Smoked baked potatoes are the perfect side dish to enhance any BBQ or outdoor party. The crispy skin, soft tender meat of a baked potato, and subtle smoky flavor compliments every style of barbecue.
Smoked Baked Potato
The cornerstone of barbecue sides, the baked potato is the perfect companion for any entree coming off the grill or smoker. If your summer event calls for an outside style of cooking your first thoughts may even go to the potato, one of the most versatile foods for summer cooking.
What is a barbecue baked potato without it’s crispy, salty out shell? The combination of oil and salt, not only gives your potato the flavor you need, but the texture you crave. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, why not get the most out of your potato by adding a smooth smoky flavor.
Outdoor cooking has many staples, but why go ordinary when you can enhance those typical flavors! You can always go with Grilled Corn on the Cobb but why not upgrade to Smoked Corn on the Cobb and with corn, you’ll need to compliment it with this Smoked Baked Potato.
How To Smoke A Baked Potato
Ingredients:
Idaho Baking Potato – A nice medium potato should do the job, but if your looking to stuff your potato with some of those glorious BBQ meats, you may want to consider a larger potato. Of course the larger the potato, the longer the cook time.
Oil – A nice mild flavored oil with a high cook point works best, try canola or avocado oil.
Salt – Try using a coarse salt or sea salt to get you that nice crispy salty potato skin your looking for.
Preparing the Potato:
First, use the rough side of a dish sponge to clean the outside of the potatoes, removing any dirt from the surface. Next, using a fork, poke 3 rows of holes into the tops and bottoms of the potato.
Rub the entire potato with oil ensuring that you haven’t missed any spots. Take your course salt and cover each of the potatoes.
Insert a temperature probe into the largest potato, through the side, to monitor the internal temperature.
Smoking the Potatoes
Prepare your smoker as needed and preheat it to the temperature of 250° (try to maintain between 250° and 275°, but not any higher). Use mild wood for smoking the potatoes unless you want something strong.
Place the oiled and salted potatoes onto the grill grate in the center of the smoker, close the lid, and smoke for about 3 hours. Cook time well vary depending on the size of the potato and the smoker itself. It’s best to track if your potatoes are done using the internal temperature. The desired internal temperature for smoked baked potatoes is 208° – 210° degrees.
Once the potatoes have reached the desired temperature, remove them from the smoker. Cut a slit through the top of the potato and squeeze the ends of the potato in to open it.
Add your toppings and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What wood should I use to smoke baked potatoes?
While we recommend a milder wood like Oak, Pecan or Alder, if you desire a stronger smoke flavor you can use Hickory.
What oil should I use to smoke a baked potato?
You should use an oil with a high cook/smoke point but you also don’t want to sacrifice flavor. We recommend an Avocado oil or Canola oil, both of which have high cook/smoke points but also add a nice mild flavor.
What are good toppings for a baked potato?
Butter
Sour cream
Shredded cheese
Crispy bacon
Chives or green onion
Smoked meats, like smoked pork, and smoked chicken
How long does it take to smoke a baked potato?
While cook times will vary from one potato to another according to size, a good target time is around 3 hours. A better indication of a cooked potato is an internal temperature between 208° and 210°.
Should I wrap my potatoes in foil?
When smoking potatoes, there is no reason to wrap them. A foil wrapper will only make it harder for the smoky flavor to penetrate the potato’s skin. Open air smoking will also give you a nicely crispy skin.
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Smoked Baked Potato
Instructions
Preparing the potatoes:
- Use the rough side of a dish sponge to clean the outside of the potatoes, removing any dirt from the surface.
- Using a fork, poke some holes into the tops and bottoms of the potato.
- Rub the entire potato with oil ensuring that you haven't missed any spots.
- Take your course salt and sprinkle each of the potatoes.
Smoking the potatoes:
- Use mild wood (or hickory is you want stronger smoke flavor), set up your smoker, and preheat it to 250°.
- Place the oiled and salted potatoes onto the grill grate in the center of the smoker, close the lid and smoke for about 3 hours or until the internal temperature of the largest potato reaches 208° – 210°.
- Once the potatoes have reached the desired temperature, remove them from the smoker. Cut a slit through the top of the potato and squeeze the ends of the potato in to open it.
Nutrition
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