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Grilling Potatoes
If you’re going to be grilling potatoes on your outdoor grill, there are a few helpful tips that’ll help you make the best grilled potatoes in town. Whether you’re cooking red potatoes, white potatoes, yellow potatoes or russets, these potato grilling tips will help you do it right!
The texture of potatoes varies from one variety to another. Those big, brown russet potatoes have a crumbly texture when cooked. Yellow potatoes like the Yukon gold variety, and the red potatoes are more moist, and have a firmer texture when cooked. The round white potatoes are more of an all purpose variety.
Methods for Grilling Potatoes
The following list summarizes the different ways potatoes can be cooked on your grill.
- Whole Grilled Potatoes – Whole potatoes can be simply coated with oil, seasoned, then grilled until tender. The decision to cook them over direct heat, or with indirect heat depends on the potato size and the texture you prefer. With direct grilling you’ll get some browning and a drier, chewier skin. The potatoes need to be turned occasionally to prevent burning.With indirect grilling, the cooking method is more akin to baking or roasting. There will be little browning and less chance of the potatoes burning. New potatoes grill quickly, and take only 10 to 15 minutes. Figure on about 30 minutes for medium potatoes and 45 minutes for larger spuds. Whole grilled potatoes are great for potato salads, eating as baked potatoes, or chopping and topping with butter and fresh herbs. I like them chopped, buttered, and topped with a minced, fresh dill weed.For a moister potato and really tender skin, wrap whole potatoes in foil, along with a couple teaspoons of oil, salt and pepper. You can also add fresh or dried herbs, chopped garlic, or a couple of thin onion slices to the packet to give the foil wrapped potatoes more flavor. Grill over medium direct heat for 30 to 45 minutes, or until tender. A fork should easily pierce through the potato when done.
- Grilling Potato Slices – Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices, oil ’em up and season with salt, pepper, and spices or herbs. Grilled over direct, medium heat potato slices will take about 10 minutes to cook, five minutes per side. Once cooled slighty, grilled potato slices are great for dunking into sauces and dips, or can be layered with a variety of toppings and served as appetizers.
- Smashed Potatoes – These require a two step process. First, smallish potatoes are grilled until just tender. Then they are gently pressed until the skin breaks and they are slightly flattened. Don’t overdo the smashing or they’ll fall apart. Use the bottom of a bowl or glass as your tater smasher.Brush the smashed spuds with olive oil or melted butter and season to taste. Now, it’s back on the grill over medium-high heat until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Turn every so often to prevent burning.
- Potato Wedges – Split large potatoes in half, then cut each half into four wedges. Smaller potatoes can be quartered. Rub with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over direct, medium heat until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.These can be eaten like French fries, dipped in ketchup (or in tartar sauce if you’re in Spokane). I like to dip ’em in Ketchup Diablo. Mix 1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce, more or less, into one cup of ketchup. Pour into a small bowl and top with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Spicy stuff!
- Twice Grilled Potatoes – These are fantastic, but take some time and effort. They are best made with russet baking potatoes, which will take about an hour to cook.Cool the grill-baked potatoes. Cut them in half and scoop out the potato, leaving a potato skin shell. Mix the scooped out potato with some heavy cream, cheese, minced veggies and seasonings. Put them back into the grill for 10 to 15 minutes, using indirect heat. When the cheese is melted and you see some browning on top, they’re done.
With so many grilled potato recipes and varieties, you could be grilling potatoes a different way every day!