How To Grill Potatoes

!±8± How To Grill Potatoes

Perhaps you have never thought of grilling potatoes but whether you want a nice side dish for a Mexican food recipe or some tasty fare for vegetarians, learning how to grill potatoes is easy. You can either par-cook them and finish them on the grill or cook them from raw on there. The texture will be great and the flavor will be magnificent.

Par-Cooking The Potatoes First

You might want to par-cook the spuds before putting them on the hot grate. This will make the grilling time shorter and you will be able to finish them off on there, giving them a flavorful crust.

This is handy if you are cooking meat or chicken on the grill and you want everything in front of you, rather than a pan of spuds boiling in the kitchen and everything else cooking outdoors.

If you are using Yukon Gold, Red Bliss or another dense-fleshed spud, this is a good way to cook them, to ensure the inside stays fluffy and the outside is golden and crispy. Cut them into wedges, quarters, or slices and simmer them for ten minutes.

You can do this in advance if you like and leave them at room temperature while you start cooking the rest of your food on the barbecue, then just finish them off on there until the inside is tender and the outside is a nice color.

Cooking Them On The Grill Only

If you want to cook your potatoes from start to finish using only the barbecue, you will need to combine indirect with direct cooking. Bank the coals on one side when you heat the grill. This ensures you will have a hot side and a cooler side. If you are using Idaho potatoes, this is a great method. For yellow or red potatoes, use the par-boiling method for better results.

Wrap the chopped spuds in aluminum foil and put the package over the high heat. Cover your grill, leaving the top and bottom vents open, and the spuds ought to be ready after about forty minutes. They will be firm yet tender and very tasty.

Add onions, garlic, or bell peppers to the packages for extra flavor, and use your favorite spices or seasonings in there too. Leave the packages unopened and the potatoes can rest for fifteen minutes while you grill your authentic Mexican food recipes or whatever else you are making over the direct heat or indirect heat.

A Delicious Mexican Spice Rub

Fans of Mexican food will love the flavor this spice rub will give their spuds. To make it, stir together two minced cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of chili powder, half a teaspoon of ground cumin, half a tablespoon of salt, a tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro, and a pinch of ground red pepper. Coat your spuds in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle the spice rub over them, then wrap them in aluminum foil and let them cook to perfection.