Copycat Texas Roadhouse Loaded Baked Potato

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 60 minutes Servings: 4 loaded potatoes

Texas Roadhouse’s loaded baked potato is the ultimate steakhouse side. It starts with a properly baked russet — crispy, salty skin on the outside, impossibly fluffy on the inside — and then gets buried under butter, sour cream, shredded cheddar, crispy bacon, and fresh chives. It’s the side dish that often outshines the main course.

The key that most people miss is baking the potato at a high enough temperature for long enough. A properly baked potato has skin that crackles when you press it and an interior so fluffy it practically falls apart. Most homemade baked potatoes are underbaked, which gives you a dense, waxy interior instead of that light, starchy fluff.

The Perfect Baked Potato

• Oil and salt the skin. This isn’t optional. The oil creates a barrier that crisps the skin, and the salt flavors it. Without both, you get a bland, leathery skin that no one eats.
• Don’t wrap in foil. Foil traps steam, which steams the potato instead of baking it. You end up with soggy skin and a gluey interior. Bake them directly on the rack.
• 210°F internal is the magic number. At this temperature, the starches in the potato are fully gelatinized, giving you that light, fluffy texture. Below 205°F and the center will still be dense.

Steakhouse Side at Home

A loaded baked potato side at Texas Roadhouse costs about $4-6. Four loaded potatoes at home cost about $7-8 total, including the bacon and cheese. That’s under $2 per loaded potato — less than half the restaurant price.