Twice-baked potatoes get even better with smoke. The potatoes cook on the smoker until soft, then you scoop out the insides, mix them with cheese, sour cream and bacon, and put them back on to brown. They make a great side for steak, tri-tip or ribs.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt, for the skins
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk, more as needed
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided
- 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp all-purpose BBQ rub, plus more for topping
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Smoking wood: hickory, pecan or oak
Steps
- Set up your smoker for 375°F with hickory, pecan or oak. If your smoker can't get that hot, use 325–350°F and add 20–30 minutes.
- Poke each potato several times with a fork. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Place the potatoes right on the grate. Smoke 60–75 minutes, until a skewer slides into the center with no push and the inside reads about 205–210°F.
- Let the potatoes cool 10 minutes, just until you can handle them. Cut each in half the long way.
- Scoop out the insides into a bowl, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato in the skins so they hold their shape.
- Mash the potato with the butter, sour cream, milk, 1 cup of the cheese, most of the bacon, most of the green onions, the rub and the garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the filling back into the skins and mound it up. Top with the rest of the cheese and bacon and a light dusting of rub.
- Return the potatoes to the smoker at 350–375°F for 20–30 minutes, until the cheese melts, the tops turn golden and the center of the filling reads 165°F.
- Top with the rest of the green onions and serve hot.
Why this works
Smoking the potatoes on the grate, without foil, keeps the skins dry and crisp so they hold the filling. The first cook adds smoke to the whole potato. The second cook browns the cheese and gives the filling another round of smoke flavor.
Skip the foil
Foil traps steam and makes the skins soft. It also brings a safety issue: potatoes wrapped in foil and left warm for hours can grow harmful bacteria. Cook them unwrapped, and don't let cooked potatoes sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Best wood
Hickory and oak give a bold flavor that pairs with beef. Pecan is a bit milder. Since the cook is short, chunks or pellets both work.
How to tell it's done
After the first cook, a skewer should slide in like it's going into soft butter. After the second cook, look for melted, golden cheese on top and check the middle of the filling with a thermometer for 165°F.
Make ahead / storage
You can stuff the potatoes up to a day ahead. Cool the filling quickly, cover the stuffed potatoes and refrigerate them. Add 10–15 minutes to the second cook when they go on cold, and still check for 165°F in the center. Leftovers keep 3–4 days in the fridge.
What to serve them with
These go great with smoked tri-tip or a smoked prime rib. For an extra layer of smoke, use shredded smoked cheese in the filling. The bit of all-purpose BBQ rub ties the side to whatever meat you're cooking.
Variations
- Loaded brisket. Fold in 1 cup chopped smoked brisket.
- Jalapeño popper. Mix in 1/2 cup cream cheese and 1 diced jalapeño.
- Ranch. Add 1 tbsp dry ranch seasoning to the filling.
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