Enjoy a Mediterranean twist on loaded baked potatoes. Crispy skin with creamy, fluffy insides topped with Greek tzatziki, diced tomatoes, olives, and feta.
Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s a full meal—no extras needed!
- Each family member can build their loaded baked potato as they please!
- It’s an easy vegetarian dinner recipe.
While traditional loaded baked potatoes are typically piled high with cheddar cheese, onions, bacon, and sour cream, I wanted to make my own Mediterranean twist on the humble baked potato. As you may have already guessed, sour cream and bacon aren’t really my thing, but healthy, easy weeknight dinners are!
When it comes to loading potatoes in my house, I keep it vegetarian, and swap sour cream for tzatziki, season the filling with oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil, and let some of my favorite Mediterranean toppings do the rest. I’m talking briny sliced olives, creamy feta, chopped parsley, and fresh tomato.
The end result is a dinner that is colorful, vibrant, and full of flavor. It’s filling without being heavy and mostly hands-off.
My Favorite Ingredients
- Russet potatoes: These big starchy potatoes are your best bet for making perfect loaded baked potatoes.
- Extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper, and dried oregano are the filling flavor makers. I use them to season the inside and outside of the potatoes.
- Greek tzatziki sauce: Super thick and creamy, garlicky, tangy, and the perfect healthy substitution for sour cream…plus loads more flavor!
- Fresh Parsley adds a fresh peppery bite and adds a pretty pop of color.
- Diced tomato: Fresh tomatoes add a slight acidity to these loaded potatoes and are a staple Mediterranean veggie.
- Olives: Briny, salty, and bursting with flavor, you can use green or brown olives. I’m a fan of both.
- Feta Cheese: Adds another layer of salty, cheesy goodness – everything is truly better with feta
How to Make Loaded Baked Potatoes
- Prepare the Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Wash and scrub the potatoes thoroughly, then pat them completely dry. Using a fork, poke holes all over each potato (about 5 to 6 times) to allow steam to escape. Rub the potatoes generously with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Bake the potatoes: Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the skins are crisp and the insides are soft and fork-tender.
- Get the toppings ready: While the potatoes are baking, prepare your Tzatziki sauce and chop the fresh parsley, tomato, and olives.
- Season the Filling: Once the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and let them rest for about 5 minutes. Slice each potato open lengthwise. Carefully scoop the warm potato flesh out into a bowl, leaving the skins intact to act as shells. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the dried oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the bowl. Mash with a fork until well combined and fluffy.
- Assemble: Scoop the seasoned mashed potato mixture back into the crispy skins. Top generously with a dollop of Tzatziki sauce, followed by the diced tomatoes, chopped olives, crumbled feta, and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Loaded Baked Potato Tips
- Pick the perfect potato: Russets are classic for loaded baked potatoes because they are large and high in starch, which gives the interior that fluffy, creamy texture. However, I often make roasted sweet potatoes and stuff them similarly to this recipe. I even eat them for breakfast. If you have sweet potatoes on hand, try them out.
- For crisp skin, rub the outside of the potato with olive oil and season with salt. It helps crisp up the exterior skin while adding a little flavor and giving the salt something to stick to.
- For creamy flesh, bake the potatoes in a moderately heated oven. I set my oven to 375°F and baked the potatoes for 1 hour. This way, I know I’ll get a fluffy potato inside and crispy skin outside.
- Preheat the oven before putting in the potatoes. This helps make sure the potatoes cook properly and evenly.
- Season the filling: Go the extra mile to ensure the potato flesh is fluffy and well-seasoned. As you’ll see in the recipe below, once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out into a bowl, add a little olive oil, and season. Taste and adjust to your liking. Then, scoop the potato flesh back into the skins and fill them. This packs loads more flavor.
- Bake in foil or not: I like a crispy skin, so I don’t use foil and let the hot air circulate around the potato. If you prefer potatoes with a tender skin, then feel free to wrap them in foil
Toppings with a Twist!
Loaded baked potatoes are a food lover’s playground! Mix and match what you have at home, better yet, create a toppings bar and let everyone build their own potato. I love adding bold, fresh toppings to my baked potatoes, with a Mediterranean flair, of course! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Chickpeas (I added these to my stuffed sweet potato recipe, and they are a fan favorite!)
- Fresh herbs (dill, cilantro, green onions, chives)
- Diced avocado or avocado crema is a great way to add some healthy fats and creamy textures to your potatoes.
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Spicy cilantro pesto
- Hummus
- Pickled Onions
- If you really want a garlic kick, top your potatoes with Toum, or for a softer flavor, try roasted garlic.
Make it a Meal
Loaded baked potatoes count as a full meal in my house, but if you want to make dinner stretch or you’re just one of those folks who like a lot of variety, then try serving these potatoes as a side to recipes like Whole Roasted Chicken or Shish Kabobs. If you want to round out the meal with something fresh, a Traditional Greek Salad pairs beautifully with the flavors in this recipe.
Mediterranean Loaded Baked Potato Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, scrubed clean and dried
- extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1-2 tsp dried oregano
For the Toppings
- Greek Tzatziki Sauce
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted Greek olives
- crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
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Get Ready: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
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Prepare the Potatoes: Poke holes all over the potatoes using a fork. Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are super soft and fork-tender and the skin is nice and crisp (can take up to 75 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.
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Prepare your toppings: While the potatoes are baking, make the Tzatziki sauce, chop the tomatoe and parsley, and crumble the feta.
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Rest, scoop, and season: When the potatoes are ready, remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Slice each open while keeping the bottom skin intact, and scoop the potato flesh out into a bowl. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Mash with a fork.
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Fill, top, and serve! Now, scoop the mashed potatoes back into the skins, then top with the Tzatziki sauce, olives, feta and fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2017 and has been recently updated with new information for the reader’s benefit
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