Grilled Potato Slices with Lemon and Garlic
I’m excited to share this new way of cooking potatoes. These grilled potato slices are an easy summer side dish to make while the grill is already hot. Add them during the last 8 minutes of cooking steaks, burgers, chicken, or your favorite grilled main. The result is soft, fluffy potato slices with bright lemon flavor, golden edges, and a light smoky char—all without turning on the oven or heating up the kitchen on a hot summer day.
This recipe has been kitchen-tested to ensure consistent, reliable results.
Good To Know
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 38 minutes | Serves: 4
Quick Tip: Pre-cooking the potato slices in the seasoned liquid helps them absorb more flavor and creates soft, fluffy centers before grilling.
Flavor/Texture Profile: Lemony and savory with soft, fluffy centers, golden edges, and light char.
Why You’ll Love These Grilled Potato Slices
- The perfect BBQ side dish: Let the potatoes cook while your steaks, burgers, chicken, or pork finish on the grill; no need to turn on the oven during the heat of summer.
- Crispy texture: A simple microwave head start creates soft, tender centers, while the grill finishes the slices with golden, lightly crisp edges.
- Bright, lemony flavor: Fresh lemon juice, oregano, and garlic create a savory Mediterranean-inspired side that pairs with almost any grilled meal.
- Kitchen tested: A foolproof technique. These grilled potato slices have been thoroughly tested with different kinds of potatoes to find the best texture and flavor.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love These Grilled Potato Slices
- Ingredients
- How To Make Grilled Potato Slices
- Why These Grilled Sliced Potatoes Work So Well
- Substitutions & Serving Ideas
- What’s the Best Potato for Grilling?
- Expert Tips
- Why Grilled Sliced Potatoes Cook Better Than Baby Potatoes
- Recipe Testing Notes (What Worked Best)
- Make Ahead and Storage Info
- Recipe FAQs
- Delicious Starts Here
Ingredients
Refer to the printable recipe card below for ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.
- Russet potatoes: Their high starch content helps absorb the flavorful cooking liquid.
- Better Than Bouillon: This concentrated broth base is my preferred choice for this recipe because it lets you control the strength of the cooking liquid. I use it at a much higher concentration than standard broth or stock, giving the potatoes a deeper, more savory flavor. Beef or chicken both work well. If you only have broth or stock on hand, see my recipe notes for intensifying the flavor.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed juice provides the best lemon flavor. Avoid bottled lemon juice, which can taste harsher.
- Garlic Powder: It distributes evenly throughout the cooking liquid and won’t burn on the grill as fresh garlic can.
- Smoked Paprika: Adds a touch of smokiness.
- Dried Oregano: Italian seasoning can be used as a substitute if you don’t have dried oregano.
How To Make Grilled Potato Slices
Refer to the printable recipe card below for ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.
1. Prepare the concentrated broth: Whisk Better Than Bouillon into boiling water until mostly dissolved.
2. Slice the potatoes: Cut the unpeeled Russet potatoes into uniform ¼-inch-thick slices using a mandoline or sharp knife.
3. Make the cooking liquid: Whisk the prepared broth with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
4. Pre-cook the potatoes: Submerge the potato slices in the seasoned liquid and microwave until tender but still sturdy enough for grilling.
5. Place on the grill: Remove the potato slices from the cooking liquid, let the excess drip off, and arrange them in a single layer on the hot grill.
Why These Grilled Sliced Potatoes Work So Well
Many grilled potato recipes start with raw potatoes, which can leave them beautifully browned outside but firm in the center. Microwaving first is the secret. Pre-cooking the slices in the seasoned liquid makes them tender and flavorful before they reach the grill, where they develop golden edges and smoky char.
Substitutions & Serving Ideas
- Serve grilled potato slices with a variety of delicious dips such as my Greek yogurt dill dip, plain sour cream, or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top.
- Vegetarian option: Substitute vegetable Better Than Bouillon for the chicken or beef variety.
- Using broth or stock: If you don’t have Better Than Bouillon, simmer 5 cups of broth or stock in a saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 3 cups, then use as directed. This concentrates the flavor before using it in the recipe.
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What’s the Best Potato for Grilling?
Not all potatoes behave the same on the grill. Their starch and moisture content affect their texture, how well they hold together, and how readily they take on seasonings. If you’re making grilled potato slices, choosing the right potato variety makes a big difference in texture and flavor.
My recommendation is to choose Russets. Their high starch content helps them absorb the seasoned cooking liquid and creates soft, fluffy centers, with slices that stay intact when handled carefully on the grill.
Yukon Gold potatoes may also be used, but their medium-starch texture is firmer and will require additional microwave time to reach the same tenderness. Watch them closely on the grill, since overcooking can make them rubbery.
Expert Tips
- Slice potatoes evenly: Cut them into ¼-inch-thick slices, so they cook at the same rate. A mandoline makes it easy to create uniform slices, helping the potatoes cook evenly and develop consistent grill marks.
- Start with clean, lightly greased grill grates: Preheat the grill, brush the hot grates clean, then lightly oil them with a silicone brush dipped in a high-smoke-point oil. This helps prevent sticking and creates golden slices with well-defined grill marks.
- Control the grill temperature: Preheat the grill to 500°F, then reduce it to between 375°F and 400°F once the potatoes are added. This gives the slices time to turn golden without scorching the outside.
- For restaurant-style crosshatch grill marks: Rotate each potato slice 90° halfway through cooking on each side before flipping.
- Watch the smaller slices: Move smaller potato slices to a cooler area of the grill, since they cook faster and can burn more easily.
- Reuse the cooking liquid: Don’t discard it after the first batch. While it is still hot, use it to pre-cook additional potato slices the same day. As the liquid reduces, its flavor becomes more concentrated and savory. Add only enough potatoes to keep the slices submerged.
Why Grilled Sliced Potatoes Cook Better Than Baby Potatoes
Slicing larger potatoes lengthwise creates more surface area for seasoning and direct contact with the grill. Although halving baby potatoes may seem quicker, their thicker shape requires more microwave cooking time and leaves less of each potato touching the grill.
The wider slices become tender in the center more quickly and develop better grill marks, golden edges, and more smoky char.
Recipe Testing Notes (What Worked Best)
- Microwaving was the real flavor breakthrough: I originally expected an overnight marinade to produce more flavorful potatoes, but the raw slices absorbed very little of the lemon-and-herb mixture. Microwaving the potatoes in the seasoned liquid helped them absorb far more flavor while creating soft, fluffy centers.
- Fresh garlic vs. garlic powder: I tested both sliced fresh garlic and garlic powder, but the fresh garlic pieces burned on the grill and the flavor was not as intense. Garlic powder distributed more evenly, flavored the potato slices more effectively, and eliminated the risk of burned garlic.
- Better Than Bouillon produced a deeper flavor: Regular beef stock left the finished potatoes tasting flat. Better Than Bouillon allowed me to create a more concentrated cooking liquid, resulting in a much deeper, more savory flavor.
Make Ahead and Storage Info
Make Ahead: Microwave the potato slices in the seasoned cooking liquid until nearly tender. Cool completely, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Finish them on the grill just before serving.
Refrigerator: Store leftover grilled potato slices in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Freezing is not recommended because the potatoes can become watery once thawed.
Recipe FAQs
Grilled potato slices pair well with almost any grilled main course. Try them with steaks, burgers, grilled chicken, pork chops, sausages, or salmon. If you’re looking for something to dip them into, try my Greek yogurt dill dip; its tangy flavor pairs perfectly with the smoky char of the potatoes.
A few simple tips will help prevent your potato slices from burning. Grill over medium heat, avoid hot spots (move the slices to cooler parts of the barbecue if needed), and cut the potatoes into even, thick slices so they cook evenly.
Yes, but it’s not the method I recommend. Raw potato slices take much longer to cook, making them more likely to burn on the outside before the centers become tender. Briefly microwaving the potato slices first produces tender centers with crisp golden edges while reducing grilling time.
Delicious Starts Here
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a rating and a comment below; your feedback helps other home cooks decide if this recipe is right for them. And if you share it on Instagram, tag me @aspicedlifeblog so I can see your beautiful creations.🧡
Grilled Potato Slices with Lemon and Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds Russet potatoes
- 3 cups (710ml) water
- 5 teaspoons ‘Better Than Bouillon’ beef base
- ⅔ cup (160ml) fresh lemon juice from about 3 to 4 medium lemons
- ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, then whisk in the ‘Better Than Bouillon’ until mostly dissolved. Don’t worry if a few small bits remain; they will dissolve as the potatoes cook in the microwave.
- Scrub the unpeeled potatoes and cut them into even ¼-inch thick slices. You should have about 24 slices, depending on the size of the potatoes. Submerge the slices in cold water to prevent discoloration and set aside.
- In a large, shallow microwave-safe container, whisk together the prepared broth, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- Drain the potato slices, add them to the broth mixture, and make sure they are fully submerged.
- Microwave uncovered on high for 28-30 minutes, turning and rearranging the slices every 8 minutes or so to ensure they cook evenly. The liquid should gently boil, and the potatoes should be tender enough to give slightly when pierced with a fork, while still holding their shape.
- Preheat the grill to 500°F. Brush the grill grates clean, then lightly oil them with a silicone brush.
- Remove the potato slices from the cooking liquid, allowing the excess to drip off, then arrange them in a single layer on the grill.
- Reduce the heat to 400°F, close the lid, and cook for 4 minutes.
- Flip the slices, close the lid, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, maintaining a temperature between 375°F and 400°F, until tender and golden with lightly crisp edges.
- Serve immediately with sour cream or my Greek Yogurt Dill Dip, if desired.
Notes:
A mandoline makes it easy to cut uniform ¼-inch slices, so the slices cook evenly on the grill.
Choose a large, shallow microwave-safe container that allows the potato slices to remain submerged without overcrowding. For crosshatch grill marks, rotate each potato slice 90° halfway through cooking on each side before flipping. A note on kosher salt: This recipe uses Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you’re using Morton’s Kosher Salt or table salt, use half the amount. Diamond Crystal kosher salt has larger, airier crystals that take up more space, so a teaspoon of kosher salt actually contains less salt by weight than other types of salt. Nutrition information is automatically calculated and provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for professional dietary advice
Nutrition
Whether you’re serving burgers, steak, or grilled chicken, these grilled sliced potatoes are guaranteed to disappear fast. Their tender centers and crisp, golden edges make them one of my favorite ways to enjoy crispy potatoes on the grill. Serve them with my Greek Yogurt Dill Dip for a cool, tangy contrast. For a comforting cold-weather potato dish, try my Au Gratin Potato dish as a Sunday dinner side.
