Grilled Potatoes prepared without aluminum foil are deliciously browned on the outside and tender and creamy on the inside. Toss them with lemon herb sauce for the ultimate summer side.
Potatoes are such a versatile ingredient, but we often don't think about grilling them.
When I ask friends what they like to grill, popular choices include veggie burgers and tofu and pineapple teriyaki kabobs. But spuds deserve a spot on the barbecue, too, and go perfectly with all your favorite vegan cookout recipes.
Even if you've never grilled potatoes, it's really easy to do. The key is to cook them first in boiling water until just tender. Then use a grill basket or your barbecue instead of foil to give them the a crispy exterior.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
- The grill makes the potatoes brown and crispy on the outside.
- The lemon herb sauce makes this side dish extra flavorful.
- 30 minutes is all it takes to make grilled potatoes without foil.
Ingredients
The list of ingredients you'll need to make this recipe is relatively short. And everything should be available at your local supermarket:
- Small or baby potatoes (also called new potatoes): While you can use red or white for this recipe, I recommend gold (yellow) if they are available.
- Olive oil: This is the preferred oil to use as part of a vegan Mediterranean diet.
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley: I opt for Italian flat-leaf, but curly is fine, too.
- Fresh mint
- Garlic cloves
- Lemon juice: Fresh is always better, but bottled will do in a pinch.
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes first to ensure they are tender all the way through. Drain and transfer to a bowl to cool. (Often I'll do this in advance, even the day before I'm ready to make this recipe.)
- When cool enough to handle, slice in half and toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Place the halves in a grill basket.
- Place the basket on the hot grill. Toss occasionally until lightly browned on the outside.
- Prepare the sauce in a food processor and toss with the grilled potatoes.
Grill basket
Using a vegetable grill basket makes grilling potatoes easy. I also use mine for grilling small veggies like cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions so that they don't fall through the grates and are easier to handle.
Lemon Herb Sauce
Grilled Potatoes get even more flavor from an easy-to-make food-processor sauce. It's like a pesto, but with different ingredients.
Simply combine fresh parsley and mint, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and olive oil, and it's ready to eat. I like to keep it on the chunky side so that I can still see bits of the fresh herbs.
Serving suggestions
Grilled potatoes go well with a variety of dishes. For summer parties, I love serving them with vegetable kebabs or veggie burgers and assorted vegan salads.
And for brunch, this recipe goes really well with tofu scramble with vegan pesto and a simple Asparagus Avocado Salad.
Plus the flavorful spuds make a great addition to the Salade niçoise from my Vegan Mix & Match Salads cookbook.
Storing
To save any leftovers, first bring them to room temperature. Then pack them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy the leftovers within 3 to 5 days either cold or reheated in the microwave or oven.
Recipe FAQs
According to Healthline, "Cooking with aluminum foil can increase the amount of aluminum in your food. However, the amounts are very small and deemed safe by researchers."
But cooking without foil, especially at high heat or with acidic foods like tomatoes and lemons, is a good idea if you are concerned about the amount of aluminum you are absorbing. In addition, you will produce less waste by eliminating the use of single-use foil.
A stainless steel cooling rack, like you use for baking cookies, can be turned upside down and used as a makeshift grill basket.
Parboiling the potatoes is a necessary step to make sure the potatoes are cooked through and creamy on the inside. Otherwise, if you place the raw potatoes on the grill, they will get crispy on the outside but will still be rock hard on the inside.
More vegan grilling recipes
And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★
📋 Recipe
Grilled Potatoes without Foil
Ingredients
- 3 pounds small gold potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Lemon Herb Sauce:
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 1 handful fresh mint
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- salt, to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Place the whole potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add about a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. This step can be done in advance, even the day before. Cover and refrigerate the potatoes until you're ready to grill them.
- Slice the potatoes in half and place them in a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
- Transfer the potatoes to a vegetable grill basket. Place on a grill over high heat.
- Grill the potatoes until lightly browned and heated through, tossing occasionally, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the Lemon Herb Sauce by placing the parsley, mint, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process while drizzling the olive oil through the funnel of the food processor. Scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed. The sauce should be chunky.
- When the potatoes are ready, transfer them to a serving bowl. Top with the Lemon Herb Sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
This recipe was originally published 8/9/2018. It was updated for better user experience.
MaryBeth
The potatoes were so good! Thank you for the recipe, we hosted a bbq and we all really enjoyed the flavor with the bright lemon and the mint, parsley combination.
Amy Katz
I'm so happy everyone enjoyed it, Mary Beth!