Grilled Baked Potatoes in Foil

Love baked potatoes but don’t want to turn your oven on this summer? I’ve gotcha covered my friend with these amazing grilled baked potatoes in foil! They make an easy side dish with fluffy insides and a flavorful potato skin. Like a crispy skin instead? I’ve got that option included in the recipe as well!

When we lived in Minnesota, turning the oven on in the summer and tossing some potatoes onto the oven rack wasn’t too much a concern. Now that we are in Arizona, the perfect baked potato will only come from the grill from May through September 🙂

Grilled Baked Potatoes in Foil FAQs

What type of potatoes work best for grilled baked potatoes?

Think of your grill as an outdoor oven so whichever potatoes you currently use for your indoor oven you can use on the grill. Russet potatoes are the classic choice but there are a lot of other great options as well!

Sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and Yukon golds also make for interesting baked potatoes on the grill. Just remember that the size of the potatoes will determine the amount of time they should spend on the grill. The recipe is written using Russet potatoes but have fun and use what you love!

My potatoes were still crunchy inside. What did I do wrong?

I’m sure you did nothing wrong. We just need to play around with a few aspects of your set up:

• Cooking time: this is usually the easiest solution. Just keep the potatoes on the grill for an extra 5-10 minutes. You want the internal temperature of the potato to get hot enough so it will bake through, which means it needs to reach 210 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
• Grill temperature: depending on the type of grill you are using and the amount of heat it offers, you might need to increase your grill temperature a bit. If you are using a medium heat, take it up a few notches. If you are using a charcoal grill, move from an indirect heat to something closer to the coals.
• Try smaller potatoes: a big potato will take a longer time to bake through so go for whole potatoes that are smaller if your time is short.

How do I serve grilled baked potatoes?

Of course, they are a perfect side dish next to some pork chops, grilled chicken breasts, or steaks as the main dish. Pair them with a fresh green salad or grilled fruit!

As far as my favorite toppings go, you can’t go wrong with butter, sea salt & pepper, sour cream, chopped green onions, real bacon bits, and fresh herbs like parsley or dill.

How do I make the potato skins crispy?

My favorite potato recipes include a crispy element so I get it! The potato skin does get pretty crispy inside the foil but to get some extra crispy on the outside, you just need to take the next step once the potato is about 90% done baking.

Remove the potato from the grill onto a baking sheet. Take off the foil and place the potato directly on the grill over a medium high heat. The olive oil on the outside of the potato will help crisp up the skin a bit. If it begins to burn at all, just use a lower temperature. Continue to grill until you have that perfect baked potato with a fluffy interior and crispy skin.

Should I use heavy-duty aluminum foil?

If you were going to bake these directly on a campfire, yes you should but for the grill, just your standard roll of tin foil will be perfect. And double bonus, the standard roll is less expensive too 🙂

How will I know when the potatoes are done?

If you have a meat thermometer, stick it through the foil and into the center of the potato. A completely baked potato will be 210 degrees F.

If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use the classic “squeeze test.” Use oven mitt and gently squeeze the outside of the potato. If it is still firm, it needs more time. If it is soft, you are there!

Can I speed up the cooking process at all?

Yes, baked potatoes do take some time so here are some tips to get them done ASAP so you can enjoy them:

• Keep the lid closed! Your grill functions just like your indoor oven. Every time you open the lid of your grill, you lose all the heat so keep it down.
• Par-cook your potatoes in the oven. Yes, this might be “cheating” a bit, but it works well when time is short. Give them a head start with 5 minutes on high in the oven before wrapping them in tin foil.
• Use small baby potatoes and wrap them into individual servings inside the foil. You could also slice or chop up the potatoes before wrapping them if you don’t have baby potatoes.

Looking for more great grilling recipes?

• 

• 

• 

Craving more than grilled baked potatoes in foil? Subscribe to My Kitchen Escapades to get new recipes and a weekly newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! You can also stay in touch on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest,  and YouTube for all the latest updates!

Print