These roasted potatoes on the grill are a cinch to make–simply potatoes, garlic, oil, and rosemary—that turn crispy on the outside, blissfully tender on the inside. And they’re made without foil or turning on the oven or running back and forth between backyard and kitchen for the side dish next time you grill.
Adapted from Frank Pellegrino Jr. | Rao’s on the Grill | St. Martin’s Press, 2012
These roasted potatoes on the grill rival any crisp, tender, golden brown roasted potatoes in the oven. Even better, you can rely on this technique when it’s sweltering outside and you crave roasted potatoes but want a respite from turning on the oven—and, by extension, heating up the entire kitchen. It also means no running back and forth between stove and grill for the side dish next time you’re grilling. And it’s done without foil, which means no waste. (We thought you’d like all that.)–David Leite
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Roasted Potatoes on the Grill FAQs
What potatoes are considered waxy?
Look for fingerlings, new potatoes, and red-skinned potatoes.
Are waxy potatoes better for me?
Waxy potatoes contain less starch and typically have a lower glycemic index than types like the Russet and Idaho, which are on the high end of the scale. If you’re diabetic or sugars are a concern, consuming a lot of potatoes can make controlling your blood sugar challenging. While you don’t have to avoid them completely, you should keep portions small.
In this recipe
Roasted Potatoes on the Grill
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 6 unpeeled waxy potatoes* quartered lengthwise
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sprigs rosemary chopped if desired (optional)
Directions
- Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat so it maintains a steady temperature of 500º F (260ºC).
- Pour the oil and garlic in a large flameproof roasting pan. Place the pan on the grill grate, close the lid, and let it heat until the oil begins to shimmer, about 2 minutes.
- Carefully add the potatoes to the pan and gently stir to coat with the oil. Close the lid on the grill and let the potatoes roast, keeping the lid closed except to occasionally turn the potatoes with a thin metal spatula, until they're golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Season the potatoes to taste with salt and pepper and, if desired, a sprinkle of rosemary. Using a slotted spoon, move the potatoes into a bowl or platter and serve hot.
Notes
*What are waxy potatoes?
Waxy potatoes are generally the first choice for potato dishes where you want your spuds to keep their shape—roasted, grilled, potato salads, ar gratins. This category includes fingerlings, new potatoes, and red-skinned potatoes. But if you’re at the grocery store and you can’t remember a specific name, here’s a little trick—a waxy potato has a thinner skin that can be easily pierced or scratched with your fingernail.Show Nutrition
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Why have I not made roasted potatoes on the grill before? Wow, wow, wow! The very best roasted potatoes I’ve ever had. Seriously, these were amazing—nice and crisp with an amazing garlic and herb flavor. It all just worked amazingly well.
We served them with grilled red snapper and they were simply perfect. Oddly enough, there were some leftovers and we had them the next day, both cold and warmed up in the microwave, and though not as crisp as the day before, they still tasted just as good.
Oh my. These roasted potatoes on the grill are delicious and an easy way to cook potatoes.
While the potatoes were roasting, I snipped some rosemary and added it to the pan, which I shook every now and then to sauté the potatoes, and voilà! I had roasted potatoes, easy peasy.
I grilled some fish alongside them during the last few minutes and made a salad and everything was ready for alfresco dining. This will become a favorite. The only note of caution is to stir the pan or shake it to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
What a great recipe. Easy, minimal ingredients, and super taste and texture.
I let my potatoes grill a few minutes longer to get a bit crisper. I used a combination of Yukon golds and red potatoes—I liked the red potatoes better. Be careful when adding the potatoes to the oil and do layer on the rosemary sprigs.
Use the leftover oil from these roasted potatoes on the grill to fry up any remaining potatoes for breakfast.
This recipe for roasted potatoes on the grill is fabulous. If you’ve ever made roasted potatoes in the oven, you’ll really like this method. I followed the recipe exactly, and the potatoes turned out to be the most beautiful brown color. I wanted to eat them all myself!
My only caution is to watch the garlic and oil at the very beginning, as the garlic can turn black right before your eyes if you’re not careful. The only thing I’d change next time is to season the potatoes with salt, pepper, and rosemary at the beginning rather than the end. Other than that, this recipe is great! We’ll be making it, again and again, this summer.
A perfect addition to any summer meal that keeps the mess and heat out of the kitchen. My son did the grilling and the potatoes came out perfect—soft in the middle and crisp on the outside.
I put the potatoes in one of those large grill pans that has all the holes and hoped this would still work well. The only problem we had was with the oil causing the grill to flame up a bit, but that was fine.
I wondered if the garlic would be too much—3 cloves for 6 potatoes seemed like a lot—but it was very good. Next time, I may cut back a bit just for personal preference.
This technique for roasted potatoes on the grill was a nice way to have crisp roasted potatoes in the summer without the heat of the oven.
I’d definitely play around with the seasonings and herbs, though I did enjoy the crisp bits of garlic. I didn’t have a flameproof roasting pan, so I used a wide stainless steel sauté pan instead and was able to fit all of the potatoes snugly in there.
Originally published August 14, 2012
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Used my cast iron frying pan – these are more like a fried potato – but damned delicious. And simple!
They certainly are, Miles! We’re delighted you love them as much as we do. Thanks for taking the time to let us know.
Just got done making these grilled potatoes, and they were so delicious! Best ever! I didn’t think it was possible, with only 5 ingredients, but it was so packed full of flavor. I just used an aluminum foil pan, I used russet and red potatoes (my fave was def the red potatoes) and I used about 6 garlic cloves. I also seasoned at the beginning. My little girls loved it so much, as do I. I did crowd the potatoes, so I got very crispy ones along with softer ones, which I didn’t mind one bit. I actually saw this recipe months ago, and remembered it today with the warmer weather now, and wanted to try it. Thanks so much for an outstanding recipe.
You’re so very welcome, Nancee! Lovely to hear this worked out as well for your family as it did for all of us! Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know!
I made these potatoes last night. Correction, I prepared the potatoes and then handed them over to my husband (aka Grill Master) for execution. They were absolutely delicious, with a wonderfully creamy texture on the inside. I think I’d like them a little crispier on the outside – would love some advice in that regard. A little bit crispier, and I think they would be a wonderful gluten-free substitute for French fries. Yet another killer recipe from Leite’s Culinaria.
Alison, so glad you liked them. As far as getting them crisper, two things: 1.) heat and 2.) space. Make sure the grill is really, really hot. (I place my cast-iron pan on the grill and let it heat until it’s red-hot then I add the taters.) Also, give the spuds room. If they’re on top of each other, they’ll steam rather than roast. So use your largest skillet or, better, thickest baking sheet.
I had been grilling for 50 years……and I´d never thought about it!
Well, we’re glad to have been able to find something new to share with you, Ricardo!
Great, easy recipe. I used tricolor fingerling potatoes and it made a very restaurant-quality potato.
Lovely, Colleen. Thanks for taking the time to let us know! Looking forward to hearing which recipe on the site you try next.