Grilled potatoes in foil packets make a perfect BBQ side dish when cooking outdoors on the grill. These campfire potatoes with rosemary and garlic pair wonderfully with any type of grilled meat, fish or vegetables.
When summer time is approaching, it’s time to bring out the grill or the barbecue and start cooking outdoors again. It’s such a wonderful way of making food. To be able to prepare a delicious meal with no electricity and minimal kitchen equipment gives me a great feeling. It’s also a good way to practice slow cooking. The flames are slowly turning the coals or wood into the best cooking stove.
When we have barbecue, I try to cook all the dishes on the same fire or grill, if possible of course. It’s very easy to make a potato dish on the grill and there are various recipes for it. For this grilled potato recipe I use foil packets. In fact, a campfire foil packet is a great and easy way of preparing food.
Ingredients for grilled potatoes in foil
Note: All the exact quantities of the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Baby Potatoes: I like to use firm and waxy potatoes for roasting, like baby potatoes. For making roasted baby potatoes on the grill there is no need to peel them, nor to cut them in half. The skin is thin and has a nice taste. Just wash the potato properly and they are ready to use.
- Olive oil: Coat the baby potatoes with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It gives the potatoes a nice flavour and makes sure the potatoes will not get stuck to the foil while roasting on the fire.
- Garlic: When adding garlic to your campfire potatoes, the nearby campers will most probably want to join you for dinner, because…who does not love garlic with roasted potatoes. Just give the garlic a good crush with the side of a knife (don’t cut yourself), no need to mince or chop the garlic finely.
- Rosemary: Rosemary pairs really well with potatoes, so when you put fresh sprigs of rosemary on top of the potatoes in the foil packets they will leave a nice hint of their piney aroma without overpowering too much.
- Spices: In addition to the rosemary and garlic, I have used paprika and curry powder for a sweet pungent taste .
How to make potatoes on the grill in foil
These potatoes need around 40 minutes to cook, so the earlier you get them on the grill the better. You can start preparing the foil packet potatoes immediately after starting the campfire or lighting the charcoal on the grill.
In a large bowl, combine the baby potatoes with the olive oil and the spices and give everything a good toss until the potatoes are well coated.
For the foil packets, it is preferable to use heavy duty aluminium foil as there is less chance of tearing the packets when handling them on the grill. If using normal alu-foil, use a double sheet for the same effect. I have used one large packet for all the potatoes, but you can also make two packets and divide the amount equally and serve each their own packet.
To make the foil packets, put the potatoes from the mixing bowl in the middle of the sheet. Add the crushed garlic and rosemary on top of the potatoes. Fold the opposite sides of the foil in towards the middle until the edges meet. Crimp the edges together so the foil packet is sealed properly to prevent the steam from escaping while cooking. Leave enough room for the steam and heat to move inside the foil packet. The packet will look like a little purse so they don’t take up all the space on the grill. And they are easier to handle when moving them around the grill.
The potatoes in foil can be placed on the grill when the heat is still high, no need to wait for the coals to reach a proper cooking temperature. Just make sure to place them more on the edge of the grill when the heat is still very high to make sure the potatoes at the bottom of the packet don’t burn. The time of cooking will depend on the size of the potatoes and if you decide to cut them in half or not. Sliced potatoes will need around 20 minutes and whole potatoes around 40 minutes.
How to serve baked potatoes on the grill
When taking the foil packet potatoes off the grill, allow them to cool for a few minutes. They can either be served directly in the foil packets, which is the best way in my opinion. You will also have less cleaning up and the potatoes stay nice and hot in the foil. Serve the large packet to share or serve each person their own packet with foil baked potatoes. You can also place the potatoes in a nice serving bowl or plate to put on the table. If you want you can add some chopped fresh parsley on top for extra garnish.
What to serve with BBQ potatoes in foil
Roasted potatoes are served as a side dish and pair really well with any type of grilled meat, fish, vegetables like these lemon herb chicken skewers. With the grilled potatoes in foil, you can serve some dips for extra flavour like this Greek tzatziki sauce, or Baba Ganoush. Or serve alongside other side dishes like Mediterranean roasted vegetables or even grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches.
BBQ Grilled potatoes in foil packets
Equipment
- Heavy duty aluminium foil
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (350 g) baby potatoes washed and unpeeled
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 Fresh Rosemary sprigs
- 1 teaspoon curry powder mild
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 pinch seasalt
- 1 pinch freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Wash the baby potatoes well, no need to peel them. Take a mixing bowl and combine the potatoes with the curry powder, paprika powder, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss the potatoes with the spices and olive oil until well coated.
- Tear a piece of 18 inches (or 50 cm) heavy duty aluminium foil. Put the coated potatoes in the middle of the foil sheet. Place the crushed garlic and rosemary sprigs over the potatoes.
- Fold the opposite sides of the foil in towards the middle until the edges meet. Crimp around all the edges to seal. Leave enough room for the steam and heat to move inside the foil packet. The packet will look like a little purse.
- Place the foil packet on the gas grill or wood/charcoal fire and cook for 40 minutes, or until soft. When cooked, remove the packet from the grill and let it cool for a few minutes. Open the foil packets carefully, the steam inside will be hot.
Notes
- I use whole baby potatoes in this recipe. Keep in mind that should you cut the potatoes in half or use smaller sized potatoes, the cooking time will be lower than indicated here.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment with rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #thetastychilli and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
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