Grilling baby potatoes without foil is easier than it sounds. No boiling, no packets—just a grill pan and a little oil. You’ll get smoky, crisp edges and a creamy center every time.
We usually use baby red potatoes, but fingerlings, golds, or any small, thin-skinned variety work. Just cut to size, season, and grill alongside your main dish, stirring occasionally until golden and tender.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No foil, no steam – Just a grill pan for crispy—not soggy—potatoes.
- Simple ingredients – Baby red or other small potatoes, oil, and basic seasoning.
- Crispy outside, creamy inside – Grilled at the right temp for perfect texture.
- Goes with everything – Chicken, pork, steak, burgers—you name it.
- Flexible – Works with red, gold, fingerling, or new potatoes. Just cut to size.
🥔Ingredients
- Baby red or other small potatoes – Red, gold, fingerling, or new potatoes all work. Trim larger ones to bite-size pieces.
- Olive oil – Or another cooking oil you like.
- Seasoning – Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder work well. Use your favorite blend.
(Optional: add herbs before grilling or sprinkle Parmesan after cooking.)
✅ Pro Tip: Want to use larger potatoes?
Go for thin-skinned varieties like Yukon Gold or red potatoes. Cut into bite-size pieces so no part is more than ⅜ inch from the surface—this helps them cook through evenly without burning.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Grill Baby Potatoes
Grilled baby potatoes turn crisp and golden with a hint of smoke—perfect next to anything from chicken to steak.
1. Preparing potatoes
Wash thin-skinned potatoes and cut into bite-size pieces. If cut edges are exposed, soak in cold water for 15–20 minutes to remove excess starch, then rinse and pat dry.
Toss with olive oil and your seasoning of choice.
2. Grill potatoes
Place in a grill basket or pan on a 450°F grill with the hood closed.
✅ Pro Tip: That’s medium to medium-high on most gas grills—about right for most chicken (breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and split chicken) as well as pork chops and tenderloin.
Stir every 5–7 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown and tender, with an internal temp of 200°–210°F. The total time is about 30 minutes.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and full step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips, variations, and FAQs.
⏲️ How Long to Grill Potatoes
Grill baby potatoes for about 30 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 200°–210°F. At that point, they’ll be tender inside with lightly crisp edges.
Exact timing depends on the size of the potatoes and your grill temperature. Cut size matters—smaller pieces cook faster and more evenly.
✅ Pro Tip: Aim for 210°F for the best creamy texture. 205°F is acceptable. Below 200°F? They’re not done.
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🧂 Seasoning
Kosher salt and black pepper are all you need—but a little garlic powder adds extra flavor. We often use our All-Purpose Seasoning blend.
You can mix in herbs like thyme or rosemary before grilling, or finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese right before serving.
✅ Pro Tip: Want a little heat? Add a pinch of cayenne or smoked paprika to the seasoning mix.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
These grilled potatoes pair well with anything that shares the grill—chicken breasts or thighs, pork chops, tenderloin, burgers, or steak.
🔁 Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store leftover grilled potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days—or freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, use a 350°F oven or air fryer for 10–15 minutes until hot and crispy. A skillet with a splash of oil over medium-high heat works well too.
The microwave will work in a pinch but softens the texture.
🔗 More Grilled Side Dishes
Check out some other grilled side dishes, like:
❓FAQs
Yes, but it’s not any easier—and you’ll miss out on the crispy texture. You’ll need a sturdy foil pack, flipped or stirred halfway through. A grill pan is simpler and gives better browning.
You can. Metal skewers are best—they help heat the center of the potato. Just cut small enough to cook through without burning.
Yes, but the method’s a little different. Try Oven Roasted Red Potatoes for a simple baked version with great texture.
Yes, but they’re better whole. Russets don’t cut and grill well with this method due to their thick skin and dry texture. For grilled whole russets, try Baked Potatoes on the Grill (No Foil).
📖The Recipe Card
Grilled Baby Potatoes (Crispy, No Foil Needed)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes - (red, Yukon gold, or other thin-skinned varieties)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder - granular preferred
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat grill
- Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of **450° to 500°F**—about medium-high heat on most gas grills. This matches well with chicken, pork chops, or tenderloin.
Prepare potatoes
- Wash the potatoes and cut them into bite-size pieces. Make sure no part of each piece is more than **⅜ inch** from the surface for even cooking. If there are cut edges, soak the potatoes in cold water for 15 minutes to remove surface starch, then pat dry.
- Mix with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Grill
- Place the potatoes in a grill pan or basket on the grates. Close the lid.
- Grill for about 30 minutes, stirring every 5–7 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 200°–210°F and are tender with crispy edges.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- An easy recipe to scale up or down to your needs.
- Cut size and grill temp are key—keep pieces small and grill at 450°–500°F.
- Red, gold, fingerling, or new potatoes work best. Avoid russets—they have thick skin and don’t grill well this way.
- You can use any oil you like—olive, avocado, or canola.
- A done potato should be 200°F or higher internally. 210°F gives the best creamy texture.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editors Note: Originally published May 30, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Carly says
Hi, I really like most of your recipes!!! You write and explain very well. For these potatoes, unfortunately I didn't understand about the size of the cut up potato. You stated they should be 3/8 inch from the center to the outside. Does that mean 3/4 inch per slice?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Carly,
Welcome to the blog.
You are correct—about 3/4 across. You want a short distance from the surface to the center which needs to get done without burning the surface.
I will look at the text and see if I should clarify.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Valerie Pickett says
Love your recipes Dan! Thank you so much for sharing with the world!
Question on the grill pan, is the one you use just for the grill? It looks like from your pictures that the handle has been unattached? Curious.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Valerie,
That grill pan has a handle that will de-attach to get out of the way. Very easy to take off and to reattach when taking the pan off.
I have 5-6 different grill pans. I think that one was William-Sonoma but not sure. Any grill pan or basket should work for this recipe.
Dan
Beth says
Trying this tonight. Quick questions - would this be indirect or direct heat (using a Weber grill so direct is over the flame, indirect not (obviously!). Thanks!
DrDan says
Hi Beth,
Welcome to the blog.
Direct heat. The surface temperature is important. So this works well with chicken and pork but I cook beef at a high temperature and it will now work well if you are running a surface temperature of 550+.
Dan
Marsha says
Great recipe - thank you!
One note: the icons on the left (for pinterest, email, etc.) aren’t off in a margin, at least not using an iPad. They cover up text and photos so I had to keep moving the page to read every thing. On-line iPad facsimiles sometimes lie, despite what developers tell you. Thanks!
DrDan says
Hi Marsha,
Welcome to the blog and thanks for the suggestion. I have modified the settings of the plugin some. It is now 1/3 of the size. Hopefully, that helps.
I do this recipe over and over during the summer.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Kathy says
Thank you for this great recipe! I bought some tiny farm fresh red potatoes and read through all the recipes saying to boil them first. Got out my grill pan, did 3 rounds of 7 minutes, put my sirloin steak on, dropped temp just a touch, 5 and 4 and everything came out perfectly! I did use a frozen garlic cube instead of my ancient powder- just gave it enough time to meld perfectly. Thank you so much for this simple recipe with no soaking skewers or boiling!
Ron says
Great recipe Dan. I was looking for a good side for our BBQ this coming weekend. We're getting new (small) potatoes here in Sweden now, so I'll be using those. Thanks.
DrDan says
Hi Ron,
Thanks for the note. All the other recipes boiled the potatoes ahead so I had to do my own technique.
Note to readers: Ron is a fellow food blogger. He is an American living in Sweden now. You can find his blog Lost In a Pot at https://lostinapot.com
Dan