Big Mac Potato Skins (Whole30, GF)

These Big Mac Potato Skins are Whole30, Paleo & Gluten Free, of course! They’ve got everything you love in the classic Big Mac, even the special sauce! Seriously, they’re the best healthy appetizer for Super Bowl Sunday or a perfect easy weeknight dinner!

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!

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 dairy free 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!

Or grab my 4 week Whole30 Meal Plan, complete with weekly grocery lists!

To Make the Recipe…

1. Baked the perfect baked potatoes.
2. Cut in half and scoop out the insides with a spoon, then crisp in the oven.
3. Fill with ground beef, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, sesame seeds AND special sauce!

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 so great, because they give you all the happiness of the fries that you inevitably order on the side of your Big Mac.

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.

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 the special sauce Whole30 and Paleo by using compliant Mayo and Ketchup, then top your burgers, roasted veggies, sandwiches with it, 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!

5 from 12 votes

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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!

Course Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword Game Day Snacks, Whole30 Appetizer

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 394 kcal

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

1. Preheat your oven to 400. Wash and dry the potatoes and pierce the skins of each potato a few times with a fork. 

2. Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle each with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt. 

3. Bake for 45-55 minutes. The skin should be nice and crispy and the inside soft enough to pierce with a fork. 

4. 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

1. 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

1. 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.

2. Shred the lettuce. Slice the tomatoes and pickles.
   

Make the Potato Skins

1. Cut the potatoes in half longways. Using a spoon, remove most of the insides and set in a bowl to use another time. 

2. Place skin side down back on the baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 more minutes, until they’re nice and crispy. 

3. 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!

Nutrition Facts

Big Mac Potato Skins with Special Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 394 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 42mg14%

Sodium 383mg17%

Potassium 1116mg32%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 181IU4%

Vitamin C 17mg21%

Calcium 48mg5%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.