These grilled Russet potatoes are the perfect side dish and the only grilled potato recipe you’ll need. Complete with pretty grill marks; these potato wedges are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They are a quick and easy way to grill potatoes without foil and are full of garlicky flavor.
If you love the summer grill season as I do, check out my vegan grilling recipe series, including the ULTIMATE vegan black bean burger, grilled tofu, grilled veggies, and more. There are so many great recipes, and I hope you’ll be inspired to try some!
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Flavor: Grilling Russet potatoes enhances their natural flavor by charring them slightly.
- Texture: Grilling gives them an incredible texture. The skin becomes crispy and slightly charred, while the potato flesh is tender. This is the perfect contrast.
- Versatility: Enjoy these vegan grilled russet potatoes as a side dish alongside grilled meats, burgers, or salads. Use them as a base for toppings like plant-based cheese or vegan sour cream. Load them with fresh herbs (fresh chives go well).
- Ultimate side dish: Who doesn’t love a potato with crispy skin? These will be the center of attention at your next barbecue or lunch party and a great alternative to traditional whole potatoes in aluminum foil packets.
- Health benefits: Grilling reduces the need for added fats, making it a healthier cooking method than frying while still delivering crispy grilled potatoes.
- Leftover potential: If you have any grilled Russet potatoes leftover, they can be repurposed in many different ways. Use them in a breakfast hash, make potato salad, or even use them as a filling for tofu omelets or frittatas.
Potato grilling FAQs
Russet potatoes are the best kind of potato for grilling. Their generous size serves several people and reduces the amount of prep time, their thick skin crisps up beautifully on the grill, and their sturdy texture prevents them from getting mushy or falling apart.
You absolutely need to parboil large potatoes such as Russet potatoes before grilling. Boiling will pre-cook the potatoes and make sure they are completely soft inside once they start to crisp up on the grill (which happens pretty quickly). Plus, the salted water will season the potatoes from the inside and make them even more flavorful.
Long and thin potato wedges take about 10 minutes to pre-cook. You know that the potatoes are done when they are softer but not quite fork-tender yet (you cannot insert a fork without applying pressure).
No, you don’t need to peel Russet potatoes before grilling. The crispy skin is the best part and it saves you time in the kitchen.
You want to grill the potatoes over direct heat, meaning over the flame at medium-high heat. If they get dark too quickly (quicker than the indicated time in the recipe), you can move them to the side or the back of your grill, which are cooler areas with indirect heat. You can also swap the potatoes at the front of the grill with those at the back if you feel like the heat is not evenly distributed.
Your grill probably wasn’t hot enough when you placed the potatoes on the grill. This can happen if you’re grilling multiple things at the same time and opening the lid of your grill often. Make sure the grill is at 475-500°F (245-260°C) when starting to obtain beautiful grill marks.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Russet potatoes: Thick-skinned potatoes like these get really crispy on the grill. You can also make this recipe with red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes.
- Avocado oil: This abundantly healthy oil is neutral in taste and doesn’t overwhelm the mild, earthy potato flavor. It also has a high smoke point, making it ideal for grilling. Olive oil is an alternative.
- Garlic powder: For an easy, savory seasoning. Garlic seasoning is the ideal sidekick to these potatoes. If you want to use fresh garlic, you can. To prevent fresh garlic from burning on the hot grill, chop it finely and mix it with a little oil. Baste the potatoes with this mixture close to the end of their grill time. Watch the grilled potatoes closely to see that the garlic doesn’t burn. Use a ratio of 1 clove of fresh garlic: ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Herbes de Provence: It's the perfect mix of dried herbs to elevate the flavors of these potatoes. It's usually made of thyme, oregano, summer savory, and rosemary. For an alternative, use Italian seasoning, BBQ seasoning, or (vegan) ranch seasoning.
- Paprika: For glowy, golden grilled russet potatoes, paprika is key.
- Cayenne pepper and black pepper: Bring the heat and spice! Dial the spice level up or down by swapping out cayenne pepper for smoked paprika, adding chili powder, or mixing them.
Elo’s tips
- Do not cut the potatoes in half. It’s important to cut them into long and thin wedges to help them cook quicker and get all the sides extra crispy.
- Cut the wedges into similar sizes to make sure they cook evenly. Cut medium potatoes into 4 wedges and large potatoes into 6 wedges.
- Don’t overcook the potatoes. They should not be fully cooked when you drain them or they will fall apart on the grill.
- Pre-cook the potatoes up to 24 hours ahead of time to save time when you start grilling.
- Let them cool slightly before seasoning. The best way to do so is to place the skin side down on a cutting board (see picture below).
- To prevent the potatoes from sticking to the grill grates, scrape them with a grill brush once it’s really hot to remove any burnt pieces of food.
- Lay the potato wedges in a single layer on the grill grates. There should be a small space between them, making it easy to flip them. It also prevents overcrowding and steaming.
How to grill cabbage (step-by-step instructions)
STEP 1: Prepare the potatoes. Start by gently scrubbing the potatoes with a small brush to remove dirt. Pat them dry with a paper towel and cut them into wedges.
STEP 2: Par cook the potatoes. Boil the potatoes in a pot of salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and cool them for a further 10 minutes.
STEP 3: Season the potatoes. Combine the avocado oil, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the potato wedges through the mixture to coat them in it.
STEP 4: Grill the potatoes. Place the potatoes cut side down on the preheated grill. Close the lid.
STEP 5: Flip the potatoes after 3-5 minutes and make sure all 3 sides touched the grates to obtain beautiful grill marks. Adjust their cooking time depending on the size of your potato wedges.
STEP 6: Finish off. Return the wedges to the bowl with the oil and seasoning, toss through, and serve immediately. Optionally, add fresh herbs (e.g., fresh parsley, thyme, or rosemary). You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days but they will lose their crispiness.
Equipment
- I’m using a Weber gas grill from the Genesis II series with 4 burners but any gas grill will work. You can also cook the potatoes on a charcoal grill, flipping the potatoes more often and watching them carefully.
- Grilling tongs
- Large mixing bowl
Serving suggestions
Here are a few side dishes and sauces that will go beautifully with these grilled Russet potatoes :
- Chimichurri tofu. You can either serve them just with the chimichurri sauce or with the tofu as well.
- Harissa tofu would be a nice spicy contrast to the potatoes.
- These 4-ingredient black bean burgers make the ultimate grilling experience.
- You can serve the potatoes with my special burger sauce or this creamy vegan Caesar dressing.
- Try serving them with a bowl of this fresh zucchini dip with basil for an extra serving of veggies.
- This Puy lentil salad would make a great main dish with potatoes on the side.
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The recipe
Grilled Russet Potatoes (Without Foil)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium-large Russet potatoes
- 6 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence a mix of dried thyme, rosemary and oregano.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper sub smoked paprika
Instructions
- Prepare the potatoes. Wash the potatoes and remove dirt with a soft brush. Pat them dry. Cut them lengthwise in half and into wedges. Cut medium potatoes into 4 wedges and large potatoes into 6 wedges.
- Pre-cook the potatoes. Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil. Add in the potato wedges and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- Season. Combine the avocado oil, garlic powder, paprika, herbes de Provence, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add in the potatoes and gently toss with your hands until evenly coated.
- Preheat the grill to 475-500°F (245-260°C). If needed, brush the grill grates with a grill brush to remove any leftover bits of food. No need to oil the grates.
- Grill. Place the potatoes cut side down on the grill over medium-high heat. Grill for 10-15 minutes and flip them every 3-5 minutes. Keep the grill between 400°F and 475°F (200-245°C) the whole time.
- Season. Return the potatoes to the bowl with the oil. Toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cut the wedges into similar sizes to make sure they cook evenly. Cut medium potatoes into 4 wedges and large potatoes into 6 wedges.
- Let the potatoes before seasoning. The best way to do so is to place the skin side down on a cutting board (see picture below).
- You can pre-cook them up to 24 hours ahead of time to save time when you start grilling.
- Storage: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days but they will lose their crispiness.
Nutrition
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