Description
Someone looked at a regular loaded baked potato and thought “this needs steak AND shrimp” and honestly, that person understood luxury. This is a massive baked potato piled high with tender steak, juicy shrimp, melted cheese, sour cream, bacon, butter, and whatever else your heart desires. It’s what happens when you combine a steakhouse meal with comfort food and stop caring about portion control. It’s the kind of dinner that makes you feel like you’re treating yourself even if it’s just Tuesday and you’re eating in your pajamas.
This isn’t some sad cafeteria baked potato with a sad scoop of something on top. This is a fully loaded situation where the potato is just the vehicle for delivering steak, shrimp, and copious amounts of melted butter and cheese to your face. The potato gets crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The steak is perfectly seared. The shrimp are garlicky and buttery. Everything comes together in one plate that doesn’t need anything else.
This is surf-and-turf energy without the restaurant prices or the fancy plating. It’s what happens when you want to feel bougie but also want to eat carbs. It’s dinner and a show on one plate.
Ingredients
For the Potatoes:
- 4 large russet potatoes (the biggest, fluffiest ones you can find)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse sea salt
- Black pepper
For the Steak:
- 1–1.5 lbs sirloin, ribeye, or NY strip steak (whatever fits your budget)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or thyme (optional but nice)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil for searing
For the Shrimp:
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (16–20 count)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional, for kick)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped
For Loading:
- 4 tablespoons butter (1 tablespoon per potato)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or cheese blend)
- 6–8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 green onions, sliced
- Fresh chives, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional But Highly Recommended:
- Steakhouse seasoning blend
- Blue cheese crumbles (if you’re into that)
- Caramelized onions
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Hot sauce or sriracha
- Ranch dressing for drizzling
- Extra garlic butter (because why not)
Special Equipment:
- Baking sheet
- Cast iron skillet or heavy pan (for steak and shrimp)
- Tongs
- Meat thermometer (optional but helpful)
- Fork for fluffing potatoes
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Scrub your potatoes clean—you’re eating the skin so make sure it’s not dirty. Pat them completely dry. Pierce each potato 6-8 times with a fork all over. This lets steam escape so they don’t explode in your oven (yes, this happens).
Rub each potato with olive oil, coating the whole thing. Sprinkle generously with coarse salt and black pepper. The salt on the skin creates that crispy, salty exterior that makes baked potatoes amazing. Don’t be shy—really coat them.
Place potatoes directly on the oven rack (put a baking sheet on the rack below to catch drips). Bake for 60-75 minutes until the skin is crispy and a fork slides through the center easily. The exact time depends on potato size. Massive potatoes take longer. You want them fluffy inside, crispy outside.
Take your steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so it comes to room temperature. Pat it completely dry with paper towels. Wet steak doesn’t sear, it steams. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Like, more than you think. Most of it falls off during cooking.
Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until it’s smoking hot. Add oil, then immediately add the steak. Don’t touch it for 3-4 minutes—let it develop a crust. Flip once and cook another 3-4 minutes for medium-rare. Add butter, garlic, and herbs to the pan. Tilt the pan and baste the steak with the melted butter for 1 minute. Remove steak, let it rest for 10 minutes. Don’t skip resting or all the juices run out and you have dry steak.
While the steak rests, wipe out most of the steak drippings but leave some flavor. Turn heat to medium. Add 3 tablespoons butter. Once melted and foamy, add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the shrimp in a single layer. Sprinkle with paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Add lemon juice and fresh parsley. Remove from heat immediately—overcooked shrimp are rubbery and sad.
After the steak has rested, slice it against the grain into thin strips. This is crucial—cutting with the grain makes it chewy. Look at the direction of the muscle fibers and cut perpendicular to them. Try not to eat half of it while you’re slicing because it smells incredible.
Once the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven. Let them cool for 2-3 minutes so you don’t burn yourself. Cut a deep X in the top of each potato. Use a kitchen towel to hold the ends and push them together—the potato will open up like a flower. Fluff the inside with a fork, breaking up the flesh.
Drop 1 tablespoon of butter into each hot potato—it’ll melt immediately into all those fluffy crevices. Season the inside with salt and pepper. Add a generous handful of shredded cheese and let it melt into the hot potato. This is your base layer.
Top each potato with sliced steak and several shrimp. Add a big dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over everything. Add more cheese because more cheese is always right. Top with sliced green onions and fresh chives. Drizzle any remaining garlic butter from the shrimp pan over the top.
If you made caramelized onions or sautéed mushrooms, pile those on. Add blue cheese crumbles if that’s your thing. Drizzle with hot sauce or ranch. This is your loaded potato—load it however makes you happy.
Grab a fork and knife and dig in. Get a little bit of everything in each bite—crispy skin, fluffy potato, tender steak, juicy shrimp, melted cheese, cool sour cream, salty bacon. Notice how the butter has soaked into the potato. Taste how the garlic from the shrimp complements the steak. Feel fancy even though you’re probably eating this on your couch.
Notes
Big Potatoes Only: You need massive potatoes to hold all this stuff. Don’t use medium potatoes—there’s not enough room.
Don’t Skip the Salt: Both on the potato skin and the inside. Underseasoned potato is sad.
Let the Steak Rest: This is non-negotiable. Resting lets the juices redistribute. Cut it immediately and you’ll have a dry steak.
Don’t Overcook the Shrimp: 2 minutes per side, max. They’ll keep cooking off heat. Better slightly underdone than rubber.
Quality Matters: This is a splurge meal. Get decent steak. Use real butter. The ingredients are simple so quality shows.
Baste the Steak: That butter-basting step adds flavor and a gorgeous sheen.
Warm Plates: Put your serving plates in the warm oven while the steak rests. Hot food on warm plates stays hot longer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: ~720 kcal
- Fat: ~38g
- Carbohydrates: ~52g
- Protein: ~48g