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How to Make a Baked Potato on the Grill

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Recipe Snapshot

PREP + COOK TIME: 45 minutes
METHOD: Grill
OTHER TOOLS: Aluminum foil
TOTAL INGREDIENTS: 3

As long as you’re firing up the grill, why not make your sides in the same place? It only takes a few steps to make a perfectly tender baked potato on the grill. It’s a simple and versatile side for lots of tasty toppings!

4 baked potatoes in open foil cut open on cookie sheet topped with butter and chives

What’s To Love About This Recipe

  • This is a great base recipe for those days when you don’t want to heat up the oven inside while the grill is fired up outside. 
  • When you’re grilling a meal outdoors, it’s nice to be able to cook everything at the same time rather than going back and forth to the kitchen.
  • A simple, salted baked potato on the grill pairs well with other foods that you might already be grilling, like ribeye, salmon, or chicken thighs.
  • Prepping these potatoes is quick and easy. Once you get them on the grill, they should be cooked tender in under 30 minutes.
  • Avocado oil and kosher salt are such simple additions, but they take the flavor a long way!

Ingredients Needed  

  • Potatoes – 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3-5 ounces each) will fit just right on a standard grill. You can certainly experiment with other types of potatoes, such as Russet or red varieties, but I prefer gold varieties since they have a smooth inside texture and slightly waxy skin. The flavor is just slightly sweet, and the salted skin is so tasty when baked!
  • Avocado oil or olive oil – I like to add a little oil to keep the skins from getting too dry during baking. It also adds extra flavor when eating the skin – the perfect balance of tenderness and flavor!
  • Kosher salt – Kosher salt helps keep the skin from drying out, too, and provides a nice balance to the oil. It also keeps the skins from getting soggy while wrapped in the foil. It adds a little extra crunch to the potato skin!
6 potatoes on platter next to oil and salt

A note on potatoes:

If you have other potatoes on hand that you’d like to try, go for it! Russet potatoes are generally a popular choice and will have more of a mealy texture.

Red potatoes will provide a bit more flavor but tend to be firmer. These can take a bit longer to cook on the grill, but they work very well in baking or soups and stews!

How To Make A Baked Potato On The Grill

  1. Preheat the grill to 450 ℉ (see Pro Tips for temperature notes).
  2. Scrub and dry the potatoes, and pierce them a few times with a fork. (Some might ask – is it necessary to poke the holes? This is debatable, but it certainly doesn’t hurt!)
potatoes laid out on cookie sheet to pierce with fork next to olive oil and salt
  1. Rub each potato with oil and sprinkle it with salt.
7 potatoes on cookie sheet with oil and salt
  1. Wrap the potatoes individually with foil and place them on the heated grill. 
6 potatoes wrapped in foil on platter
  1. Grill (bake) for 25-30 minutes until fork-tender.

Pro Tips for Baked Potatoes:

  • If you use larger potatoes or grill at lower temperatures (as low as 350℉), the potatoes will take longer to cook, possibly up to 1 hour or more.  
  • To quicken the cooking time, pierce and microwave the potatoes for 3-5 minutes, then prepare them for the grill.
  • You’ll want to preheat the grill and monitor the temperature for the best and most even cooking since every grill varies slightly. 
  • Also, make sure the potatoes are around the same size so that they will finish cooking at the same time.
  • Cooking in foil is not always the best option for potatoes, but I recommend it for the grill to keep the flames from burning the potatoes and seal the moisture in.
baked potato cut open topped with butter and chives

How To Serve Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes are a delicious side with steaks, grilled chicken thighs, kabobs, or grilled salmon. Add a fresh salad or some corn on the cob from the air fryer and you have a restaurant-quality meal at home!

Keep your baked potatoes simple with butter, salt, and pepper or add lots of extra toppings to load it with extra flavor!

Some great topping options include:

  • sour cream or Greek yogurt for a lighter option
  • shredded cheese
  • chives or sliced green onions
  • leftover chili
  • shredded BBQ pork or Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
baked potato on a black plate topped with butter, sour cream, cheese, salsa and chives

Storing and Reheating

Remove the leftover potatoes from the foil wrap and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The baked potatoes will be delicious served with other leftovers or new meal ideas! 

Reheat the potatoes in the microwave or slice them up to heat in a pan with a bit of extra olive oil or butter. You can also pop them in the air fryer for a few minutes to crisp up the skin!

Baked Potato on the Grill

4 baked potatoes in open foil cut open on cookie sheet topped with butter and chives
As long as you’re firing up the grill, why not make your sides in the same place? It only takes a few steps to make a perfectly tender baked potato on the grill. It’s a simple and versatile side for lots of tasty toppings!
Jennifer Draper
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Serving Size 6

Equipment

  • Grill
  • aluminum foil

Ingredients

  • 6 Yukon Gold Potatoes 3-5 ounces each
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt

Instructions

  • Preheat grill to 450 ℉ (see below for notes on temperatures)
  • Scrub and dry potatoes, and pierce them a few times with a fork
  • Rub each potato with oil and sprinkle with salt
  • Wrap potatoes individually with foil and place on heated grill
  • Grill (bake) for 25-30 minutes until fork-tender

Notes

  • Remove leftover potatoes from foil and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat potatoes in the microwave or air fryer, or slice and add to a skillet with a little extra olive oil or butter.
  • Cooking in foil is not always best for other methods of baked potatoes, but I recommend using it here to keep the flames from burning the potatoes and keep the moisture in.
  • If you use larger potatoes or grill at lower temperatures (as low as 350℉), the potatoes will take longer to cook.
  • To quicken the cooking time, pierce and microwave the potatoes for 3-5 minutes, then prepare them for the grill.

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3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Super easy and the potatoes turn out so tasty! I usually just use butter but olive oil sounds like a much healthier option! Plus the kosher salt sticks easier with olive oil.

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