Grilled Whole Baked Potatoes without Foil

Learn how to grill a whole potato without aluminum foil with these two secrets. Just follow the easy step by step photo instructions.

Jump to:

• 🥔The Potato
• 👨‍🍳No-Foil Secrets
• 📖Grilled Side Dishes
• 🔪Instructions
• 📖 Recipe

Introduction and My Rating

A great grilled sided for the summer, and it is simple, simple, simple. Only a few secrets to getting that whole baked potato grilled to perfection, and it does not involve aluminum foil.

So...wash the potato, stick with a fork a few times, so it doesn't explode, brush with oil and season. Then the microwave is your friend. Nuke for 2-3 minutes, then grill over direct heat until done.

My Rating

A really good and simple side.

🥔The Potato

There are several hundred types of potatoes, but I like to divide them into russets potatoes and thinner skin types.

Russets are picked when mature and tend to have more starch. They make great bakers, and the thick skin is great for this recipe.

👨‍🍳No-Foil Secrets

First, the potato needs to be partly cooked (heated) before the grilling. You can not get the inside done otherwise.ssss

Second, a done baked potato is 210 degrees internal.  Cook’s Illustrated recommends 205 to 212. Potatoes are very forgiving, so a little over is better than under. 200 is usually ok, but 190 is not done.

How to Precook in the Microwave

So...wash the potato, stick with a fork a few times, so it doesn't explode, brush with oil and season.

Applying the oil before the microwave seems to help prevent that shriveled microwave potato look.

Then the microwave is your friend. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes then grill over direct heat until done.

Do not over microwave or it will shrivel. But microwaves vary some, and potato size varies. A little under is better than over and make it up on the grill.

Foil Methods

A simple way to grill baked potatoes is to wrap them in foil and cook them over direct heat. Many recommend double wrapping (I guess, so the steam doesn't escape). But they taste more like steamed potatoes, not baked and not grilled.

Just as an aside... I love the Paula Deen recipe with double wrapping, cooking, and then topped with a half stick of butter each. I love butter.

📖Grilled Side Dishes

Easy Grilled Baby Potatoes

Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Mixed Vegetables

Grilled Potato Slices

🔪Instructions

Preheat grill. Your grill surface needs to be in the 450-500 range. A little under is ok but not over. This is a little over medium on my super-duper Weber, but it is a "hot" grill and would be more medium-high on a normal gas grill and over the edge of the coals of a charcoal grill.

Clean and brush well under running water. You want to eat the skin, so get it clean.

Pierce the skin with a fork a few times on each side.

Give them a nice brush of olive oil.

Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. I'm using my 7:2:2 to also add some garlic.  Microwave on high about 2 to 2 ½ minutes per potato flipping over halfway through. This can vary some with the strength of your microwave and the size of potatoes. DO NOT over microwave.

Then transfer to grill over direct heat. Flip every 4-5 minutes. Grill until the outside is nicely brown and internal temp of about 210 degrees. Total grill time 12-14 minutes.

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📖 Recipe

Grilled Whole Baked Potatoes without Foil

From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Learn how to grill a whole potato without aluminum foil with these two secrets. Just follow the easy step by step photo instructions.

4.05 from 22 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 14 mins

Total Time 24 mins

Servings #/Adjust if desired 2 potatoes

Ingredients

US CustomaryConvert to Metric

• ▢ 2 potatoes - medium russet
• ▢ olive oil - for brushing
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat grill. Your grill surface needs to be in the 450-500 range. A little under is ok but not over. This is a little over medium on my super-duper Weber but it is a “hot” grill and would be more medium-high on a normal gas grill and over the edge of the coals of a charcoal grill.
• Clean and brush well under running water. You want to eat the skin so get it clean.
• Pierce the skin with a fork a few times on each side. Give them a nice brush of olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. I’m using my 7:2:2 to also add some garlic.
• Microwave on high about 2 to 2 ½ minutes per potato flipping over halfway through. This can vary some with the strength of your microwave and the size of potatoes. DO NOT over microwave.
• Then transfer to grill over direct heat. Flip every 4-5 minutes. Grill until the outside is nicely brown and internal temp of about 210 degrees. Total grill time 12-14 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

1. Cook the number of potatoes you need.
2. Do not do this with huge potatoes.
3. Precook in the microwave for a few minutes. A little short is better than too long in the microwave.
4. Oil before the microwave, it seems to help the potatoes not to shrivel up as microwave potatoes do.
5. A done potato should be 200 degrees plus to me. I like 210. A little too high is better than not enough. Do not stop under 190.
6. Huge variables due to the size of potatoes, the microwave, and the grill.
7. Times are provided as general guidelines only. GO BY INTERNAL TEMPERATURE ONLY.

Have More Questions?Make it Perfect First Time and Every Time. Don't miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.

TO ADJUST THE RECIPE SIZE:You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition

Calories : 112 kcalCarbohydrates : 14 gProtein : 2 gFat : 6 gSaturated Fat : 1 gPolyunsaturated Fat : 2 gMonounsaturated Fat : 2 gSodium : 319 mgPotassium : 329 mgFiber : 2 gSugar : 1 gVitamin C : 17.3 mgCalcium : 10 mgIron : 0.7 mg

Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Course :Potato

Cuisine :American

Editor's Note: Originally Published May 9, 2013. Updated with expanded discussion and updated photos.