I love it when we have a tasty and easy recipe to share like Smoked Baked Potatoes. These potatoes come out fluffy and buttery with the classic smoke flavor of mesquite. The cooking time is not much different than the oven, and it lets you use it for something else.
Let me be honest, I plan baked potatoes when Sean is already outdoors BBQing and he just puts them on for me. Thanks, Hubby!
Mark this recipe because when you want a baked potato, you are going to want to do them on the BBQ or smoker. Just look at how tender, fluffy, and buttery these smoked baked potatoes are. The best for me is the skin. I usually don’t eat the skin. Until we started smoking them. The skin is perfectly crispy like a chip or a crispy potato skin. Speaking of potato skins check out our Twice-Baked Potatoes.
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Ingredients
4 ingredients are all you need and if you are not a garlic salt fan, now it’s just three.
- Russet potatoes, we prefer medium to large size washed, not peeled.
- Olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
- Salt (fine/table salt)
- Garlic salt (if you don’t have garlic salt, you can substitute it with fine/table salt.)
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This is a great first-time smoker recipe. All you need to do is season the potatoes and heat up the BBQ or smoker. These smoked baked potatoes need very little attention while cooking. Remember they are so easy, so just add them to any of your cooks when you want baked potatoes or Twice-Baked Potatoes.
1.
Preheat the BBQ or smoker to 400 degrees F.
2.
BBQ set up for indirect cooking.
3.
Clean the potatoes and dry them off. Place them on a cookie sheet.
NOTE: Drying them helps the oil adhere better and you’ll get crispier skin.
4.
Poke each potato 4 to 6 times.
5.
Coat each potato with olive oil.
6.
Sprinkle the salt and garlic salt over the potatoes and gently rub the seasoning in.
7.
Now the big question is should I wrap them with foil or not? Either way, you are going to love them. Check out the Top tip on the results of foiling or not.
Note: The unwrapped smoked baked potatoes do cook about 15-20 minutes faster than the foiled ones.
Smoking Time
8.
Add your smoking wood. We use either mesquite or maple now when we do this recipe.
9.
Place the seasoned potatoes on the grill at 400 degrees F.
10.
Cook for 30 minutes with the lid closed.
11.
I rotate each potato and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees F.
NOTE: We had big potatoes, so Sean cooked them for an additional 30 minutes. Time will vary according to the size of your potatoes. I would check the potatoes as needed, depending on how close you are to the final temperature.
12.
When the baked potatoes’ internal temperature reches 205 degrees F. pull them. We like to give them a few minutes to cool off.
13.
Serve and Enjoy!
Smoked Bake Potatoes go great with…
Smoked Pork Butt This is the perfect cook to add them to. The pork butt needs time to rest. So, get those potatoes on the grill.
Smoked Sirloin Tip Roast is meaty, tender, and juicy with just a hint of maple smoke. Marinated overnight for a meal to remember.
Smoked Chicken Drumsticks tender and juicy with a light & crispy skin. The simple rub and “Low & Slow” cook gives every bite just the right warmth.
Twice-Baked Potatoes That’s why I make extra smoked baked potatoes. Now the whole recipe is done in the BBQ or smoker. Yum!
Variations
Smoking woods bring wonderful aromatics to these smoked baked potatoes. Mesquite wood is a favorite when Sean does them. It burns fast and has strong flavors that take him back to his Texas BBQ days.
Remember, you can choose your own wood preference here. We actually do this recipe half the time now with maple for its sweetness. Oak is a good wood to go with. Especially, if you are not sure which flavor you want from your smoke. You can also check out our section on “Smoking Wood” in Smoked Sausages.
Equipment
- BBQ with indirect cooking setup or smoker
- Cookie sheet to transport the potatoes: USA Pan
- Instant read thermometer
- Aluminum foil (optional)
Storage
3 – 4 days in the refrigerator. So make extra for Twice-Baked Potatoes.
Top tip
Wrap or not to wrap the smoked baked potatoes is the question. Here is what we have found out. Both tasted nearly the same and the unwrapped cooked 15-20 minutes faster. The unwrapped ones are crispier and will hold their shape better if you make Twice-Baked Potatoes with them. They do start to wrinkle if you don’t eat them promptly. The aluminum foil-wrapped ones are less crisp but the appearance is nicer if you need to wait on eating them. The foil does reduce a bit of the smoke flavor.
What is your favorite topping for a baked potato? Do you have a preferred smoking wood?
Let us know below.
Smoked Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- BBQ with indirect cooking setup or smoker
- Cookie sheet
- Aluminum foil (optional)
- Instant read thermometer
Ingredients
- 6 Russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (vegetable oil)
- 1 teaspoon salt (table/fine salt)
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Preheat the BBQ or smoker to 400 degrees F. for indirect heating.
- Clean the potatoes, dry them, and place them on a cookie sheet.
- Poke 4 to 6 times, with a fork, each potato.
- Coat each potato with olive oil.
- Sprinkle and rub a thin layer of the seasoning over the potatoes.
- Your choice now to wrap or not to wrap the potatoes.Note: The unwrapped smoked baked potatoes do cook about 15-20 minutes faster than the foiled ones.
- BBQers add your smoking wood.
- Place the potatoes in the BBQ or smoker.
- Cook for 30 minutes with the lid closed.
- Rotate each of the potatoes and smoke for an additional 30 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 205 degrees F.NOTE: Time will vary according to the size of your potato. So, start checking the temperature at the 1-hour mark.
- When the potatoes reach an internal temperature of 205 degrees F. pull and cool for a few minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy with your Favorite Toppings.
FAQ
Our kamado-style BBQ is a bit hot in the back due to the airflow. So, on hot cooks like this, I find rotating helps cook evenly.
What I have found that works is to keep them in the oven or toaster oven, depending on how many, at between 180-200 degrees F. Also, check out the Top Tip section above.
Oh boy where to start, our favorites: Bacon bits made with homemade fried bacon; Shredded smoke Gouda cheese; Butter; Sour cream; Diced red and green onions; Oh, of course, ground pepper and salt.
PS
To simply cook or to Smoke Baked Potatoes is the question? Whether ’tis nobler to suffer the microwave and other outrageous cooking methods, Or to take charcoal and wood to a sea of convenience, And savor the tradition of cooking with fire.🤣
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