These grilled potatoes are the perfect side dish to make during BBQ season. Read below to find out how to make delicious and flavorful potatoes on the grill using foil packets.
From the first day of grilling season to the last (and it’s quite a long season here in Houston), my family eats these grilled potatoes as a side dish at least once a week. They are SO quick and simple to make, they go perfectly with any sort of BBQ meat or fish, and they are flat-out delicious. As a bonus, cooking them on the grill in foil means no pots or pans to wash!
The onion and the bacon infuse the potatoes with a ton of flavor. If you’re cooking for a vegan or vegetarian, you can substitute smoked paprika for the bacon, and you’ll still get that fantastic smokiness that makes these potatoes so good.
How to Cook Potatoes on the Grill in Foil:
Scroll below for printable recipe.
- To create the foil packets, use two 15″ sheets of aluminum foil (doubled-up) for each serving of potatoes you will be making. I prefer using nonstick foil, but if you don’t have nonstick foil, make sure to use a generous amount of olive oil to keep the potatoes from sticking.
- Drizzle olive oil in the middle of the foil. Thinly slice some onion and put it on top of the olive oil.
- Slice russet potatoes into approximately 1/4″ slices and place them on top of the onion. I use about half of one large russet potato in each packet, and I don’t bother peeling them. Aim for uniform slices so that they cook evenly.
- Season the potatoes with salt and pepper (and smoked paprika*), and top them with a slice of uncooked bacon.
- Pinch the sides of the foil together to create a packet. Make sure it’s sealed at the top so that the steam doesn’t escape.
- Toss the packets on on the grill over medium heat and grill for about 15-20 minutes. You can open the packets a little and poke the potatoes with a fork to test for doneness.
You will be pleasantly amazed by how much flavor these potatoes have. Even my potato-hating daughter loves these! (They are the only potatoes she’ll eat besides french fries.)
The onion and bacon infuse the potatoes with flavor and moisture, and the steam created in the packet makes them fall-apart tender.
Cooking Note #1: The bacon will not be fully cooked when the potatoes are done, so I don’t suggest eating it unless you cook it some more on its own. If you’re not an onion lover you don’t need to eat the onions after the potatoes are cooked, but I still recommend including them in the packets because they add moisture as well as flavor.
Cooking Note #2: Smoked paprika is totally optional, but I’m in love with it, so I use it whenever I can. If you don’t have any, don’t worry…the potatoes will still be delicious without it.
Ingredients
- 3 russet potatoes
- 1/2 onion thinly sliced
- 4 bacon strips
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- smoked paprika optional
Instructions
- Slice each potato into approximately 1/4" slices.
- Tear off eight sheets of nonstick foil to create four packets (you'll want to double them up, so place two on top of each other).
- In the center of each foil square, drizzle some olive oil.
- Divide the onion and place on top of the olive oil.
- Divide the potato and place on top of the onion.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.
- Drizzle some more olive oil over the potatoes, and top with a slice of uncooked bacon.
- Bring up the sides of the packet and pinch closed at the top.
- Grill over medium heat for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Recipe Notes
If you want to omit the bacon to make this a vegan recipe, just add additional smoked paprika before sealing the packets.
Jeanette says
Such a easy and good side dish 🙂 Yummy!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
These look and sound absolutely amazing. I love grilled potatoes as a side dish, they always go down a treat!
Alyssa says
Thanks Bintu! We never get tired of eating these.
Marie says
I am so excited for grilling season and this looks like a fantastic side dish to make on the grill. You can’t go wrong with potatoes and bacon together!
Shashi at SavorySpin says
Oh my word – is there a better savory combo than potatoes and bacon?! This sounds so dreamy!
Rebecca says
these sound awesome on their own, but with bacon too! OMG
Angela says
such a great way of cooking potatoes, I am always looking for more recipes to create on the grill.
Alice Wagner says
These potatoes sound so yummy. Will put these on the grill this weekend.
One of my favorite parts of summer, is grilling out. Nothing beats the smell
of whatever you are cooking! It completes a fun summer day.
Thanks Alyssa,
Alice
Monk says
Seeking an opinion: is an outdoor gas grill even worth the bother (considering it’s similar to broiling in my oven?). Charcoal is too much of a pain though! We are discontented/uninspired with our grill situation. Thoughts??
Alyssa says
We’ve always had a gas grill. I think it’s great! It’s not going to give as much smoky flavor as a charcoal grill would, but it still gives a good sear on meats. And I like having the option to cook outside whenever possible to get a break from the kitchen.