Turn an ordinary baked potato into a flavor-packed, creamy, loaded baked potato filled with tasty shrimp! Simply bake the potatoes, scoop out the inside, and mix with cheese, half and half, sauteed shrimp, and lots of seasonings.
Fill the potato halves with the potato mixture, pop them back in the oven for 15 minutes. Top your shrimp stuffed baked potato with sliced green onions and serve with a salad and a buttered roll. So good!
Why You'll Love These Potatoes
Easy make-ahead dinner - bake the potatoes the day before you plan to eat them. That way, all you have left to do is scoop, mix, stuff, and bake. Easy peasy!
Filling and satisfying - you got your protein, vegetable, and creamy cheesy filling. These shrimp stuffed potatoes are an all inclusive meal; enough to feed 4 hungry people! When served as a side, you can have up to 8 servings.
Easy meal plan option - serve one stuffed potato half next to a reverse seared steak with a scoop of broccoli bacon salad on the side. Don't forget the sweet tea 😉
What Goes In Them
Here's a snapshot of the ingredients. Please refer to the actual "recipe card" at the bottom of this post for the details.
Russet potatoes - these are the best choice because of their size, plus they are great for baking!
Shrimp - buy raw shrimp that's been peeled and deveined!
Cheddar cheese - if you don't like cheddar, you can use parmesan cheese.
Half and half - ensures a creamy texture; you could use milk but the results may not be as rich and creamy.
Minced onion and garlic - these are finely chopped (very small) so they'll cook faster.
Sliced green onions - used for a topping, but if you really love green onions, you can add some to the potato mixture, too.
Seasonings - salt, pepper, paprika, and optional cayenne pepper.
How to Make Them
Here's a quick summary of how to make these baked potatoes with shrimp. For the full directions, check out the recipe card.
(1) Bake the potatoes until tender. Slice in half, and scoop out the center.
(2) Saute the shrimp in butter with garlic and onion.
(3) Mix the scooped out potato with half and half, cheese, seasonings, and sauteed shrimp. Fill each potato half with the mixture and bake.
(4) Top with sliced green onion and serve with your favorite sides!
Recipe Substitutions and Tips
- Instead of shrimp, use crawfish tails. Great for seafood night!
- Don't overcook the shrimp or they'll get tough and chewy.
- After baking, top with additional cheese or add some cooked bacon pieces.
- Be sure to prick the potatoes before baking so they won't burst open.
- Make Cajun stuffed potatoes by adding your favorite Cajun seasoning mix and sprinkling some hot sauce on top!
Frequently Asked Questions
Wrapping potatoes in foil before baking them is user preference and is not necessary.
Wrap each potato half in plastic wrap or put in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Half and half is simply equal amounts of milk and heavy cream mixed together. You can substitute half and half with an equal amount of regular whole milk, evaporated milk, sour cream or yogurt. You can also mix 1 tablespoon of melted butter with enough milk to make 1 cup. These substitutions may not give you the same results as half and half, but they are very good replacements.
More to Try
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Shrimp Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- sheet pan
- measuring cup(s)
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 4 large Russet potatoes totaling about 2.5 pounds
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed) thaw if frozen
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced onion
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- cayenne pepper (light sprinkle) optional
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded shred your own for best flavor and texture
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- sliced green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Scrub potatoes and dry thoroughly. Poke several holes in the potatoes with a fork. Place them on a large metal baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a fork can easily be pierced into them. (Obviously, the larger the potato, the longer it will take to get tender). Remove potatoes from oven and let cool while you prepare the shrimp.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, onion, and garlic and simmer until the shrimp are no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out the center leaving a "shell" to fill (leave about ¼ inch of flesh inside the potato). Place the scooped out potato flesh into a large bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, half and half, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. With an electric mixer, whip the potato mixture until smooth.
- Stir in the cheese and all of the shrimp mixture from the skillet, scraping the skillet with a spatula or spoon to get all the butter and bits and pieces into the potatoes. Taste test and add more salt if desired.
- Place the potato shells on a baking sheet. Evenly distribute the potato-shrimp mixture into the potato shells. Sprinkle tops with paprika.
- Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions.
- One serving is 2 stuffed potato halves. Or you can serve 1 stuffed potato half with a side salad and buttered roll.
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