Smoked Baked Potatoes are a side dish staple in our house! You can make a baked potato on the pellet grill but, fair warning, after you do one you may never want to make them any other way.

Smoked Baked Potatoes

Grilled and smoked baked potatoes are an excellent side dish for both grilling and smoking fanatics. They go great with just about any kind of protein you might be making, and once you figure out how to grill potatoes you’ll never want to make them in the oven again!

Try our Smoked Potato Salad!

Smoked Baked Potato Shopping List

We’re going to focus mostly on the process of grilling baked potatoes today and the ingredients are going to be pretty universal. The ingredients will be the same for grilling and smoking potatoes.

• Potatoes
• Oil
• Salt

More Easy Traeger Recipes here!

What type of potatoes work best for baked potatoes?

You can use any kind of potatoes you like, but I prefer to use russet potatoes. They’re readily available and they are perfect for a classic baked potato!

Try our Traeger Cheesy Chicken Casserole!

Is washing the potatoes necessary?

Yes!

You are going to want to give those potatoes a good scrub to get them clean…after all, you’ll want to eat the skin once you see how great it tastes. 

I like using a good produce brush for this to make sure all the dirt is removed. 

This would be great with a Smoked Pork Tenderloin!

What kind of pellets should I use?

I’m really of the semi-unpopular opinion that what pellets you use isn’t really going to have that big of an impact on the end results. Maybe slightly on long smokes? But for quick grilling, especially, it just doesn’t matter enough to really worry about, and definitely doesn’t matter enough to empty a hopper and switch things out. 

We usually fill our hoppers with whatever is handy, and call it good. That tends to be one of the following (affiliate links where available):

• Traeger Signature Blend
• Traeger Cherry
• Traeger Hickory
• Traeger Maple
• Traeger Apple
• Camp Chef Apple
• Camp Chef Hickory
• Camp Chef Competition
• Camp Chef Cherry

Buy Pellets here!

How to make perfect smoked baked potatoes on the Traeger

The process for how to grill potatoes is pretty simple. There are just a few steps, so don’t skip any of them! They have a purpose, and once the baked potato on the grill is finished and you get to dive in, you’ll understand why.

1. Preheat your grill
2. Wash and dry your potatoes
3. Smoke
4. Rub w/ oil and salt
5. Grill
6. Enjoy

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What kind of grill works best for doing a smoked or grilled baked potato?

While any kind of grill will do for a grilled baked potato, when you want a smoked baked potato, which is the BEST baker in my humble opinion, you need a smoker or pellet grill. 

I use a Traeger, Camp Chef, a Rec Tec Bullseye, and a Louisiana Vertical Pellet Smoker. All of them work really well.

Tips for making the BEST baked potatoes on the grill

Smoked baked potatoes are easy, but there are a few common issues we see people run into that you should try to avoid. Read on to make sure your potatoes end up perfect!

Take it slow

Don’t rush! It’s going to take some time to get a perfect potato. Don’t try and take short-cuts for the best results.

Keep the grill closed

Try not to hover and open the grill a lot to check the potatoes. Give them time and trust the process. If your grill is always working to stay up to temp the potatoes won’t have a chance to cook evenly.

Stagger your cook

Don’t put your meat and potatoes on at the same time unless they have similar cooking time. For most grilled meats you can start the potatoes first and then add your meat towards the end so that everything finishes at the same time. 

If you are doing a long cook, it might be okay to put them on together, but just keep that in mind when deciding when and how to time everything. It is better to have the potatoes done first though because they keep much better than meat. 

Make it a LOADED Smoked Potato!

The best toppings for a smoked baked potato

Toppings are the second best part of a good grilled baked potato so we can’t forget about those! You can put whatever you like on your potatoes but here are some ideas to get you started:

• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Sour Cream
• Butter
• Shredded Cheese
• Chives
• Garlic
• Chili
• Salt & Pepper
• Pulled Pork BBQ

The possibilities are endless! Grilled baked potatoes go so well everything that you’ll find it difficult to choose incorrectly for toppings or pairings.

What are the best dishes to serve smoked baked potatoes with?

I love baked potatoes so much I could basically make a meal out of them, but that isn’t generally considered a meal for most people. If you are most people, I’d suggest one of these delicious dinners to serve next to these epic potatoes.

Smoked Traeger Brisket – This is basically the ultimate piece of meat you can make on the smoker. There are a million recipes and secret tricks, but all it really takes is patience and a good thermometer.

Traeger Ribs – I like my ribs TENDER, so I go beyond the 3-2-1 method for these super-tender and tasty ribs. You can even make a shortcut version with your pressure cooker in the mix if you are short on time!

Traeger Tri-Tip – Tri-tip is a great cut of meat, and it is faster than the other options above.

Smoked Pork Chops – Another quick and easy option for your pellet grill. Make them bone-in or boneless, but definitely make them.

Greek Marinated Chicken – Quite possibly the most tender, juicy, and flavorful chicken I’ve ever had. Try it out!