Baked Potatoes on the Grill

Grilled baked potatoes in foil are such an easy summer side dish that pairs effortlessly with practically anything you cook over an open flame. There is just no beating that incredible depth of bbq flavors you get from flame cooking, it makes them absolute perfection for summers!

Over the years, I have tried every shortcut under the sun. Whether you are wondering how to grill baked potatoes fast, trying out baked potatoes on the grill microwave first to cut down time, experimenting with baked grilled potatoes on gas grill setups, or simply sticking to classic baked grilled potatoes in oven methods indoors, nothing quite rivals the magic of high heat cooking.

Jump to:

• Why you need to make these Baked Grilled Potatoes
• Ingredients Required
• Step by Step Grilling Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Creative Topping Options for Summer
• Baked Potatoes on the Grill

While making potatoes on the grill without foil can yield great results, wrapping them up first gives you those insanely soft centers while ensuring your baked grilled potatoes stay crispy on the outside. If you are craving crispy grilled potatoes with fluffy, pillowy centers, these grilled potatoes in foil are guaranteed to be a hit at your next backyard barbecue!

This recipe guides you through creating crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside grilled baked potatoes right on your outdoor BBQ.

By starting with robust Russet potatoes, washing, scrubbing, and drying them thoroughly, pricking their skins, coating them in rich extra virgin olive oil, and seasoning heavily with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, you lay the ultimate foundation. Also try these easy and quick grilling recipes for summers which are weeknight friendly dinners everyone will love.

The cooking process combines two distinct heat techniques: initial gentle indirect cooking wrapped tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes, followed by an unwrapped direct heat finish to crisp the skins. The result is an irresistible smoky potato with maximum depth of flavor and velvety interior texture.

Why you need to make these Baked Grilled Potatoes

There is something extraordinarily nostalgic and joyful about outdoor summer grilling. When warm weather arrives, moving kitchen meal preparation outdoors becomes an absolute highlight. While burgers, sizzling steaks, marinated chicken, and grilled vegetables often take center stage, a truly memorable backyard feast requires an incredible side dish. That is precisely where the grilled baked potato shines.

Making these potatoes on the grill is amazingly effortless. It allows you to keep the indoor kitchen completely cool during scorching hot summer days while keeping all cooking centralized around the backyard patio.

Whether hosting a grand weekend cookout or preparing a simple weeknight family dinner, mastering grilled potatoes will elevate your summer grilling routine to an entirely new level of culinary perfection.

Ingredients Required

• 4 Large Russet Potatoes: Thoroughly scrubbed under cold water and completely dried. Choose uniform sizes for even cooking.
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Canola oil, avocado oil, or melted unsalted butter may also be substituted.
• 1.5 Tablespoons Coarse Kosher Salt: Flaky sea salt works wonderfully as well to create a flavorful salty skin crust.
• 1 Tablespoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Coarse grind provides the best texture and mild spicy punch.
• Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil: Cut into square sheets large enough to fully wrap each individual potato securely.

Step by Step Grilling Instructions

Step 1: Prep and Clean the Potatoes

• Begin by scrubbing your Russet potatoes under cold running water using a dedicated vegetable brush.
• It is essential to remove all traces of dirt from the skin because the outer skin becomes intensely flavorful and crispy.
• Once washed, thoroughly pat each potato dry using clean paper towels or a dish towel. Moisture on the skin prevents oil from adhering properly and hinders optimal crisping.

Step 2: Prick, Oil, and Season

• Take a sharp fork and prick each potato roughly six to eight times all around. These small perforations serve a crucial safety purpose by allowing steam to escape freely during the baking process, preventing high pressure buildup inside the potato skin.
• Next, place the potatoes on a clean surface or tray.
• Generously drizzle extra virgin olive oil over each potato, rubbing it thoroughly across the entire exterior.
• Follow immediately with a heavy dusting of coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, pressing seasonings gently into the oiled skin.

Step 3: Wrap Securely in Foil

• Tightly enclose each seasoned potato in a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil.
• Make sure the foil seams are folded tightly to seal in moisture and heat during the initial cooking phase.

Step 4: The Foil Wrapped Indirect Grill Phase

• Preheat your gas or charcoal grill to a steady temperature of 350 degrees F.
• Set up two zone heating if possible.
• Place the foil wrapped potatoes onto the grill grates over indirect heat. Close the grill lid completely.
• Allow the potatoes to grill undisturbed wrapped in foil at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes. This slow rise in temperature allows heat to penetrate deep into the core, gently steaming the starch inside the foil shield to ensure an exceptionally soft, evenly cooked, fluffy interior without burning the outside.

Step 5: The Unwrapped Direct Heat Finish

• After 60 minutes of indirect foil cooking, carefully remove the potatoes from the grill using tongs.
• Wear heat resistant grill gloves to carefully unwrap and discard the aluminum foil sheets.
• Transfer the bare, oiled, seasoned potatoes back directly onto the grill grates over direct flame or hot coals.
• Cook unwrapped over direct heat for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, rotating occasionally with tongs.
• This crucial final step imparts a real flame kissed char, deepens the authentic BBQ flavor, and crisps the seasoned potato skins to perfection.

Step 6: Slice, Fluff, and Serve

• Remove the potatoes from the grill and let them rest for two minutes.
• Slice each potato lengthwise down the middle, stopping short of cutting completely through.
• Gently squeeze the short ends toward the center to pop the potato open, exposing the steaming white interior.
• Use a fork to gently fluff the hot potato flesh prior to adding your favorite toppings - Ive added a cube of butter, crispy bacon cut into bits, chopped chives and ranch dressing.

Looking for more BBQ Sides? Try these Black Bean and Corn salad or this Asian Cucumber Red Onion Salad with Garlic Vinegar Dressing or this Crispy Baked Chili Lime Chickpeas or this Creamy Cucumber Red Onion Salad with Dill and Sourcream or these Nana's Old Fashioned Baked Beans with Bacon & Maple

Frequently Asked Questions

What potatoes are best for grilling?

Russet potatoes are undoubtedly the absolute best choice for grilling whole baked potatoes. Russets are high starch, low moisture potatoes. This high starch content produces the fluffy, light, airy interior texture everyone loves in a classic baked potato.

Furthermore, Russet potatoes feature thick skin that withstands high heat, holding up remarkably well during both the indirect foil phase and the final direct flame searing phase.

While Yukon Gold potatoes offer a lovely buttery flavor and medium starch content, their thinner skins make them less suited for prolonged high heat grill crisping compared to sturdy Russets.

How to prep the potatoes for the grilling?

Proper preparation makes all the difference when grilling potatoes. First, wash the potatoes thoroughly to remove any soil residue, then dry them completely. Dry skins allow oil to coat evenly.

Next, pierce the skin several times with a fork to release internal steam during cooking.

Rub the exterior generously with oil or melted butter. Oil acts as a conductor of heat, protects the skin from charring too quickly, and helps seasonings stick. Season liberally with coarse salt and black pepper.

Finally, wrap each potato tightly in heavy duty foil to prepare it for the initial slow cook phase.

Why use the two stage foil and direct heat method?

To get the perfect BBQ baked potatoes, they are first wrapped in foil and grilled at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes and then cooked unwrapped over direct heat. With this method, you get a slow rise in temperature, but the foil keeps the heat in to evenly cook the potatoes.

This makes them extra good and gives that depth of bbq potatoes flavor that standard indoor baking simply cannot emulate. The initial foil wrapping prevents the exterior from scorching while the interior steams to tender perfection.

The secondary direct heat phase crisps up the oil rubbed skin and infuses real grill smoke into the potato.

Can you make baked grilled potatoes on a gas grill?

Yes, absolutely! Preparing baked grilled potatoes on gas grill setups is exceptionally easy and reliable.

Simply set your gas grill burners to maintain a steady temperature of 350 degrees F. Using a two zone setup, place the wrapped potatoes over indirect heat for the first 60 minutes.

Afterward, move them directly over an active gas burner unwrapped for the last few minutes to char the skin and release full outdoor flavor

How do you adapt this recipe to make baked grilled potatoes in oven?

If weather forces your meal indoors, you can make baked grilled potatoes in oven settings using the exact same principles.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, place the oiled, seasoned, foil wrapped Russets on a baking sheet, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

To mimic the outdoor grill texture, unwrap the foil during the final 10 minutes of baking and turn on the oven broiler to crisp up the exterior.

How to grill baked potatoes fast?

If you are short on time and need to know how to grill baked potatoes fast, the secret is par cooking.

By preheating the core using steam or microwave heat before transferring them to the grill grates, you cut overall cook time down from over an hour to under twenty minutes while still achieving fantastic texture.

Can you make baked potatoes on the grill microwave first?

Yes! Making baked potatoes on the grill microwave first is the best method to speed up dinner. Scrub and pierce your Russet potatoes, then microwave them on high for 5 to 6 minutes until slightly softened. Brush them with olive oil, season heavily with salt and pepper, wrap or leave bare, and transfer to a hot grill for 10 to 12 minutes to crisp the skin and infuse smoky flavor.

Is it possible to cook potatoes on the grill without foil?

Cooking potatoes on the grill without foil is entirely doable and yields a very rustic, deeply charred potato skin.

Without the protective foil shield, you must keep the heat moderate over indirect flames, coat the skin generously with oil, and turn the potatoes frequently so the outside crispiness develops evenly without burning the potato before the interior softens.

How do you guarantee extra crispy grilled potatoes?

To achieve maximum crunch for crispy grilled potatoes, proper prep and finishing steps are essential.

Ensure the potato skin is thoroughly dried after washing before applying oil. Use plenty of coarse kosher salt, and never skip the final unwrapped phase over direct heat!

Taking off the foil for the final 5 to 10 minutes allows moisture to evaporate, yielding exceptionally baked grilled potatoes crispy on the outside with fluffy centers.

Why are grilled potatoes in foil the preferred basic method?

Preparing grilled potatoes in foil offers the most forgiving balance of moisture control and temperature management. The aluminum wrap traps steam internally to ensure even, velvety tender cooking without drying out the starch, while still allowing you to finish the potato over direct flames for that signature outdoor taste.

Creative Topping Options for Summer

• The Classic Loaded BBQ Style: Chilled high quality sour cream, salted butter, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, crispy crumbled hardwood smoked bacon, and fresh finely chopped chives.
• The Tex Mex Grill Fiesta: Warm chili con carne, pickled jalapeno slices, melted pepper jack cheese, fresh cilantro leaves, and a dollop of fresh guacamole or pico de gallo
• Garlic Herb Butter Delight: Compound butter blended with minced garlic, fresh parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sea salt flakes.
• Pulled Pork Barbecue Feast: Tender smoked pulled pork shoulder, tangy barbecue sauce drizzle, shredded colby jack cheese, and sliced green onions.
• Light Mediterranean Refresh: Greek yogurt, crumbled feta cheese, chopped kalamata olives, diced cucumbers, extra virgin olive oil drizzle, and dried oregano.

Grilled baked potatoes represent the ultimate summer side dish. They are incredibly cost effective, effortless to prepare, and universally loved by guests of all ages. By mastering the simple two stage cooking process combining initial wrapped indirect heat at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes with a quick unwrapped direct flame finish, you guarantee perfect fluffy interiors and delightfully crispy, smoky skins every single time. Next time you fire up your grill for a summer outdoor gathering, leave room on the grates for Russet potatoes and enjoy an elevated BBQ experience!