Baked potatoes go with virtually any food. That’s why it’s one of the favorite things to grill in the backyard. If you’ve been wondering how to bake potatoes on a Pit Boss pellet grill, then you’re in the right place. I’m going to share the exact steps I use whenever I cook them in my pellet grill.
Baking Potatoes On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Baking Potatoes on the pellet grill is so easy. The only thing you’ll need is some patience, the right type of potato, and some tips to help you make the best potatoes around.
Here’s everything you need to know prepare, cook, and top it with your favorite fixings.
- Potoes (your choice)
- Cleaning the potatoes properly
- The right tools
- Proper cooking technique
- Seasoning the potatoes
- Thermometer, fork or both to check doneness
- The proper P-setting
- Letting them rest before cutting
- Your Choice of Toppings
This probably sounds complicated, especially if you’ve never baked potatoes on the pellet grill. This YouTube video will walk you through the entire process step by step.
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Don’t worry; I’ll go over each step more thoroughly in the steps below.
After reading this guide, you’ll understand how to cook potatoes on the Pit Boss pellet grill. If you’d rather have sweet potatoes, then check out my brown sugar and butter cinnamon recipe, where I walk you through with a video as well.
Types of Potatoes to Bake
There are over 200 varieties of potatoes are sold in the United States. Below are a few of the most popular potatoes for cooking, grilling, and baking.
- Russet (starchy)
- Sweet Potatoes and Yams (starchy)
- Yellow and White Potatoes (All-purpose)
- Purple Potatoes (All-purpose)
- Red potatoes (Waxy)
So what kind should you choose? Well, here’s what I’ve learned after experimenting and researching online.
Russets: These are the most popular potatoes for smoking and baking. They are different-sized potatoes with thick, rough skin. It is a high-starch potato that goes well in pureed soups, potato salads, and makes great french fries!
Waxy potatoes: These are characterized by their thin, papery skin that is extremely easy to peel. Red potatoes fall into this category. Waxy potatoes are best used in soups, gratin, potato salad, and etc. They are not the best choice when you want a classic-backed potato with all the toppings.
Yukon Gold Potatoes: Are incredibly versatile potatoes that are great for soups, chowders, roasting, and sauteeing. It is similar to a Russet potato, except its flesh looks pale yellow. They are also more rounded-shaped than Russets.
Cleaning The Potatoes
Once you’ve chosen which potatoes you’re going to cook, run them under cold water to remove any dirt, grime, or toxic pesticides.
Even if you’ve purchased organic potatoes at the supermarket, they still need to be washed. Potatoes are on the Dirty Dozen list, which is a list of the most pesticide-contaminated produce you can buy.
To wash the potatoes, scrub them under cool water while scrubbing them with a vegetable brush. I use the Mr. Siga fruit and vegetable nonslip cleaning brush for all the vegetables I grill.
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It makes it easy to ensure I get them as clean as possible. The great thing is you’ll be cooking the potatoes, so the fire and heat will kill off any germs and bacteria.
That said, you still want to ensure you do your best and get them as clean as possible. Once they are cleaned, you can set them on the kitchen counter to let them dry on their own.
Pierce The Skin With A Fork
Grab a fork and pierce each potato on each side with a fork. This allows the steam to escape during the cooking process to ensure it cooks evenly throughout.
How To Season The Potatoes
You can season potatoes with any of your favorite seasonings. That said if you’re planning on baking baked potatoes, then I’d recommend using:
- Olive, vegetable, or avocado, Canola oil (my favorite is olive oil)
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
It’s how I always season my potatoes before cooking them in the oven or on the grill. The oil will help crisp and brown the potato’s skin, making it taste much better.
As for the salt and pepper, season it to taste.
Do You Wrap Potatoes In Foil to Grill?
It’s a personal preference. Some people say that it helps them cook faster (aluminum conducts heat and traps it inside). The downside is that foil will make the skin softer than not wrapping them.
If you’re impatient and you want them to cook faster, then wrap them in foil. I never cover my potatoes because I prefer crispier skin.
How Do You Cook Potatoes On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill?
Once the potatoes are seasoned, let’s look at setting preheating, cooking temperature, and the grilling process.
What Temperature Do You Bake Potatoes On A Pellet Grill?
Preheat the grill to 400° – 425°Farenheit/ 204°-218°Celcius. If you plan to smoke the potatoes, you’ll want to set the Pit Boss to smoke and smoke them for at least 30-40 minutes before turning the grill up higher.
Ensure the flame broiler plate is closed, as you’ll cook them over indirect heat. Then, when the potatoes are almost done and ready to be taken off the grill, you can finish them up on direct heat.
I’d say to leave them over direct heat for no more than 1-2 minutes.
This will give them a great BBQ flavor and help crisp the skin up.
What P-Setting to Use for Baking Potatoes On A Pit Boss?
Leave the P-setting on the default P-4 setting. Unless you’re cooking on a cold day, most foods will be cooked on the default factory settings.
What Kind of Pellets Should I Use?
I usually use whatever is in the hopper, as I really haven’t noticed a big difference in the end results when baking potatoes. Of course, if you were doing a really long smoke, then it might matter.
But baked potatoes are take about an hour or a little longer, so it won’t matter much.
How to Tell When It’s Done?
You’re looking for soft, velvety inside, but that can be hard to tell when it’s sitting on the grill racks. So, you’ll want to stick a fork in it, and if it comes out easily, then it’s done.
You can also use a handheld thermometer. The internal temp will be 200°-210°F.
How Long Do You Cook Potatoes on a Pit Boss?
On average, it can take about 60-90 minutes for potatoes to cook on the Pit Boss. That said, the cooking time will be affected by the weather, the size of the potatoes, if you’re using foil, and how many you’re cooking at one time.
It’s best to monitor them and ensure you’re not overcooking or undercooking them. If you’re trying to time the cooking process so you’re meat will be done when they are.
Don’t put the meat on with the potatoes, unless they have the same cooking temperature. Most meats won’t be cooked on high temperatures unless you’re cooking hamburgers, tuna steak, pork chops, or steaks.
If your potatoes happen to get done before the rest of the meal, you can wrap them in foil to keep them warm.
Whatever you do, don’t try to rush the process. If you’re trying to bake the perfect sweet potato, you’re going to have to learn patience.
Do You Flip Potatoes on a Pellet Grill?
No, you can put the potatoes directly on the grates and let them bake until they are done without rolling or flipping them.
However, I always roll mine, because I like to get grill marks on the skin. It works sometimes, but not always. Just remember, let the potatoes cook, and don’t open the lid often.
Every time you open the lid, it causes the grill’s temperature to drop, which adds more cooking time.
Resting Period
Unlike meat, potatoes don’t need to rest. They are best when sliced while still hot (as long as you can handle them). If you let them rest, they will retain water from the steaming center, which will make them gummy and dense.
Use a serrated knife to slice them down the middle (long-ways). Then grab both sides (using gloves) and squeeze them to help create a vent.
This also makes it easier to put your favorite toppings on it.
What to Put On Your Baked Potato?
Once the potato is sliced, don’t wait to put the toppings on it. The heat of the potato will melt the butter and cheese making it so much tastier!
You can top it with anything you choose, however, below are some of the most popular, and some of my favorite toppings.
- Classic: butter, salt and pepper (you can top it with green scallions)
- Loaded baked potato: crumbled bacon, chives, butter, cheese, and sour cream
- Veggie: cheddar cheese, steamed broccoli
- Southwest: taco meat, guacamole, cheese, black beans, and salsa (homemade or store bought)
There are literally several ways to top a baked potato. Just top it with your favorite toppings, and you’ll love it.
Here’s a site I found that provides over ten more ways to top a baked potato.
What to Serve With Potatoes?
Baked potatoes make a great side dish with virtually any type of protein. You can even pair them with a green leafy salad, hot bowl of soup.
Final Word
Hopefully, this in-depth guide has shown you how easy it is to bake or cook potatoes on the Pit Boss pellet grill. Now you have everything you need to bake the perfect baked potatoes in your backyard.
Yes, it does take some time to prepare them, especially the cooking time. However, once you learn how to time the cooking process, you’ll realize why baked potatoes are an all-time favorite for many backyard BBQs.
The next time you have guests or family over, serve them a baked potato as the side dish. You’ll become the envy of the neighborhood, and everyone will be asking you for tips and advice!
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