Russet potatoes are rubbed with a garlic salt and pepper blend, then cooked to fluffy perfection in the smoker, infusing the potatoes with a gloriously smoky flavor. They have ultra crispy and flavorful skins and soft and creamy insides, and are ready to be turned into a great side dish, potato bar, or more!
This is one of my Side Dish recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
It’s prime summer time right now, which means many of you are firing up your smokers and/or grills.
Smoking meats is fun and man are those meats delicious! But have you ever tried smoking some side dishes?
We love to throw a pan of my baked mac and cheese on the smoker, and recently have been really into smoking potatoes!
I’m a sucker for a great baked potato, and cooking them on the smoker means they’re even more flavorful, with perfectly crispy skins, and soft fluffy insides.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Flavorful – the skin on these potatoes are ultra crispy and well seasoned.
- Versatile – baked potatoes are perfect for a hearty side dish, but they can also be turned into a fun dinner or potato bar.
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Potatoes – russet potatoes are the best for baking/smoking, and if you can, try to get potatoes that are similar in size so they’ll cook evenly.
- Oil – just about any oil will work for this recipe; olive, avocado, vegetable, etc.
- Garlic salt – you could substitute this with half kosher salt and half granulated garlic or garlic powder.
- Black pepper – I prefer coarsely ground pepper, but if you have finely ground, you might want to use just 1/2 tsp.
How to make smoked “baked” potatoes:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Oil. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, then brush with olive oil.
- Season. Liberally sprinkle with the seasoning blend and rub it in to make sure it sticks.
- Smoke. Add the potatoes right on the grate and smoke for about 2.5 hours, until fork tender.
Helpful Tip!
When smoking, you need to use the cook time, as a guideline, not an actual timer. So many factors can go into things taking longer to smoke, such as the potatoes themselves, smoker variations, wind, outside temperature, and more. For this recipe, go by the fork-tenderness of the potatoes, or the internal temperature detailed in the recipe.
Variations of this recipe
- Oil – you can use a different oil if you’d like. Avocado, coconut, sunflower, vegetable, and peanut are my favorites.
- Seasoning – please feel free to play with different seasoning blends, or different amounts.
- Toppings – salted butter is a classic, but sour cream and chive, or loaded (sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives) are all great. Or you can turn these potatoes into a meal and top them with sloppy joes, chili, pulled pork, etc.
- Non-smoker options – if you don’t have a smoker, I’ve also included gas grill instructions, as well as linked to my recipe for air fryer/oven baked potatoes. I don’t own a charcoal grill, so I can’t advise on that.
FAQ’s
There’s no need to wrap these potatoes in foil, as this would prevent the skin from crisping up, as well as prevent the smoke from penetrating the potatoes and giving them that classic flavor.
Very important in my opinion. If you don’t prick the potatoes with a fork, they could potentially explode in your smoker.
Making smoked potatoes ahead of time
These potatoes taste best when made fresh.
There’s not much prep time with this recipe, but to save a few minutes, you can combine the garlic salt and black pepper and keep it in an airtight container.
Storage
Leftover potatoes should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 4 days.
More Recipes for the Smoker:
My Favorite Smoker!
You can use any smoker you’d like, but if you’re curious, this is the model I have and it’s really great! Very user-friendly and easy to operate (even for a beginner).
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 6 medium-sized russet potatoes
- 1 Tbsp garlic salt
- 1/2 – 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Prepare
- Fill hopper with desired wood pellets (or whatever your smoker uses as fuel), and turn on smoker and set to 250°F.
- Scrub 6 medium-sized russet potatoes clean, then dry very well. Prick each side of each potato with a fork several times.
Season potatoes
- In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp garlic salt and 1/2 – 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper.
- Brush each potato with some of the 2 Tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle seasoning mixture onto all sides of the potatoes.
Cook
- Place seasoned potatoes directly on the grates and close the lid.
- Smoke until potatoes are fork-tender, about 2.5 hours, or until potatoes reach 205-210°F internal temperature.
- Exact cooking time will depend on the size of your potatoes, so I recommend cooking to internal temperature and fork tenderness, and use the time listed as a general guideline.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- This recipe makes 6 potatoes, which you’re free to divide into as many servings as you’d like.
- Recipe is easily scaled up or down if you’d like to make a different amount. Just make sure to scale ALL ingredients, not just the potatoes.
- Potatoes don’t need flipped during cooking, but you can flip them if you’d like.
- This recipe was made using a Traeger Wood Pellet Smoker. Other smoker types will work, but will vary in terms of the set up process. Consult your smoker’s manual for how to prepare your brand of smoker.
- I do not have a charcoal smoker or grill and cannot offer solid advice on using those.
Gas Grill Directions:
- Fill an aluminum foil pouch with soaked wood chips, seal and poke a few holes in it to allow the smoke to come out. Start grill on HIGH, lighting half of the burners of the grill.
- Place pouch of wood chips directly over the heat until you see smoke coming through the holes of the foil pouch. Do not light the other burners. The potatoes will go over the burners that aren’t lit.
- Proceed with seasoning the potatoes, then keep grill around 250°F and cook for about 2.5 hours, or until potatoes are fork tender and have come to about 205-210°F internal temperature.
Air Fryer/Oven Directions:
- This recipe (click for the direct link) is our go-to for oven/air fryer potatoes.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Sherry Salas says
I do not have an Air Fryer. How do I make these in a conventional oven or my Smokey Joe Webber kettle?
The Chunky Chef says
The air fryer recipe also includes regular oven directions. I don’t have a smokey joe webber kettle, so I can’t advise on that.