Smoked Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic Butter burst with great flavor and is an extra delicious twist to an old classic! We all love a hearty potato dish on the grill.
The taste of baked potato but with an added smoky flavor, extra richness from the butter, and the garlic – this one doesn’t need extra words.
Garlic lovers are going to close their eyes and think this is the next best thing to heaven. If you aren’t a garlic lover, try using the butter with herbs instead! I love adapting a small thing to completely change up a recipe!
🥔 Ingredients
Fingerling Potatoes: For this recipe, we used Fingerling Potatoes which are the smaller, oblong variety. You can also use the small, Baby Medley ones that are found in the mesh-style bags at the grocery store.
Both cook at about the same rate. You can smoke russet potatoes, but cut them up in cubes first. We have smoked “baked potatoes” in foil using russets, and they turned out great. For this recipe, definitely use the smaller potatoes as they will cook much faster.
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Set up a grill or smoker for 350 degrees at indirect heat. After it is heated, add in 1-2 pieces of wood. Don’t use a lot of wood, as a little bit goes a long way. The potatoes really take in the smoke and just a little smoke will take care of the flavor. Too much smoke, and you may find it a bit overpowering.
Step Two: While the grill is heating up, go ahead and prep the potatoes by washing them and placing in a Ziploc bag with olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake the bag to cover the potatoes and place them in a disposable pan.
Note: We used an 8×10 disposable aluminum pan. You don’t want to layer the potatoes, so make sure the pan is big enough to allow air flow between. If you run out of room, we have had to pull out the Beer Can Chicken pan to toss in leftover potatoes. It’s good and it works in a pinch so don’t overlook these thrifty alternatives.
Check them every 10-15 minutes to make sure they don’t burn. Stir, if necessary.
Step Three: In the final few of minutes of the grilling, mix the melted butter and minced garlic cloves. Remove the potatoes from the grill and toss with the garlic butter mixture. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top and enjoy!
⏲️ Smoking Time
Smoking potatoes are really a quick smoke and should only take you about 45-50 minutes until they are fork tender. Certainly, larger potatoes will take more time, so always check with the high-tech “stick a fork in it” method! 😀
Normally, when we smoke, we keep the temperature at 225 degrees for a low-and-slow session, but this time we set up the temperature to 350 to allow the potatoes to cook faster. It also reduced the amount of time for smoking, which was great, as we didn’t want an overpowering smoke taste.
If you want a stronger smoke flavor, prep everything the same, but lower the temperature to 225 degrees and expect to smoke for 2-3 hours. Both ways work great, it’s all up to you how much smoke flavor you prefer.
💡 Recipe Tips
We used a stronger wood flavor with Hickory, but fruit wood will provide a more mild flavoring. The best way to approach smoking is always to make sure you are using a wood that leaves a flavor you love!
Don’t over-smoke the potatoes unless you want a strong smoke flavor. Increasing the temperature helps them cook faster.
If you want to decrease the smoke flavor, change the wood. Hickory is one of the strongest tasting woods to use and simply replacing it with something like apple wood or cherry will make this recipe milder without any effort. If you are unsure of how to choose wood for your smoking, make sure to download our free printable smoking wood chart so you can have a quick reference every time you fire up your grill.
👨🍳 Recipe FAQs
The flavor of fingerling potatoes is pretty similar to other varieties. What makes them taste different is the process of smoking them. The skin is a bit more delicate, unlike regular potatoes, so it’s pretty tasty to eat it too.
No, these potatoes are going to be WAY better if you leave the skins on them. This locks in the moisture and gives them a crispy exterior.
While they are best when eaten right away you can save the leftovers to enjoy later. Let them cool down then put them in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days. You can easily reheat in the microwave.
Related Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Smoked Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
Smoked Potatoes
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 24 oz Fingerling Potatoes
Garlic Butter
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 2 tbsp Butter melted
- 2 tbsp Parsley chopped
Instructions
Prepare the Grill for Smoking
- Heat grill to 350 degrees and set it up for indirect grilling. I used the plate setter for the Big Green Egg.
- Add one or two pieces of your favorite wood for smoking. I used hickory, but any wood will work. A little smoke goes a long way, so you don't need to add much at all.
Prepare the Fingerling Potatoes for Smoking
- Wash, clean and dry the fingerling potatoes. Add them to a Ziploc bag with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake the bag to ensure all of the potatoes receive a light coating of oil. You don't want any other seasonings here, as we'll be adding it at the end.
- Empty the potatoes into a disposable aluminum pan. Make sure there is only a single layer for the best results. Place the pan on the grill.
- Stir the potatoes every 15 minutes until they are fork-tender. It took me about 45 minutes.
Make the Garlic Butter
- Melt the butter and add in the minced garlic and stir. I do this a few minutes before the potatoes come off the grill.
Serve the Smoked Potatoes
- After the potatoes have cooled slightly, toss them with melted garlic butter and top with fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Jason’s been firing up the grill for over 30 years after graduating from the US Coast Guard Academy. His love of finely-grilled steak and chicken led him to buy his first Weber grill to put on his apartment patio in 1992. Each military move led to a new grill (a mixture of gas and charcoal) until he fell in love with the Big Green Egg in 2008. Since then, he has added another 4 grills to the collection. Yes, he has a problem. Jason loves smoking in the ceramic BGE with exotic woods including olive wood from Egypt and hard to find varieties such as sassafras and orange wood. Jason takes the term “foodie” to a whole new level, jumping at the chance to take food tours and cooking classes during foreign travels. These have provided inspiration to incorporate new ideas into recipes when he gets back home. He has been featured in Fox News, Parade, Yahoo News, Kansas City Living and more. After retiring from the military and moving to southwest Florida, he has focused grilling and smoking locally sourced meats and fish (read: he likes to catch his own fish!)
Leave a Reply