Buzz
The rich flavor and texture of grilled potatoes make them a fantastic addition to any summer BBQ, a cozy home dinner, or an evening snack. You may find it tricky to cook them so the inside is perfectly done without the skin burning, but potatoes are actually quite simple to grill. You can grill potatoes in several ways: whole, halved, sliced, or wedged; with skin on or peeled; wrapped in foil or not. Try out these options in this guide and become a potato grilling pro in no time.
Steps
Grilling Whole Potatoes Wrapped in Foil
Wash the Potatoes. Hold each potato under running water and scrub off any dirt from the skin using your hands or a soft sponge.
Prepare the Potatoes. Use a knife or a vegetable peeler to remove any unattractive spots or green areas on the potatoes.
Dry the Potatoes. Once the potato skins are dry, they will absorb oil, butter, and seasonings more easily, enhancing the flavor once cooked.
Pierce the Potatoes. Before wrapping the potatoes in foil, use a fork to poke a few holes in each one. This allows heat to circulate, ensuring the potatoes cook evenly.
Wrap the Potatoes in Foil. Take enough aluminum foil to fully cover the potatoes you want to grill and tightly wrap each one. Be sure to seal the foil completely around the potatoes.
- You can place the potato on the foil and roll it up, pressing the edges tightly or fold the foil around the potato, sealing the edges.
Place the Potatoes on the Grill. Prepare the grill and adjust the heat to a high flame. Arrange the foil-wrapped potatoes on the grill, placing them near the hottest part.
- If grilling multiple potatoes, you can stack them on top of each other in the hottest section of the grill. As the bottom layer begins to char, move the top layer down to continue grilling.
Cover the Grill and Continue Cooking. Close the grill lid and cook the potatoes for 40 minutes. If grilling multiple layers of potatoes, switch their positions halfway through. When trying this method for the first time, you can shorten the cooking time slightly and check the potatoes (use tongs to unwrap the foil, as steam may cause burns). If the potatoes aren't fully cooked, rewrap them and continue grilling for a few more minutes.
- If the skin has charred but the inside is still undercooked, move the potatoes to a less hot spot on the grill, cover the grill, and continue cooking.
- The heat level and size of the potatoes are key factors in the cooking time. Generally, when the grill is covered, whole foil-wrapped potatoes take between 30 to 45 minutes to cook evenly.
- In the last 5 to 10 minutes of grilling, you can remove the foil and continue grilling the potatoes. This will give the skin a nice brown color.
Grilling Whole Potatoes Without Foil
Wash the Potatoes. Clean the potatoes with room temperature or cold water to remove dirt. Use a soft sponge to gently scrub the potatoes for a more thorough cleaning.
Prepare the Potatoes. Remove any green or brown spots from the potatoes. Use a knife or vegetable peeler to carefully cut away the blemishes.
Dry the Potatoes. If you're planning to season the skins, drying the potatoes will allow the seasonings to absorb better.
- Don't pierce the potatoes if you are not wrapping them in foil. Piercing them allows moisture to escape, which can dry them out.
Brush Oil on the Potatoes. This will prevent the potatoes from sticking to the grill and make the skin crispier.
- In a small bowl, mix some cooking oil with a bit of butter, salt, pepper, and garlic to create a flavorful seasoning blend.
Skewer the Potatoes onto Metal Skewers. Using skewers makes grilling much easier. Thread 3-4 potatoes onto each skewer, depending on their size.
- If you prefer, you can also place the potatoes directly on the grill.
Place the Potatoes on the Grill. Avoid using direct heat by positioning the skewered potatoes on the edge, away from the heat source.
Grill the Potatoes. Grill the potatoes with indirect heat for about 30 to 40 minutes with the lid closed. During grilling, the potatoes should be gradually moved closer to the heat source.
Grilling Wedge-Cut or Sliced Potatoes
Wash the Potatoes. Rinse the potatoes under room temperature water, using a soft sponge to gently scrub off any dirt from the skin.
Remove Blemishes. Most potatoes have green or brown spots. Use a knife or vegetable peeler to cut away these imperfections.
Peel and Soak the Potatoes (Optional). Peel the potatoes using a knife or vegetable peeler, making sure to remove any blemishes or green spots. Once peeled, soak them in cold water until you're ready to cook or until you want to cut them into your preferred size.
- Cold water helps prevent discoloration of the potato surface.
- Be cautious when peeling to avoid cutting your hands.
Cut the Potatoes. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into pieces about 1 to 1.3 cm thick. You can leave the slices as wedges or continue cutting them into cubes.
Coat the Potato Pieces with Seasonings. After cutting, immediately brush the potato pieces with oil and seasoning.
- Brushing the oil right away prevents the potatoes from turning brown and helps them not stick to the grill.
- Mix oil, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl to create a flavorful seasoning mix.
Place the Potatoes Directly on the Grill Rack. Arrange the potatoes in the middle of the grill with the cut side facing down. If you cut the potatoes into cubes, you can place them on foil or skewer them before putting them on the rack to prevent them from falling through.
Grill the Potatoes. Set the grill to medium heat and cook the potatoes for about 5-6 minutes before flipping them to the other cut side. Grill the second side for 5-6 minutes, then move on to the remaining sides. Continue grilling until the potatoes are soft. Wedge potatoes should have a nice brown color. Serve them hot.
Seasoning the Grilled Potatoes
Toss the Potatoes in Seasoning Before Grilling. Try using olive oil with sea salt, ground pepper, or a bit of dried chili and finely chopped herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage.
- You can also use garlic, butter, salt, or any other seasoning you prefer.
Prepare a Sauce to Brush on the Potatoes Before Grilling. Try using mustard sauce, mayonnaise, and herbs. Leave some sauce aside for dipping to enjoy with the grilled potatoes.
Season the Potatoes with Dry Spices. Brush the potatoes with olive oil before sprinkling your favorite dry spices on top. Make sure to coat the outer surface and edges evenly.
- Try using salt, fennel powder, coriander powder, bell pepper powder, chili powder, all-purpose seasoning, ground black pepper, and dried thyme with about 1/2 or 1 teaspoon of salt and a bit of sugar, if you like.
Combine Potatoes with Other Vegetables. If you're roasting the potatoes on a tray, consider adding other chopped vegetables for a unique combination. Sliced onions, carrots, or pumpkin are great additions to roasted potatoes.
Tips
- Sweet potatoes are also great for roasting and can be wrapped in foil or left unwrapped.
- Create small roasting trays from foil, sized for individual servings, to roast sliced or cubed potatoes. This way, guests can easily grab a tray to enjoy.
- For crispy potato skins when roasting whole potatoes, remove the foil after 20-30 minutes and place them directly on the grill for the remaining 10 minutes.
- To shorten the roasting time, parboil the whole potatoes for 10 minutes before roasting them for another 5-10 minutes.
- You can also reduce roasting time by microwaving each potato for 2-4 minutes on each side (without foil) before roasting them for 5-10 minutes.
Warnings
- If half of the potatoes turn green, it's best to discard the entire batch. This is because the green parts contain solanine, which can make the potatoes slightly bitter and potentially toxic.
Things You'll Need
- Knife or vegetable peeler
- Aluminum foil
- Kitchen brush
- Bowl
- Skewers
