High Protein Buffalo Dill Twice Baked Potatoes
When a knife slides easily into the center of a russet, the potato is ready for the part that makes twice-baked potatoes worth the extra trip to the oven. The…
By Ava
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Reading time: 9 min
Tip: save now, make later.
When a knife slides easily into the center of a russet, the potato is ready for the part that makes twice-baked potatoes worth the extra trip to the oven. The skins turn into little sturdy boats, and the fluffy centers become a creamy, tangy filling. These high protein Buffalo dill twice baked potatoes bring cooked chicken breast into that filling, with buffalo sauce for heat and fresh dill to keep each bite bright.
I mash the potato with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt before folding in the chicken, so the filling stays creamy without losing its potato character. The buffalo sauce is mixed through instead of sitting in one hot stripe on top, and a little sharp cheddar melts over everything during the second bake. You get a soft, savory center and a cheesy top tucked inside an olive-oil-brushed russet skin.
Kitchen Note
Leave about a quarter inch of potato attached to each skin when you scoop. That soft lining helps the shells hold their shape while you fill them, instead of tearing under the weight.
Save these Buffalo dill twice baked potatoes for a cozy dinner with creamy chicken filling, a bright dill finish, and melted cheddar on top.
Why the Buffalo Sauce Belongs in the Mash, Not Just on Top
Buffalo sauce can taste sharp and concentrated when it’s left in a streak or spooned over the finished potato. Here, it gets mashed into the potato with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, so the heat is carried through the filling rather than hitting in isolated mouthfuls. That matters even more once the chicken is folded in: the sauce seasons the whole mixture, not only the potato around the edges.
The dairy also softens the sauce’s punch without erasing it. Cottage cheese gives the mash body, while Greek yogurt brings a clean tang that fits with buffalo flavor. Dill adds a fresh, herbal note, and the sharp cheddar on top gives the second bake a savory finish. If you’re used to buffalo potatoes with sauce drizzled over the surface, this version eats more evenly from the first bite to the last.
What Makes the Russets, Dairy, and Dill Work Together
- Russet potatoes — Their fluffy, starchy centers mash readily and make a soft base for the filling. Choose potatoes that feel firm and are close in size so they bake at a similar pace. Waxy potatoes won’t give you quite the same light, mashable interior.
- Low-fat cottage cheese and plain Greek yogurt — Together, they make the potato creamy while adding a gentle tang. Plain yogurt matters here; a sweetened or flavored one would pull the filling in the wrong direction. If you’re short on cottage cheese, using more Greek yogurt is possible, but the mash will be tangier and less substantial.
- Buffalo wing sauce — The sauce brings both heat and vinegar tang, so its brand has a noticeable effect on the finished filling. A milder sauce keeps the dill and cheddar in the foreground; a hotter one makes the potato more assertively spicy.
- Fresh dill — Chopped fresh dill gives the filling a bright, leafy taste that balances the rich potato and chicken. Dried dill can stand in if that’s what you have, but it tastes more concentrated and lacks the same fresh lift; use less than you would of fresh.
- Cooked shredded chicken breast — The chicken makes the filling hearty without needing another cooking step. Leftover cooked chicken breast works well; shred it into small pieces so it folds through the potato instead of gathering in large clumps.
- Sharp cheddar — Sharp cheddar has enough bite to come through the creamy filling. Pre-shredded cheese is convenient and works here; freshly shredded cheddar usually melts a little more smoothly across the tops.
From Baked Russet to Creamy Buffalo Chicken Filling
Roast the Potatoes Until the Centers Give
Heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Scrub and dry the russets, pierce each several times with a fork, then rub them with olive oil and half the kosher salt. Bake for 50 to 65 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the center of each potato. If the knife meets a firm spot, give the potatoes more time rather than pulling them early; the flesh needs to be tender enough to mash.
Cool the Potatoes and Scoop the Centers
Let the potatoes cool for 10 minutes before handling them, then cut each one lengthwise. Scoop the flesh into a large bowl and keep the skins intact as you work. A spoon gives you control near the edges, where it’s easiest to dig through the skin by accident. Set the empty shells back on the foil-lined baking sheet so they’re ready to fill.
Mash the Tangy Filling
Add the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, buffalo sauce, chopped dill, garlic powder, black pepper, and remaining salt to the potato flesh. Mash until the ingredients are combined and the mixture looks creamy, with no large pockets of plain potato. Don’t worry if the cottage cheese leaves some small curds; the filling doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth. Fold in the shredded chicken and a quarter cup of the cheddar once the mash is evenly seasoned.
Fill, Top, and Bake Again
Spoon the chicken mixture back into the potato skins, mounding it gently, then scatter the remaining cheddar over the tops. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling reaches 165°F and the cheese is melted. If the cheese is melted before the centers are hot, keep baking until the filling reaches temperature. Rest the potatoes for 5 minutes before serving so the filling can settle and is easier to scoop.
Two Easy Ways to Change the Buffalo Dill Filling
Make It Meatless
Leave out the chicken for a vegetarian version. The potato and dairy still make a creamy, filling center, though it won’t have the same chicken-rich texture or protein contribution; keep the rest of the filling and cheddar as they are.
Turn Down the Buffalo Heat
For a gentler filling, use less buffalo sauce and replace the amount you leave out with Greek yogurt. The mash will be creamier and less sharp, with the dill and cheddar easier to notice. Add the sauce gradually as you mash so you can stop when the heat suits you.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container. They keep for 3 to 4 days; the potato filling firms up as it chills.
- Freezer: These freeze well, though the dairy filling may be a little less smooth after thawing. Wrap each cooled potato individually and freeze for up to 2 months for best quality.
- Reheating: Warm in a 400°F oven until hot throughout. Cover loosely with foil if the cheddar is browning before the middle warms; leaving them uncovered too long can dry the edges.
Questions That Come Up With Twice Baked Potatoes
High Protein Buffalo Dill Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Scrub and dry the potatoes, then pierce each several times with a fork.
- Rub the potatoes with the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
- Bake the potatoes on the sheet for 50 to 65 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the centers.
- Let the potatoes cool for 10 minutes.
- Halve the potatoes lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato attached to the skins.
- Mash the potato flesh with the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, buffalo sauce, dill, garlic powder, black pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined.
- Fold in the chicken and 1/4 cup of the cheddar.
- Spoon the filling back into the potato skins and arrange them on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling reaches 165°F and the cheese is melted.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving.