to combine and allow to cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stir constantly so the seasonings don’t burn on the bottom.1 ounce packet taco seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Stir in the water and salsa, reduce heat to low and allow it to simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated, 10-15 minutes, stir occasionally. Cover and keep warm until potatoes are ready.3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup salsa
- Once the potatoes are ready, slice the top open, pinch the sides and press down and in to open the potato. Fluff the potato insides with a fork.
- Divide the taco meat among the potatoes. Add your favorite toppings and serve.your favorite taco toppings
Notes
- Make sure to prick the potatoes with a fork before baking for even cooking.
- Rub olive oil and sprinkle salt on the potatoes for a crispy skin.
- Use a large skillet over medium heat for cooking the taco meat evenly.
- Let the baked potatoes cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing them open.
- Reheat the potatoes and meat separately to maintain the best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
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