Whole30 Big Mac Potato Skins
Whole30 Big Mac Potato Skins are Paleo & Gluten Free, of course! They’re the best healthy appetizer for Super Bowl Sunday or a perfect easy weeknight dinner! It’s got everything you love in the classic Big Mac, even the special sauce!
Football season and January Whole30 have me amped up every Saturday. I’m planning and dreaming and Pinterest-ing how I’m going to Whole30-fy all sorts of fun game-day snacks for Sunday! I do love this time of year, watching the games and cooking up good snacks for my family. But with the Superbowl approaching, I’m kind of looking forward to one last fun Sunday in front of the TV, then a break from it all!
Because as much as I enjoy it, I’m equally cool with leftovers and a nap on Sunday afternoons. We’re Buffalo Bills fans too, so it’s not like we end up with many wins either. You know what I mean, right?
The perfect game day snack or football party appetizer!
Well here’s one snack you’re definitely going to want to make for the Superbowl – Whole30 Big Mac Potato Skins, complete with “Special Sauce” and everything. They were by far my favorite Whole30 recipe this January.
For Superbowl Sunday and pretty much any other day, these Whole30 Big Mac Potato Skins are definitely going to be a winner. And if you’re looking for some other fun and healthy game day snacks — Check out my Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Nachos or Whole30 BBQ Chicken & Ranch Sliders!
The name debate
I told my kids why I was calling these “Big Mac” Potato Skins, and that’s because they’ve got all the things we love about McDonald’s… “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun!” Can you believe they insisted I change the name to Happy Meal Potato Skins after they heard that? I hope they’re not expecting a toy!
Whatever we’re calling them, I took all the best parts of the Big Mac and cleaned them up to a Whole30 and Paleo snack, using grass fed ground beef, a homemade special sauce, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes and sesame seeds. The sesame seeds are key here, folks. They really make it “feel” like a Big Mac. Don’t skip the sesame seeds!
Want to know the best part of these Whole30 Big Mac Potato Skins?
The crispy potato skins are my favorite part, because they give you all the happiness of the fries that you inevitably order on the side of your Big Mac. First, you have to start with the the perfect baked potato, so just follow my instructions below.
Baked potatoes should be crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, and my way is totally fool-proof. It’s totally not necessary to wrap them in tin foil, because all you need to do is drizzle the skins with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle them with flakey sea salt before you bake them. Trust me, they’ll be absolutely perfect every single time.
To make these Whole30 Potato Skins…
…I first made my perfect baked potatoes, then scooped out the insides with a spoon to make these ultra-crispy Whole30 potato skins. BUT the very best part of these potato skins is the SPECIAL SAUCE. I’m telling you, my kids were ready to lick the bowl. Make this sauce for your burgers, for roasted veggies, sandwiches, or anything at all, because it is a winner!
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What’s missing?
The one compliant thing I did decide to omit here? The chopped onions that normally come on a Big Mac. In my family, the kids just don’t eat raw onions. Even if I chop them into microscopic sized pieces, they’ll still somehow identify them. Then I’ll spend the entire evening watching them picking out every single piece of raw onion. It’s just not worth it for me! Feel free to add that in, though, of course!
Are you going to make these? I’d love to see!
Leave a star rating below and let me know what you think.
Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you share @cookathomemom!
Big Mac Potato Skins with Special Sauce
The BEST EVER Whole30, Gluten Free, and Paleo Appetizer! These are always a hit for football games (we loved them on Superbowl Sunday) or any night of the week! The best thing about them? Your kids will LOVE THEM!
Ingredients
Big Mac Potato Skins
- 8 medium russet potatoes
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp flakey salt
- 1 lb ground beef I use 80-85%
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup sliced pickles
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Special Sauce
- 1/3 cup mayo be sure it’s compliant
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2-3 tbsp relish*** see note below
- 1 tbsp onion flakes (dried onion)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
Bake the Potatoes
Preheat your oven to 400. Wash and dry the potatoes and pierce the skins of each potato a few times with a fork.
Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle each with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt.
Bake for 45-55 minutes. The skin should be nice and crispy and the inside soft enough to pierce with a fork.
Remove from the oven and allow them to cool until they’re not too hot to handle. Don’t turn the oven off.
Make the Special Sauce
While the potatoes cook, mix all the ingredients together for the special sauce. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
Prep the Fillings
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking apart and turning often as it cooks. Season with garlic and onion powder and sauté until cooked through.
Shred the lettuce. Slice the tomatoes and pickles.
Make the Potato Skins
Cut the potatoes in half longways. Using a spoon, remove most of the insides and set in a bowl to use another time.
Place skin side down back on the baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 more minutes, until they’re nice and crispy.
Fill each potato skin with ground beef, pickles, tomatoes, special sauce and sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
**If you can’t find compliant relish or don’t want to buy it just for this recipe, chop a dill pickle up into really tiny pieces. It works great!
Can’t wait to make this!
Yay! Hope you love it! 🙂
I’ll occasionally indulge in a Big Mac here and there when traveling for work and after having these, I can tell you that I didn’t miss the bun one bit. The special sauce was banging! SO GOOOOOODDDDDDD!!!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I can’t wait to try this for Super Bowl! Looks amazing!
So glad! Hope you love it!
What a great idea! These are actually making my mouth water! Thanks for the awesome inspiration.
My pleasure!
love it!
Thanks so much! A crowd pleaser for sure.
So happy I stumbled across this blog on IG. All the recipes looks amazing!
Hi Noelle! Thank you so much for your kind comment. That means so much to me!! 🙂
What kind of ketchup is compliant to the diet?
Hi Wendy! Tessemae’s, Primal Kitchen Foods, and Good Food for Good are all compliant! Check out my Whole30 at Target and Walmart guides for more about compliant condiments!-Laura