These Cheesy Campfire Potatoes cook in foil for a simple side dish you can cook entirely on the grill! The perfect easy camping recipe for summer cookouts.
Cooking the potatoes in foil makes them so creamy and delicious, plus they’re infused with all the best garlic butter flavor. Perfect to cook alongside your main dish, so you can make your entire dinner over the fire!
For more easy camping recipes, see my Garlic Butter Steak and Potato Foil Packets, or my Sausage and Potato Foil Packets!
I know camping isn’t everyone’s thing, but I love it! I went camping every year growing up, and it was the most fun. I especially loved all the campsite cooking, even though we didn’t get too fancy about it.
These Cheesy Campfire Potatoes are a new favorite I’ve introduced now that I am in charge of camping food. They cook in foil right on the fire (or grill, or oven for all of you glampers 😉) and turn out wonderfully tender.
Putting this foil packet recipe together takes no time at all, which means you’ll have plenty of time left over for all those wonderful summer adventures.
I usually use baby potatoes because they don’t need to be peeled and don’t need to be sliced much to save even more time!
We love these grilled potatoes with our favorite marinated steak, with Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken – or even just by themselves with a big helping of sour cream and a Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad!
These Campfire Potatoes
- can be cooked entirely on the grill or over the fire
- are quick and easy to assemble, and then cook entirely hands-off
- turn out so flavorful and tender from cooking in garlic butter in a foil pouch!
Aside from camping, cooking over the barbecue or out in the backyard is generally one of my kids’ favorite things about summer. And this potato recipe 100% works at home, too!
We often make grilled chicken with a Potato Salad or a Greek Pasta Salad on the side, but these Cheesy Grilled Potatoes are perfect for when we feel like a potato side dish with dinner – but don’t want to turn on the oven!
How to Make Campfire Potatoes:
Grilling potatoes in a foil pouch couldn’t be any simpler!
Read on for the steps in this recipe, or scroll down below for more tips like how to make campfire potatoes without foil, how to make campfire potatoes in the oven and the printable recipe card!
1 – Prepare the aromatics: First you’ll need to chop the onion and parsley and peel and mince the garlic. Place them all in a mixing bowl.
2 – Prepare the potatoes. If you’re using baby potatoes, you don’t even have to peel them! Cut the potatoes into small pieces, I usually halve or quarter the baby potatoes. If you’re using large potatoes, peel and thinly slice them.
3 – Start assembling the foil packet by placing the potatoes and sliced onions on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
I like using a recycled aluminum foil, but their heavy duty one only comes in a pack of a gazillion on Amazon 🙈 I usually double or triple up on their regular one for this recipe.
Click here to buy the foil I use on Amazon. (This is an affiliate link and I make a commission on purchases made after clicking through.)
4 – Finish the foil packet: Chop the butter and sprinkle it over the onion and potatoes. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Finally, sprinkle with cheese.
5 – Fold up the sides of the foil to form a small bowl and pour in the broth.
6 – Close the foil pouch by folding down the sides and sealing them very well – you don’t want any liquids leaking out during the cooking process!
7 – Grill the potatoes in the foil pouch over medium heat until fork-tender, around 40 minutes.
Tips for These Grilled Potatoes in Foil:
- don’t slice the potatoes into pieces larger than ½ inch or they’ll take longer to cook
- heavy duty aluminum foil is recommended if you’re cooking the potatoes directly on coal, but on a grilling rack you can just use a double layer of regular aluminum foil
- feel free to add more onion and garlic, I err on the side of caution with any pungent flavors because my kids tend to think cinnamon is too spicy 🤷🏻♀️
Can You Make Campfire Potatoes Without Aluminum Foil?
Yes, you can cook your potatoes in a cast iron skillet over the fire if you want to avoid foil (or have run out!).
Just place everything in a cast iron skillet with a lid and cook the potatoes over slow burning coal on your campfire.
The potatoes can cook a little faster in a skillet vs a foil packet (depending on your skillet size), so make sure to check them every once in a while during cooking.
How to Make Campfire Potatoes in the Oven:
You can cook these campfire potatoes in the oven if camping isn’t your thing!
Bake the potato foil packet at 425°F for around 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
We love this steak with potatoes (you can cook them on the grill, too!) and green beans – my easy sautéed green beans are another favorite we make again and again!
Cheesy Campfire Potatoes
Recipe details
Equipment
- use heavy duty foil if cooking directly on coal!
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes halved or quartered into ½ inch pieces
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons butter cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chicken broth
Instructions
Prep the foil packet:
- Place potatoes and onion on a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Sprinkle with butter, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with cheese, then carefully toss a little with clean hands if you want (I’m usually too lazy but then my family moans at me for not having distributed the seasoning properly, ahem, your call). Fold up the sides of the foil and pour in the chicken broth, then fold foil down and seal pouch well.
Cook the foil packet:
- On the grill/fire: Over medium heat, cook the potatoes for 30-40 minutes, or until they are tender.
- In the oven: Bake the foil packet at 425°F for around 25-30 minutes, or until done.
- Careful when opening the packets – hot steam ahead!
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