13 Popular Baked Potato Toppings, Ranked Worst To Best

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Baked potatoes are a classic side dish that pair impeccably with meat and other entrees. While some may consider the humble potato quite boring, the truth is that its neutral base provides endless opportunities for creativity, especially if you're willing to step out of the box. Still, it sometimes helps to know just how far you should step out of the box, and how good, if at all, some of the most popular baked potato toppings really are. In the upcoming post, I'm filling my shopping cart with as many toppings as I can to give you my first-hand impression of just how good these options taste. 

Keep in mind that though the upcoming list features a variety of popular baked potato toppings, it will, of course, be heavily biased toward my taste preferences. As always, you should feel free to top your spuds with whatever tastes best to you! And with that, I invite you to join me in exploring the 13 most popular baked potato toppings ranked from worst to best.

The upcoming baked potato toppings ranking was composed after sampling only one ingredient on a freshly baked plain potato at a time. Though most baked potato toppings are usually eaten in combination with others, sampling each in isolation allows for a deeper analysis as to why each ingredient is either best or worst, and also helps with consistency when ranking. Each topping was judged based on flavor, texture, and how it complemented the baked potato.

Not only did I see this coming, but it was even worse than I thought. After reading a couple of rave reviews on Reddit about how good salsa on baked potatoes tastes, I thought it might be worth giving it a try. After all, I love getting creative with a good homemade salsa made with a variety of ingredients, and considering the neutral flavor of baked potatoes, I figured this addition might turn out to be a delicious, albeit quite strange, flavor combination.

After tasting the interesting duo, my far-fetched hopes quickly diminished. Salsa on top of a baked potato tastes awful — its flavor is similar to chunky potatoes blended with tomato juice. To be fair, I could see this working with a few tweaks. First and foremost, it needs creaminess — cheddar or a dollop of sour cream would help. Adding to that a bit of green onion and a few black beans might also round things out. At that point, though, we're talking about adding quite a few toppings just to make the salsa and potato combo taste better. All in all, I wouldn't recommend putting salsa on a baked potato. Save your salsa for yummy store-bought tortilla chips or homemade tacos instead.

Baked beans on baked potatoes are, apparently, a hot commodity in certain parts of the world, but to be honest, I don't get it. Like with salsa, I expected things to go wrong here. Still, I held on to hope, especially considering that potatoes and baked beans are two of my favorite side dishes — when served separately, of course.

I picked up a can of Bush's Baked Beans and poured it over my warm baked potato, and geared up for what I hoped would be a surprisingly tasty snack. It wasn't. Unlike other ingredients on the list, baked beans and potatoes do not jive in terms of texture or flavor. The sweetness of the beans, combined with their delicate texture, doesn't do anything for the plain, coarse nature of a baked potato. And while it's possible that butter, salt, and pepper could improve its flavor, for me, the thought of mixing these ingredients simply doesn't sound appetizing. The bottom line? Avoid putting baked beans on your baked potatoes at all costs. 

I never really considered gravy a viable option for topping baked potatoes until I sat back and thought about it. Because most people love adding gravy to mashed potatoes, I figured adding gravy to a baked potato wouldn't be any different. Well, it is. 

You see, creamy mashed potatoes already contain milk, salt, pepper, and other ingredients, meaning the addition of gravy only acts as another layer of flavor. Not so with a baked potato. Because the potato itself is bland and has no additional ingredients, the burden is on the gravy to add all the rich and creamy flavor needed. In most cases, gravy on a baked potato alone won't suffice; I even used homemade gravy to top my baked potato, and still wasn't satisfied. Thus, I can confidently say that gravy isn't meant for baked potatoes. Maybe a little butter and salt might help, but this addition just isn't for me.

Cheddar cheese on a baked potato is like having it with plain butter — it's good when paired with other ingredients, but on its own, this pick is quite boring. I get it; virtually no one eats a baked potato with just cheese, or at least, most people don't. But because the nature of this post is to rank baked potato options based on their individual taste, I gotta say, cheddar cheese isn't too special.

Now, when paired with bacon, sour cream, and other additions, cheddar cheese is a force to be reckoned with. Its sharp and creamy taste injects baked potatoes with classic, crave-worthy flavor. Let's not forget that cheddar cheese on baked potatoes can also be enjoyed with other non-traditional ingredients, including chili, green onion, and several other additions that can help boost the cheddar and potato combination. 

All in all, while I love the idea of cheddar cheese on a baked potato, it definitely has to be accompanied by other ingredients to taste good. Thus, though it pains me to do so, cheddar cheese lands itself a little lower in this ranking than I thought it would.

Adding butter to baked potatoes is a no-brainer, right? Its creamy texture, golden hue, and undeniably rich taste work to change coarse potato flesh into something much more decadent. That said, I was surprised at how dull a baked potato with only butter was — you definitely need to add salt and pepper to jazz it up.

Now, there's a caveat to all this: I did use unsalted butter, which may be why butter only came across as bland. Not only this, but I'm not sure I know anyone who enjoys butter and baked potatoes without seasonings. Still, without the help of salt, pepper, and other toppings, there isn't much to say about a baked potato with butter. It's a pretty average take, and you'll obviously need to spruce it up a bit before it becomes enjoyable. If you're really interested in sampling a baked potato with only butter, you may consider using a homemade compound butter, which comes together easily with just a few ingredients. Overall, though a quintessential baked potato topping, butter tastes exactly as you'd expect: rich and buttery but definitely in need of something more.

I want to start by saying that I commonly put Greek yogurt on my baked potato, so this is definitely not meant to discourage anyone who chooses to use it as a potato topper. Still, after sampling so many other options, I must admit, this baked potato topping is a little less tasty than I originally thought.

Starting with its benefits, when compared to sour cream, low-fat Greek yogurt tends to be lower in both fat and calories. It also tends to be more tangy, which, for me, is where the problem lies. Though a perfectly good sour cream substitute, nothing really beats the rich and smooth taste of the real thing. After not having sampled sour cream in so long, reuniting with it in this ranking has me giving Greek yogurt a side eye. 

With all of that said, I still believe Greek yogurt has its place. Though its flavor profile is slightly different, it's creamy enough to give a baked potato a bit more oomph. If you do opt to put yogurt on your baked potato, be sure to add salt, pepper, and a good amount of butter, as doing so helps tame the tang.

This baked potato topping was a bit of an underdog for me, as I'm not usually too crazy about store-bought ranch dressing. Even so, I was surprised at how much I liked ranch on my baked potato. And though still not my go-to spud topping, for those who can't get enough ranch, it's an option certainly worth trying.

What makes ranch on baked potatoes so good is its ingredients, flavor, and texture. Because ranch is typically made from mayo and buttermilk along with a plethora of herbs and seasonings, it injects baked potatoes with a lot of the flavors we already associate with mashed or roasted spuds. Aside from flavor and ingredients, ranch also has a texture that proves a great match for the coarseness of dry potato flesh. The liquid cream seeps deep into the potato, yielding deliciously flavored spuds with minimal effort. Even with all of its benefits, you still probably won't catch me squirting a bottle of ranch on baked potatoes. As yummy as it is, I guess I'm a bit more of a traditionalist at heart.

I thought green onions on baked potatoes would be an awesome topping, and indeed, it isn't bad. Still, after my recent reacquaintance with chives (more on that later), green onion pales in comparison — or at least it does to me. 

You see, green onions have a different taste than chives do — the latter leans more herbal to me, while green onions seem to have a stronger, more oniony taste. Not exactly like onions, of course, because green onions are still pretty mild, comparatively. Even so, I found them quite strong when eaten on a baked potato, and as such, this ingredient isn't my go-to when looking for a discreet yet flavorful way to spruce up my spuds.

One thing I will say is that though I prefer chives, green onions still have their place, especially if it's all you have on hand. Pair them with the classic ingredients like bacon, cheddar, and sour cream, and they'll provide a delicious accent to the potato overall. Thus, with all things considered, though green onions can certainly be a decent addition to baked potatoes, they still aren't exactly my top pick.

Ok, so I'll admit, I wasn't excited to try chili on a baked potato. Yes, it's eclectic, and yes, it makes baked potatoes more filling, but after my experience with baked beans, I couldn't see myself liking chili as a topping any better.

Interestingly enough, I was wrong. Though I wouldn't consider chili as the most amazing baked potato topper out there, I think when done right, it holds its own. The chili I used wasn't even homemade — just some canned generic stuff you'd throw on hot dogs. Still, I found its savory, spicy taste complementary to the bland flavor of potatoes, and think it would make a great low-budget snack, especially when combined with other toppings like cheddar, jalapeños, and, of course, a dollop of sour cream. 

I only sampled a classic red chili here, but you could go all out and try the lesser-known Colorado Green Chili or another regional variety on your spud to make things more interesting. I'm sure it'll taste amazing and will give you yet another way to use up day-old leftovers.

Though I've sampled broccoli on baked potatoes before, there were also other ingredients present — like butter and cheddar — that I figured were largely responsible for its delicious taste. I was sure that broccoli on its own would never suffice for a delectable baked potato topper, but boy, was I wrong!

As it turns out, broccoli on baked potatoes tastes very good, even without the help of butter, salt, pepper, or cheddar. I was surprised. Though broccoli might seem to clash with potatoes due to its cruciferous taste and smell, it actually elevates them. Like a few of these other ingredients on this list, broccoli complements potatoes in a way that just tastes natural. 

If you've got a bag of broccoli and need a way to use it up, I recommend topping baked potatoes. You don't need much else, and the taste is fantastic.

Fresh chives are one of those ingredients I don't usually pick up at my local grocery store, mostly because I don't use them enough to make them worthy of a weekly purchase. However, after recently sampling chives on a baked potato, I'm now questioning my shopping habits, wondering if I ought to pick them up more often.

Even on their own, chives provide a very distinct and pleasurable flavor to potatoes — they're only slightly oniony yet with a satisfying herbal twist. When enjoyed with other ingredients like Greek yogurt or sour cream, chives not only add flavor but also work to garnish the baked potatoes with their bright green hue. 

As previously mentioned, I much prefer chives to green onions; the flavor profile isn't as potent and seems to blend better with the taste of spuds in general. Overall, I loved the flavor of chives added to baked potatoes. Whether or not I'll ever learn to cut fresh chives perfectly so that my potato actually looks the part, well, that's another matter entirely.

Sour cream is a common ingredient most people add to baked potatoes, but I still found myself shocked at how delicious this potato topper was. Because I'm more accustomed to enjoying Greek yogurt over my spuds, I was pleased to indulge in this richer, creamier, less tangy replacement. Even without salt, pepper, or butter, the sour cream melded with the potatoes in such a scrumptious way that it made me wonder why I ever switched to Greek yogurt in the first place.

Not only is sour cream delectable on its own, but it also pairs well with many other baked potato topping options on the list. Consider adding bacon, chives, or a combination of cheddar and green onion, and you've got a side dish almost worthy of serving all on its own. Even adding sour cream to mashed potatoes is a must-try, making it a versatile ingredient to amp up the flavor of spuds of any kind. 

Bacon is my all-time favorite pick for topping baked potatoes. This salty, smoky addition is unmatched and brings big, bold flavor to the otherwise mundane veggie. I didn't expect bacon to infuse as much flavor into my potato as it did, especially when added solo. Any other time I've sampled bacon on a baked potato, it was paired with sour cream, cheddar, and other tasty ingredients. Surprisingly, adding bacon alone is enough to bring any spud to life while also providing just enough protein to make it a filling snack. One thing I should mention is that the type of bacon you use here does matter. Because store-bought bacon is often hit or miss in terms of quality and flavor, I find that picking a high-quality variety to top your baked potato is crucial.

Of course, most of us aren't going to down baked potatoes with bacon alone, and there are plenty of flavor combinations out there to help turn up the volume on plain potatoes. I personally love butter, bacon, chives, cheddar, and sour cream, but for a lighter version, you can try vegan butter, Greek yogurt, chives, salt, pepper, and turkey bacon. Either way, bacon on baked potatoes is a major win — especially if you love all things bacon, like me.