How To Cook A Perfect Baked Potato On The Grill (No Mess, No Fuss)

Summer is the perfect time to fire up the grill and enjoy delicious barbecued food. But why stop at burgers and hot dogs? Grilled potatoes are a fantastic side dish that is easy to make and pairs well with pretty much anything.

If you’re wondering how to cook a perfect baked potato on the grill, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll give you my best advice for grilling potatoes that are both crispy and fluffy inside.

Trust me; once you try these potatoes, you’ll be hooked. So fire up your grill, and let’s get started.

Here’s The Answer To How To Effectively Cook A Baked Potato On The Grill

Cooking potatoes on the grill is a terrific idea. A potato cooked on the grill will have a wonderful crispy surface and a soft interior. Grilling is also fast and easy.

Preheat your grill for about 10 minutes with the lid closed.

Do not oil or spray the grate itself; potatoes should be seasoned very lightly before cooking so that they get all of their flavors from being cooked over an open flame rather than being covered in butter or oiled down beforehand (which would prevent them from getting crispy).

When your grill reaches temperature, put your potatoes on whatever surface that is hottest (I like to grill my potatoes directly on top of my charcoal) and cover/close the grill.

After about 15 minutes of total cooking time, you’ll have perfectly grilled potatoes with amazing flavor throughout—crisp exterior and soft interior—no need for additional toppings here.

Preheat The Grill To A Medium Heat

• Grill at a medium-high temperature of between 300 and 400 degrees.
• Suppose you don’t have a thermometer for your grill. In that scenario, using a meat thermometer or an oven thermometer is another choice. These will tell you what the internal temperature of your grill is at any given time so that you can adjust accordingly.

Remove The Skin Of The Potato

Once the potato is baked and cooled, you can peel the skin off. To do this, you can use any of these kitchen tools:

• A knife
• A potato peeler
• A paring knife (the best choice)
• A vegetable peeler (the worst choice)

Using a sharp knife or paring knife to remove the skin from a baked potato will make it easier for you to eat your delicious grilled meal without getting burned by hot steam escaping from the inside.

Rinse The Potato Under Cold Water

Rinse the potato under cold water. As it cleans the potato of debris and bacteria, this step is crucial. The water also helps to remove excess starch and moisture, which ensures that your potato will have a crispy crust when cooked.

Water can also be used to rinse off excess oil after cooking.

It’s important not to use hot water for this step—you don’t want to cook your spud in its juices.

Pat It Dry With A Paper Towel

• Pat it dry with a paper towel. A good, solid patting will do the trick—you want to be sure you’ve dried your potato well so it doesn’t steam when you wrap it in foil for cooking.
• Now you’re ready to wrap the potato in aluminum foil and place it on the grill!

Pierce The Potato With A Fork

Before you cook your spud, you’ll want to pierce your spud a few times with a fork before you cook it. This permits steam to escape from the potato and stops it from exploding during cooking.

What? Were you going to use a knife? No! Don’t do that! A knife could cut into the skin of your potato and expose its flesh to direct heat, which can lead to an unpleasant texture on the inside of your baked potato.

Using a fork instead ensures even heating throughout while also ensuring not too much steam escapes from inside. So no one has their mouth blown off when they take their first bite and get hit with hot air instead of deliciousness.

If you want another reason why using knives is bad: they don’t hold up well in high-heat situations like grilling — plus, they’re sharp.

If you throw them onto the side of your grill as soon as they’re done cooking (which we don’t recommend because they’ll probably fall out), then there’s no telling what damage will be done.

Rub The Potato With Oil

Rub the potato with oil. It’s getting a good coating on both sides is important, so you’ll want to use extra virgin olive oil for this step. It’s great for cooking on the grill because it has a high smoke point and will not burn or make your food taste bitter.

It also has a mild flavor that won’t overpower your potato! Rubbing the potato with oil will make it crispy and tasty, so don’t skimp on this step.

Wrap The Potato In A Foil

Wrap the potato in foil. First, fold a large sheet of foil in half and then pull it open again to have one long piece.

Then, place the potato on the middle of this large sheet and wrap it up tightly by folding one side over it, then another until the entire potato is covered by aluminum.

Make sure to seal any gaps between your ends and fold them over each other again to ensure the end result is completely sealed (you don’t want any juices or steam escaping during cooking).

For added safety measures, I like to place another layer of aluminum foil around my wrapped potatoes before putting them on my grill as an extra layer of protection against burning.

Place The Potato On The Grill Grate

• Place the potato on The Grill Grate.
• Use a spatula to flip the potato
• Use a fork to turn the potato
• Use tongs to turn the potato

Cook The Potato For 20 Minutes

Now that you have the potato in its foil wrapper place it on the grill and cook for 20 minutes. When you’re ready to check for doneness, use a fork to pierce the skin of your baked potato. Suppose it feels soft or gives easily when pierced.

If your baked potato isn’t ready yet (you want it to be firm but not hard), cook it for another 5 minutes and then test again with your fork.

If your baked potato is too done (and therefore very hard), cover it with extra aluminum foil, and set it aside while you prepare the remainder of the food.

This will allow some moisture back into the skin so that when you cut into it later, all of those juices won’t pool at one end like they do when they’re too dry.

Make Sure To Rotate The Potato Occasionally

Now that you have the perfect potato, it’s time to cook it. Remember, a grilled, baked potato is one of those things that can go wrong if you don’t pay attention.

If you are not rotating your potato regularly, it can burn on the bottom while being left raw in the middle.

I recommend rotating your potato every five minutes or so during cooking. This helps keep everything even and prevents burning. You can also use tongs to flip over each end for even browning if you’d like (as shown below).

The Potato Will Continue To Cook After You Remove It From The Grill

As you remove the potato from the grill, it will continue to cook. This is because the heat inside the potato has not yet been radiated back into your kitchen.

The cooking process continues until that heat is radiated back into your kitchen. Once this happens, you’re done.

It’s important to note that as long as there is still some air inside your potato (which there always will be), it will continue to cook until it reaches a temperature of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius).

Let The Potatoes Cool Off

One of the easiest tasks in this procedure is also one of the most crucial. To ensure that your potatoes come out soft and fluffy, let them cool off before cutting or eating.

If you’re like me and can’t wait to dig in, I suggest holding off until they are at least room temperature—if not slightly cooler than that. This will help prevent heat shock, which could make them soggy instead of fluffy inside.

Fill The Potato With Your Favorite Toppings

Now that your potatoes are cooked, loading them up is time for the fun part. You can use your imagination to differentiate your potato from the competition at this point.

Here are a few ideas for toppings:

• Cheese (cheddar, jack, Colby jack), sour cream and chives.
• Bacon crumbles and scallions (green onions).
• Cilantro pesto made with basil instead of cilantro looks like an ordinary white cheese sauce until you take a bite and realize it’s not.

Return The Potato To The Grill To Get Toasty For 3-5 Minutes

Now that you have cooked an amazing potato, you can use it as a vessel for whatever delicious toppings you prefer. You may cook two potatoes at once on a large grill.

If yours isn’t, and you want to ensure everyone has their own grilled potato, then simply repeat steps 1-8 with another russet.

Once they are done cooking (and even after they’ve been removed from the grill), return them to their original spot on the grate. At the same time, they continue to cook and get crispy around the edges.

This will give them a smoky flavor and make them even more irresistible.

Plate It And Serve

To serve your potato, you can either use a fork or simply grab a slice with your hands. Afterward, bring it to the table and serve it.

Once you’ve prepared your potato and laid it down on its foil bed, you’re ready to eat.

The best way to serve them is by plating them at the end of cooking so they don’t cool off too much before serving.

You can also scoop some flesh on each baked potato with a spoon if desired (this is common practice when serving baked potatoes in restaurants).

Why Grilling Is The Best Way To Cook A Potato?

Grilling is the best way to cook a potato. If you’re in a rush or want to spend more time with friends or family, grilling is the perfect solution because it’s quick and simple.

It’s also healthier than other cooking methods because it uses less oil and has no added ingredients like butter, salt or pepper.

Here are some reasons why grilling is the best way to cook a potato:

• Grilled Potatoes have an amazing flavor that cannot be replicated by any other cooking method – especially boiled potatoes. The secret ingredient is smoke from the grill that permeates through each bite, making them taste even better than when they were just plain grilled on their own (which already has great flavor).
• Grilled Potatoes are healthy because they contain fewer calories than fried foods such as French fries but still provide satisfying comfort food cravings without feeling guilty afterward, like eating baked goods would do for those trying to lose weight – doing something good for yourself while still indulging in delicious tasting foods makes perfect sense.

What Temperature Should You Grill Your Potato?

You’re going to grill your potato at 400 degrees. This is low enough that the outside won’t burn while the insides cook through but high enough that it will get hot enough to make all those delicious flavors explode.

• Grill for 20 minutes, allowing the outside to caramelize and crisp up. You can use a fork or tongs if you need help turning it over to evenly cook both sides of your potato (this is why we recommend using a stainless steel grill basket).
• Once they’ve cooked through, remove them from heat and let them cool slightly before transferring them onto plates or serving platters with butter on top. Serve immediately!

How Do You Keep Your Potato From Burning?

• Use a Grill Basket

Grill baskets are one of the easiest ways to keep your potatoes from burning. Just place the basket on the grill, then add as many potatoes as you want to cook. When they are finished baking, cover the pan.

• Use A Grill Mat

A grill mat is another great way to avoid having your potato turn into charcoal while still getting that delicious crispy outside and soft inside that makes it so delicious. Simply place the mat overtop of your grill grates, then place your potatoes on top of the mat before closing up the lid again and letting them bake until done in their own time—no need for any extra effort on your part.

Conclusion

Look no further than this guide if you’re looking for a delicious and easy way to cook potatoes on the grill. We’ll show you how to cook perfect baked potatoes on the grill, so you can enjoy them all summer.

To cook perfect baked potatoes on the grill, preheat your grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, wash your potatoes and wrap them in foil.

Next, place the wrapped potatoes on the grates of the preheated grill and close the lid. Cook the potatoes for 30 to 45 minutes or until tender.

When the potatoes are done cooking, remove them from the grill and let them cool for a few minutes before unwrapping. Serve with your favorite toppings, and enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

• 
  How Long To Bake A 14 Lb Unstuffed Turkey (We’ve Got You Covered)December 5, 2022
• 
  Can We Bake In Aluminium Foil (Yes, You Can!)December 4, 2022
• 
  Can We Bake In Aluminium Foil Tray (Yay or Nay?)December 3, 2022
• 
  How To Bake Turkey In Air Fryer (And Get It Perfect)December 2, 2022
• 
  How To Bake Turkey Wings In Air Fryer (One Simple Trick)December 1, 2022
• 
  How To Bake A Sweet Potato Without Aluminum Foil (And Why You Should)November 30, 2022