Grilled Potatoes

These grilled potatoes are crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, and filled with smoky flavor. Easy and delicious, they're a sure-fire cookout hit!

Grilled potatoes

I’m all about mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, and roasted potatoes in the fall and winter, but when summer rolls around, grilled potatoes are my #1 pick. They’re crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, and filled with delicious smoky flavor. They’re an irresistible cookout side dish all on their own (if you’re anything like me, you’ll eat a couple straight off the grill!), and a simple seasoning or sauce makes them even better.

If you’re grilling this weekend, give this grilled potatoes recipe a try! It’s super easy to make, and it works perfectly with the sweet, tender new potatoes that are available at this time of year. Their thin skins puff and crisp up on the grill, while their middles stay soft and buttery. Cook 1 pound, 2 pounds, 3 pounds, or more – no matter what, they’ll disappear in no time.

Yellow and red potatoes

How to Grill Potatoes

When I first started grilling potatoes, I cooked them in foil packets. They were tasty, but since then, I’ve stopped making grilled potatoes in foil for a few reasons. First, the potatoes don’t get crispy. Because they’re all squished together, they steam inside the foil. And second, they don’t get char marks. If I have a choice between soft, steamed potatoes and crisp, charred potatoes, I’m choosing the crispy ones every time.

Enter: this grilled potato recipe! Here, I parboil small yellow and/or red potatoes, slice them in half, and place them directly on the grill. The parboiling ensures that they stay creamy in the center, while the grill gets their edges nice and crisp. Here’s how it goes:

How to grill potatoes

First, parboil the potatoes. Place them in a large pot and cover them with cold water by 1 inch. Add salt, bring the water to a boil, and simmer until the potatoes are just fork-tender, about 10 minutes. They shouldn’t be too soft here, as they’ll finish cooking on the grill.

Next, cut the potatoes. Drain them and allow them to cool slightly. When they’re cool enough to handle, slice them in half crosswise.

Flipping potatoes on the grill

Then, grill. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, and toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place them cut-side-down on the hot grill, and cook until char marks form, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 5 minutes more, until the grilled potatoes are tender and well-charred. The exact timing will depend on the size of your potatoes.

Finally, eat! Season the grilled potatoes with additional salt and pepper, or try any of the serving suggestions below. Enjoy!

Potato with char marks

Grilled Potatoes Serving Suggestions

These grilled potatoes taste fantastic with salt, pepper, and olive oil, but if you toss them with spices or serve them with sauce, you’ll take them to a whole new level. Here are a few of my favorite ways to dress them up:

I also love to incorporate them into this grilled potato salad with fresh mint, blueberries, pickled red onions, and a grilled scallion vinaigrette.

No matter how you season them, these grilled potatoes are a delicious cookout side dish. Pair them with veggie burgers, portobello mushroom burgers, BBQ jackfruit sandwiches, or whatever you’re grilling! If you’re looking for more side dishes to round out the meal, try my creamy coleslaw, broccoli salad, chopped salad, or Greek salad. Complete your menu with fruit salad, strawberry shortcake, or any of these baking recipes for dessert!

Grilled potatoes recipe

More Favorite Grilling Recipes

If you love this grilled potatoes recipe, try grilling one of these veggies next:

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Grilled Potatoes

rate this recipe:
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
These easy grilled potatoes are an irresistible summer side dish! Season them simply, with salt and pepper, or see the post above for additional serving suggestions.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds small yellow or red potatoes
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

  • Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until fork-tender, 10 to 15 minutes (they’ll finish cooking on the grill). Drain the potatoes and, when cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise.
  • Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.
  • Toss the potatoes generously with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill cut-side-down for 5 to 6 minutes, or until char marks form. Flip and cook 5 minutes more until the potatoes are tender and well-charred. The time will depend on the size of the potatoes.
  • Season to taste with more salt and pepper. See additional seasoning and sauce options in the post above.

6 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Angel
    12.14.2022

    Thank you for the recipe!
    Can I use soybean oil?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      12.16.2022

      Yep, that should work fine.

  2. Triz Tan Barreno
    07.15.2020

    This one looks very delicious! Thank you for sharing. I will try this one at home.

  3. Jennifer
    07.05.2020

    5 stars
    We made these last night and they were delish! We kept it simple for the first time, but my husband was intrigued by your cilantro-lime dressing idea. We’ll try that next! Thanks for a simple, healthy, and tasty recipe!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.10.2020

      Hi Jennifer, I’m so glad you all loved them!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.