Foil packet potatoes on the grill are one of those side dishes that people underestimate until they actually make them. Red potatoes layered with bacon, butter, onion, green pepper, and seasoned salt, sealed up in foil and steamed on the grill for 35-45 minutes — the result is tender, slightly smoky potatoes that are worth making every single time you fire up the grill.
This recipe is specifically built for the grill, but it works just as well in the oven at 350°F if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Either way, the foil packet method does the work — everything steams together inside and comes out perfectly seasoned.
Grilled Potato Side Dish
Ingredients
- 4 pieces bacon cut in half
- 6 to 8 red potatoes washed and sliced
- 8 to 10 baby carrots diced
- 1/4 onion diced
- 1 green pepper diced
- 3 tablespoons butter about 4 slices
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
Instructions
- Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil on the countertop.
- Spray foil with cooking spray.
- Lay out 4 half-strips of bacon in the center of the foil.
- Top with half of the potatoes, then sprinkle with half of the carrots, onion, and green pepper.
- Lay two pats of butter on top and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon seasoned salt.
- Repeat layers with remaining potatoes, vegetables, butter, and seasoned salt.
- Fold all ends of foil over tightly so the potatoes can steam inside the packet.
- Grill on a preheated grill for 35 to 45 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
- Alternatively, bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Notes
What You Need
The ingredient list here is short and uncomplicated:
- 6-8 red potatoes, washed and sliced thin
- 4 strips bacon, cut in half (8 half-strips total)
- 8-10 baby carrots, diced
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 3 tablespoons butter (about 4 thin pats)
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Cooking spray
Ingredient Notes
The Potatoes
Red potatoes are the right choice for this recipe. They hold their shape during the long steam in the foil packet — they get tender without falling apart into mush. Russets would work but they’re starchier and break down more. Yukon Golds split the difference and are also a good option.
Slice them thin — about 1/8 to 1/4 inch — so they cook through in the 35-45 minute window. Thick slices will still be hard in the center when everything else is done. You’ll use 6-8 potatoes depending on size, which is enough for approximately 6 side-dish servings per packet.
The Bacon
Four strips, each cut in half. Raw bacon goes directly into the packet — it cooks inside the foil along with everything else and its fat renders down into the potatoes during the cook time. This is what makes the potatoes taste like grilled potatoes and not just steamed ones. Regular cut bacon works; thick-cut takes a little longer but adds more rendered fat and flavor.
The Butter
Three tablespoons, distributed in thin pats across the two layers. The butter melts into the seasoned liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the packet and essentially braises the potatoes from below. It also adds richness to compensate for the fact that these aren’t getting direct grill char the way a potato wedge would. Don’t skimp on the butter.
Seasoned Salt
Two teaspoons total, split evenly between the two layers. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt is the standard choice and what most people have on hand for this. It’s a specific blend of salt, paprika, turmeric, and a few other spices that works particularly well with potatoes and grilled food in general. Don’t substitute regular table salt — you’ll lose the flavor complexity that makes this worth eating.
The Vegetables
Carrots, onion, and green pepper fill out the packet and add flavor to the liquid that builds up inside. The carrots add a slight sweetness; the onion softens and mellows during the long steam; the green pepper adds a bright, savory note. None of them are optional in terms of flavor contribution, but any of them can be swapped based on what you have — yellow onion, red bell pepper, and sliced celery all work as substitutes.
Why the Foil Packet Method Works
The foil packet traps steam inside as the vegetables cook. That steam, combined with the rendered bacon fat and melted butter, creates a closed environment that effectively braises the potatoes from below and above simultaneously. You get tender potatoes with concentrated flavor — not the watery flavor you’d get from boiling, and not the dried-out texture you’d risk from roasting them directly on the grill.
The layering approach is also deliberate. Bacon on the bottom means the fat renders directly into the potato layers. Splitting the vegetables and butter into two layers means every piece of potato gets exposure to the seasoning rather than everything concentrating in one layer.
The packet also makes serving easy — the foil peels back into a natural bowl shape and you can serve right from it at a cookout without extra dishes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep Your Vegetables
Wash and scrub the red potatoes well — you’re leaving the skins on, so get them clean. Slice them thin using a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer for consistent thickness. A mandoline makes this significantly faster and gives you more even slices that cook uniformly. Dice the carrots, onion, and green pepper into small pieces.
Step 2: Prepare the Foil
Tear off a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil — you need enough to wrap everything with room to fold and seal the edges. About 18 inches long works for a single packet. Spray the center of the foil with cooking spray so nothing sticks during cooking.
This recipe makes enough for approximately two large foil packets. Divide everything evenly between them rather than trying to make one giant packet that won’t seal properly.
Step 3: Layer the Ingredients
Start with the bacon: lay 4 half-strips of bacon across the center of the foil in a single layer. Top with half of the sliced potatoes, spread out evenly. Scatter half the carrots, onion, and green pepper over the potatoes. Add 2 thin pats of butter. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt over the layer.
Repeat the layers: remaining potatoes, remaining vegetables, remaining butter pats, and the final teaspoon of seasoned salt. The second bacon strips can go on top if you want, or fold them into the middle layer.
Step 4: Seal the Packet
Bring the long sides of the foil up and fold them over the top of the ingredients, rolling the fold down toward the food. Fold and crimp the short ends tight. The packet needs to be sealed well enough that steam doesn’t escape — steam is what cooks the potatoes. Leave a small air pocket at the top of the packet so there’s room for steam to build up inside.
Step 5: Grill
Preheat your grill to medium heat (about 350-375°F). Place the foil packets directly on the grill grates. Cook for 35-45 minutes, flipping the packet once at the halfway point to ensure even cooking. Don’t open the packet until the full cook time is up — every time you open it, you release the steam and slow down cooking.
At 35 minutes, carefully open one corner of the packet (steam will escape — use tongs and point it away from you). Test a potato piece with a fork. If it’s fork-tender all the way through, it’s done. If there’s resistance, reseal and cook another 5-10 minutes.
Step 6: Open and Serve
Peel back the foil carefully and serve directly from the packet, or slide the contents onto a serving dish. The liquid at the bottom of the packet is flavorful — spoon it back over the potatoes before serving.
Oven Method
If grilling isn’t an option, this works in the oven at 350°F for 45 minutes. Prepare the packets exactly the same way and place them on a sheet pan. The result is slightly less smoky than the grill version but otherwise identical. This is also useful if you’re making a large batch — you can fit more packets in an oven than on a standard grill grate.
Cautions and Common Mistakes
Thick potato slices. This is the most common reason these come out underdone in the center. Keep slices at 1/4 inch or thinner. If you don’t have a mandoline and your knife skills aren’t consistent, err on the side of thinner rather than thicker.
Loose packet seal. Steam needs to stay inside the packet to cook the potatoes. If the foil is loosely folded, steam escapes, the interior dries out, and you end up with half-cooked potatoes. Fold and crimp the ends firmly.
Opening too early. The temptation to check the potatoes at 20 minutes is real. Resist it. Opening the packet releases all the accumulated steam and extends the cook time significantly. Wait until at least 35 minutes before checking.
Single-use foil that’s too thin. Standard aluminum foil can tear when you fold it and when you flip the packet. Heavy-duty foil is the right choice. If you only have regular foil, use two layers.
Uneven slices. Thick and thin slices in the same packet will cook at different rates. The thin ones will be perfect while the thick ones are still firm. Consistent slice thickness matters for this recipe specifically.
Serving Suggestions
This side dish pairs with essentially anything you’d grill. The classics:
- Burgers and hot dogs — the bacon and potato combination is an obvious match
- Grilled chicken — the seasoned potato packet balances well against leaner proteins
- Ribeye or strip steak — meat and potato in its most direct form
- Pork chops — the sweetness of the carrots in the packet complements pork well
- Grilled brats or Italian sausage — the savory, salty potato packet works with any sausage
For a full summer cookout plate: burgers off the grill, this potato packet, and a simple green salad or corn on the cob alongside.
Variations
Cheesy Potato Foil Packets
After the packets come off the grill, open them and add a handful of shredded cheddar while the potatoes are still hot. Close the packet loosely for 2-3 minutes to let the cheese melt. A variation of this uses Velveeta — cut small cubes and bury them between the potato layers before sealing the packet. The Velveeta melts into the steaming liquid and creates a creamy cheese sauce that coats the potatoes. Very different from the standard version but very good.
Spicy Potato Packets
Add a diced jalapeño to the vegetable mix and substitute Cajun seasoning for the seasoned salt. A pinch of cayenne in the layers adds additional heat. This version pairs well with grilled chicken or fish.
Garlic Herb Version
Replace the seasoned salt with a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, dried rosemary, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. The herb profile is more subtle but works well if you’re serving this alongside a more delicately flavored protein like grilled fish or chicken breast.
Campfire Version
These packets work directly on campfire coals. Place them on the coals (not in direct flame) and cook for the same 35-45 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes. Watch for hot spots — the cooking is less even than a controlled grill, so check for doneness at the 30-minute mark.
Storage and Leftovers
Refrigerator: Leftover potato packet contents keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container. They reheat reasonably well — the bacon fat and butter in the potatoes keep them from drying out during reheating.
Reheating: Microwave in 90-second intervals, stirring in between. A splash of water in the container before microwaving helps maintain moisture. You can also reheat them in a skillet over medium heat with a small amount of butter — this gives you slightly crisped-up potato edges that are genuinely better than the original in some ways.
Freezer: Not recommended. Cooked potatoes that have been frozen and thawed tend to get grainy and fall apart. Make what you’ll eat within a few days.
Scaling the Recipe
This recipe as written makes approximately 6 side-dish portions across two foil packets. For a larger crowd:
- Each packet serves about 3 people
- Add additional packets rather than making individual packets larger — oversized packets take longer to cook and seal less effectively
- All packets on the grill at the same time is fine; rotate them if you know your grill has hot spots
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular foil instead of heavy-duty?
You can, but use two layers. Regular foil is more likely to tear during assembly and flipping. Heavy-duty foil handles the long cook time and the weight of the potato packet without issue. For a recipe where the foil is doing the work of a baking vessel, it’s worth using the right foil.
Do I need to parboil the potatoes first?
No. The thin slices cook through fully in the 35-45 minute window inside the sealed foil. Parboiling adds an extra step that isn’t necessary as long as you slice the potatoes thin enough. If you slice them thicker than 1/4 inch, add 10-15 minutes to the cook time rather than parboiling.
Can I prep these the night before?
You can assemble the packets the night before and refrigerate them, but hold off on sealing them completely — the potatoes will release some moisture and start to interact with the salt if left sealed for too long. Seal them just before they go on the grill.
My potatoes were still hard at 45 minutes. What happened?
A few possibilities: the potato slices were too thick, the packet seal wasn’t tight enough and steam escaped, or the grill was running cooler than expected. Solution: reseal the packet tightly and cook for another 10-15 minutes. For future batches, slice thinner and double-check the foil seal before putting packets on the grill.