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These Grilled Potatoes with Garlic Sauce are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with fresh garlic and herb flavor. They’re easy to make and the perfect side dish for summer cookouts, weeknight dinners, or backyard barbecues.
Buttery Soft Grilled Potatoes
Potatoes are one of those side dishes my family will always eat, so I’m looking for new ways to serve them. These grilled potatoes have quickly become a favorite because they’re simple, flavorful, and pair well with just about anything. The garlic herb sauce takes them to the next level, and the crispy edges from the grill make them impossible to resist.
I like to microwave the baby potatoes first, which softens them up so they can be threaded onto skewers. It requires less effort than parboiling and slightly reduces prep time. The potatoes are then lightly flattened, which helps more of the potato stay in contact with the grill, giving you more crispy skin. After that, they’re grilled and brushed with a simple mixture of olive oil, parsley, and vinegar, which makes them so irresistible.
Recipe Overview
A Few Key Ingredients
Below are the key ingredients you’ll need to make Grilled Potatoes with Garlic Sauce. The full quantities can be found in the recipe card further down the post.
- Baby potatoes: Have a waxy texture, which helps them hold up when skewered and grilled. Try to use potatoes that are all similarly sized so they’ll all cook at the same rate.
- Olive oil: Use a light olive oil (or avocado oil), which is best for high-heat cooking.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is important as it’s the key flavor in the sauce. You can use pre-chopped to make things easier.
- Parsley: Can be swapped for other soft herbs like basil, cilantro, or chives.
- Vinegar: A variety of vinegars work well here: apple cider, red wine, white wine, or malt vinegar are all great. Lemon or lime juice may also be used. It’s best not to use balsamic vinegar, which easily burns when grilled.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overcooking the Potatoes: The potatoes should be just fork-tender before grilling. Overcooked potatoes can fall apart on the skewers.
Smashing Too Much: Flatten them gently. Pressing too hard can cause them to break apart.
Skipping the Sauce After Grilling: The second brush with garlic sauce adds plenty of flavor and helps keep the potatoes from drying out.
Not Preheating the Grill: A hot grill helps create those crispy golden edges.
How to Make Grilled Potatoes
Soak the Skewers: Place wooden skewers in water for at least 10 minutes to prevent them from burning while grilling.
Cook the Potatoes: Arrange the baby potatoes in a single layer in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave until just fork-tender. Allow them to cool slightly.
✏️ You can also parboil the potatoes. Boil them until fork-tender, then drain and cool slightly before adding them to the skewers.
Make the Garlic Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, parsley, garlic, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
Thread and Smash: Thread the potatoes onto skewers. Using the bottom of a bowl or a flat surface, gently press each potato just enough to flatten slightly without breaking apart.
Brush with Sauce: Brush the potatoes generously with the garlic herb sauce.
Grill: Place the skewers on a preheated grill or grill pan over medium heat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and lightly charred.
Finish and Serve: Brush with the remaining garlic sauce immediately after grilling and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Even cooking: Choose baby potatoes that are similar in size so they all cook evenly.
Mince the garlic finely to help it distribute evenly in the garlic sauce.
Make it cheesy: Sprinkle finely grated Parmesan cheese over the grilled potatoes.
Make it spicy: Add a generous pinch of red pepper flakes to the garlic sauce.
Storage: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat skewers on a pre-heated grill pan (or outdoor grill) over medium-high heat until warmed through.
Questions I Get Asked a Lot
It’s best to microwave or parboil the potatoes before grilling them so the insides are properly cooked by the time the outsides are slightly charred.
Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes after microwaving; this helps them firm up so they don’t fall apart when pressed. Use a heavy-bottomed glass, a flat-bottomed bowl, or a Tupperware lid to gently press the potatoes until slightly flattened.
By threading the baby potatoes onto skewers, we avoid the problem of them falling through the grates.
Yes, you can microwave the potatoes, thread them onto skewers, and flatten them, then store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking. The sauce can be made and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before use.
No. You can grill the smashed potatoes directly on a grill pan or grill basket.
Baby Yukon Gold or baby red potatoes work especially well because of their creamy texture.
More Sides
- Southern Potato Salad
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Grilled Artichokes
- Honey Balsamic Zucchini
- Grilled Lemon Asparagus
- Mango Pico de Gallo
- Avocado Salsa
- Homemade Coleslaw
Made these? Leave a comment below and let me know how it went. And tag me on Instagram so I can see your beautifully grilled potatoes!
Grilled Potatoes with Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds baby potatoes
Herby Garlic Sauce:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place wooden skewers in water for at least 10 minutes; this prevents them from burning on the grill.
- Place the 1½ pounds baby potatoes in a microwave-safe shallow dish. They should be arranged in a single layer to cook evenly. Cover with a second plate and microwave 8-10 minutes, until just fork-tender (timing depends on the size of your potatoes). Start with 6 minutes, and add up, checking after each minute. Let them cool slightly.
- In a bowl, mix ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon vinegar, ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
- Thread the pre-cooked potatoes onto skewers, packing them loosely. Using the lid of a meal prep bowl or the bottom of a bowl, gently press to smash them, but just until they're flat! Don't smash too much, because they’ll fall off the skewers. We only want them to have both sides flat so they can grill better.
- Brush generously with the herby garlic sauce.
- Grill on a preheated pan or outdoor grill over medium heat. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and lightly charred.
- Once done, brush again with the remaining sauce right after grilling.
Notes
- Serving size: Approximately 1 skewer or about 4 to 5 potatoes per serving, depending on potato size.
- Even cooking: Choose baby potatoes that are similar in size so they all cook evenly.
- Mince the garlic finely to help it distribute evenly in the garlic sauce.
- Make it cheesy: Sprinkle finely grated Parmesan cheese over the grilled potatoes.
- Make it spicy: Add a generous pinch of red pepper flakes to the garlic sauce.
- Make it buttery: Swap 2 tbsp olive oil for melted butter or ghee.
- Storage: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat skewers on a pre-heated grill pan (or outdoor grill) over medium-high heat until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
