Vegan Loaded Baked Potato Recipe (Steakhouse Style)
Make a vegan-loaded baked potato steakhouse style with a perfectly salted, crispy skin, fluffy interior, and all your favorite toppings, including butter, sour cream, green onions, and bacon bits! This recipe mirrors what you’d find at a steakhouse but made with plant-based alternatives.
There’s nothing like a perfect steakhouse potato. Its skin is baked and salted to perfection, and then it is topped with a sinful amount of butter, cheese, and sour cream. However, as vegans, we make our vegan-loaded baked potatoes at home, which is fine because it means no need to step into a steakhouse!
Most Americans would agree that a loaded baked potato is the perfect side dish or main course! In our home, we love to make potato bars. I vary the theme from time to time by using different toppings. Recently, I made a Southwestern-themed potato bar with Vegetarian Colorado Green Chile, New Mexican Red Chile, and shaved Mexican Elotes as a topping. It was a massive hit! If you are looking for vegan baked potato topping ideas, I have an entire post dedicated to it.
What is the Best Kind of Potato to Use?
Russet potatoes are perfect for making a vegan-loaded baked potato. Their high starch and low moisture content create an ideal fluffy interior. Russets are also larger and have thicker skin, which crisps perfectly when baked, making them ideal for potato skins.
You can use Yukon Gold potatoes, but be aware the skin is thinner and won’t crisp the same way. While perfect for mashed potatoes, they lack the same fluffy interior when baked.
Ingredients
This recipe only needs three basic ingredients. The key to making a steakhouse potato is using the right salt!
- Baked Potato – I recommend using a standard russet potato. If baking more than one, try to find potatoes that are similar in size. This will reduce the baking time.
- Oil – I use olive oil, but you can use your preferred oil. Popular options include canola, vegetable, or avocado oil.
- Salt – Look for coarse or flaky salt. I used kosher, but any coarse salt is perfect. However, I use table salt or any other finely ground salt I do not recommend.
Do not wrap a potato in tin foil when baking it in the oven. The foil traps moisture, causing it to steam, which prevents the skin from becoming crisp.
Topping Suggestions
Load your baked potato with your favorite toppings. You can go classic with butter and sour cream or play with the flavors to create your perfect potato!
- BBQ Sauce
- Black Beans
- Chile
- Fresh Herbs
- Garlic Powder
- Green Chile
- Green Onions
- Hot Sauce
- Kalamata Olives
- Nutritional Yeast
- Plant-Based Butter
- Red Onion
- Sea Salt
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Vegan Bacon Bits
- Vegan Cheese (Cheddar, feta, goat)
- Vegan Sour Cream
While the options above are all good, the favorite in my household is to smother my vegetarian green chili recipe on top of the baked potato with cheese and sour cream!
Flavor Pairing Suggestions
Sometimes, when baking a baked potato or making a potato bar, it is fun to play on a theme. My family loves Southeast flavors, which means green chile is our favorite topping!
Mediterranean
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto or Ajvar
- Kalamata Olives
- Red Onion
- Feta Cheese
American
- Black Beans
- BBQ Sauce
- Cheddar Shreds
- Bacon Bits
Southwest
- Colorado Green Chile
- Cheddar Cheese
- Green Onions
- Jalapenos
- Sour Cream
Looking for more pairing ideas? Check out this post with 50 of the best vegan and vegetarian baked potato topping ideas.
Alternative Cooking Method: Air Fryer
Heat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Place the potatoes in the basket and cook for 30 minutes. Check their doneness by piercing them with a fork. If the fork doesn’t glide in and out of the potato easily, continue cooking for a few more minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did you make this? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!
Vegan Loaded Baked Potato Recipe (Steakhouse Style)
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup vegan sour cream
- ¼ cup freshly chopped chives
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- ¾ cup shredded vegan cheese
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven temperature to 400°F (200°C)
- Thoroughly wash and scrub the potatoes, then dry them completely.
- Using a fork, poke each potato about 3 – 4 times. Then, rub the potatoes with olive oil and lightly sprinkle them with kosher salt. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and set it in the center of the oven rack.
- Bake the potatoes for 1 hour, or until they are extremely soft, fork-tender, and the skin is crispy. Note: Baking time may vary based on the size of the potatoes. Smaller potatoes typically cook faster, whereas larger ones may require up to 75 minutes.
- Once baked, make lengthwise slits on the top of each potato. Add a desired amount of vegan butter, sour cream, chives, and vegan cheese.
