Loaded Seafood Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 green onions, sliced thin
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
- Small handful fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub and dry potatoes. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt and black pepper. Poke each potato 8–10 times with a fork.
- Place potatoes on oven rack or foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 55–65 minutes until a fork slides in easily and skin looks dry and slightly wrinkled.
- In the last 15 minutes of baking, pat shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until foamy. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add shrimp in a single layer. Season with smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes per side until pink and curled. Squeeze lemon juice over top, toss, and remove from heat.
- Remove potatoes from oven. Let rest 2 minutes. Slice open lengthwise and press ends to open. Add 1 tablespoon soft butter to each and fluff the inside with a fork.
- Top each potato with shrimp, shredded cheddar, sour cream, green onions, bacon crumbles, and fresh parsley. Serve immediately. Optional: broil 2 minutes to melt cheese further.
Notes
Pat shrimp completely dry before cooking — wet shrimp will steam instead of sear and you'll lose that golden, flavorful crust. Also, don't skip softening the butter before adding it to the potato flesh; cold butter won't melt into the potato the same way.