The easiest summer side dish! These Grilled Potatoes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside -- and they require very little effort. Enjoy "baked potatoes" on the grill so that you don't have to heat up your kitchen!
We enjoy a lot of grilled steaks and burgers during the summer months, and we almost always pair them with these grilled baked potatoes. I've shown the potatoes a number of times in my regular roundups of Our Week in Meals, and I always receive requests for the details. I hesitated initially, because there's hardly a "recipe" at all, but you ask and you shall receive!
This method starts by "baking" the potatoes in the microwave until they're tender. They are then finished off on the grill to quickly achieve that crispy exterior and smoky flavor!
How to cook Grilled Potatoes:
These are truly the best grilled potatoes ever, and you only need a few simple ingredients to prepare them:
- Potatoes (either russet or sweet potatoes)
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper and garlic powder
- Optional toppings, such as butter, sour cream, fresh chives, cheese or chopped bacon
First, wash the potatoes and prick holes in each potato with a fork.
Wrap the potatoes in damp paper towels, and microwave on high for about 6 minutes (or 5 minutes if you're using sweet potatoes). The potatoes should be fork-tender and done cooking at this point, so you can just finish them off on the grill.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in half lengthwise. Rub each potato half with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and just a pinch of garlic powder.
Place the potatoes flesh-side down on the grill until charred grill marks appear (about 5 minutes). Then flip the potatoes over and move them to the upper rack of the grill (or to indirect heat) to give the skin a chance to crisp (about 5 more minutes).
What to serve with Grilled Potatoes:
These easy, crispy grilled potatoes can be paired with just about any protein that you're cooking on the grill. Here are a few options to get you started:
- Grilled Steaks
- Hamburgers or Turkey Burgers
- Grilled Pork Chops
- Garlic & Herb Grilled Chicken Breast
- Beef Shish Kabobs
- The Perfect 15-Minute Grilled Salmon
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Use either sweet potatoes or russet potatoes (or a combination of both!). I've included instructions for both types of potatoes in the recipe below.
- How to season Grilled Potatoes: Use any seasoning that you prefer! I keep it simple with just salt, pepper and garlic powder, but you can use steak seasoning, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, or my boys' favorite -- Old Bay!
- Are Grilled Potatoes healthy? Yes! A medium plain baked potato that has been rubbed with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil has about 150 calories. Potatoes also include fiber and protein, as well as potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and iron (source).
- Top your grilled potatoes with any of your favorite baked potato toppings -- including butter, sour cream, fresh chives, cheese or bacon bits!
- Scale the recipe for the size of your group! You can prepare just one potato at a time, or you can grill as many as you might need to feed a larger family.
More easy potato recipes that you might enjoy:
- Southern Potato Salad
- Crispy Seasoned Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
- Make Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Aunt Bee's 3-Ingredient Cheesy Potato Casserole
Grilled Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes (russet or sweet potatoes will work)
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper and garlic powder (to taste)
- For serving: butter, chives, sour cream, cheese, bacon bits
Instructions
- Wash potatoes. Use a fork to prick holes on all sides of the potatoes.
- Wrap potatoes individually in damp paper towels.
- Microwave potatoes on high, one at a time, until tender (about 7 minutes per russet potato or 5 minutes per sweet potato).
- Remove paper towel and allow potatoes to rest until cool enough to handle.
- Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Brush or rub all sides of the potatoes with about 1 - 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste.
- Preheat a grill (or indoor grill pan) over medium-high heat. Grill the potatoes flesh-side down for about 5 minutes (or until there are visible grill marks). Flip the potatoes over and place on upper rack of the grill (or on indirect heat) to keep them warm and to allow the skin a chance to get crispy (about 5 more minutes).
- Finish potatoes with optional toppings.
Notes
- How to season Grilled Potatoes: Use any seasoning that you prefer! I keep it simple with just salt, pepper and garlic powder, but you can use steak seasoning, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, or my boys' favorite -- Old Bay!
- Scale the recipe for the size of your crowd! You can prepare one potato to feed yourself, 4 potatoes to feed your family, or any number that you need.
We usually do foil packet potatoes on the grill, butt this sounds like a great alternative--and much less labor intensive!
I hope you'll give them a try! 🙂
Had this tonight for dinner with the steaks my husband was grilling. They were delicious and very easy to make. They didn't need any butter or other potato toppings. I would highly recommend them. Blair, I love your website and your recipes. Keep up the great work.
Thank you, Beth! I'm so glad that you made them and that you enjoyed the potatoes as much as we do. It's such an easy summer side dish!❤️