Foil Packet Loaded Potatoes are the best side dish for any occasion. Thin sliced potatoes, butter, ranch dressing seasoning, cheese and bacon cook perfectly in a foil packet. Top them with sour cream and green onions and enjoy this easy foil packet side dish!
These Loaded Potatoes in foil are a great change from your traditional baked potato and you don’t have to heat up your house in the hot summer months baking a potato! They make the perfect side dish for camping, and cookouts!
This recipe makes 4 foil packets of potatoes. They are a pretty nice servings so you can easily get 6 smaller foil packets out of this recipe.
The Potatoes
I use regular Russet Potatoes. Yellow or Red Potatoes work great too.
You will need to slice your potatoes. Slice them as thin as you can get them, at least 1/4 inch if not thinner.
Then you will take some melted butter and mix it up with ranch seasoning. Toss your sliced potatoes in a bowl and pour the seasoned butter over top and mix them up, making sure they are all covered in the buttery goodness!
The Foil Packet
You will need to tear 4 good sized pieces of aluminum foil.
I always use Heavy Duty Foil when grilling and often times even double it up, which you can do for these if you want!
I tear my foil into pieces roughly 12 x 15 ish. You will need extra foil around the edges so you can wrap them up and seal them tightly for grilling. Spray your foil pieces with cooking spray.
Place 1/4 of your sliced and buttered potatoes on a piece of foil. I split the potatoes into 4 portions/foil packets, but you can do 6 portions/foil packets for a smaller serving.
Then top the potatoes with your shredded cheese and bacon bits. I like to lift my potatoes and try and get the cheese and bacon in the layers of potatoes the best I can so the cheese isn’t only on the top.
NOTE: At this point your butter may start to thicken and cool and look thick and clumpy…don’t panic! This is normal and will melt just fine as they cook. Just spread the thickened butter out on the potatoes the best you can!
***You will add the sour cream and onions after the potatoes have cooked.
To seal them up, you will take two sides (lengthwise) and bring them up to meet each other. Fold them down together, sealing the foil. Continue folding/rolling the sides down until you are almost touching the potatoes.
Then take each end and roll it up a few times. Your potatoes should be sealed pretty tightly at this point! Repeat until you have 4 potato packets.
Fold up/seal all of the potato packets.
Cooking the Potatoes in Foil
Place your potato packets on the grill on medium-low heat (closer to low if your grill runs hot and you are worried about them burning and just give them some extra cooking time).
If grilling meat for the meal, place the potatoes on the grill before the meat just to make sure they get good and done.
I plan on having my potatoes on the grill at least 10-15 minutes before my meat, depending on what meat I am grilling.
If your heat is low enough the potatoes should not burn, even if they are kept on the grill for a while. You will not need to flip the foil packets. They will cook great just being left alone!
WARNING: If the foil packets are cooked on too hot of a temperature the bottoms may burn and stick to the foil (grills in general can cook weird with flare ups and can cook uneven… so watch the heat). When in doubt, cook them at a lower temperature for longer!
If your potatoes happen to cook at too high of heat they can burn/stick to the foil at the bottom. If this happens don’t you worry one bit! It has happened to me several times when I am just not paying attention and they are still delicious! The very bottom few potatoes bake/burn to the foil and are crispy but the potatoes on top are still perfectly cooked and smothered in melted cheese and bacon!
Serving the Foil Packet Potatoes
When the potatoes are done, take them off your grill (a sheet pan or cutting board works great….don’t forget to use some hot pads because they will be hot!).
To open them, I take my kitchen shears and cut right down the top center of the foil packet and then tear it open a little bit more (this is much easier than trying to unroll/unfold the foil-I have no patience for that)!
Be careful when you cut them open, the steam will escape and it is hot! The cheese will be melty and they will smell delicious!
Top off the perfectly cooked cheesy-bacon potatoes with sour cream and green onions!
Salt and pepper to taste as needed.
We eat ours right out of the foil packet! (Less cleanup!)
You will love these! I could eat these potatoes for my meal and forget about my steak or chicken!
If you find the potatoes are stuck or burned to the bottom, next time just cook them at a little lower of a temperature! I promise you that you will enjoy them even they are a little crispy on the bottom!
Other Ways to Cook the Foil Packet
BAKING IN THE OVEN: If you choose to bake your loaded potato packets in the oven I bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes!
SMOKER: If you are putting these on your smoker, heat your smoker to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and let them cook for at least 40minutes.
CAMPFIRE FOIL PACKET POTATOES: If you are making these to cook over a campfire do not put these foil packets directly in the heat/fire. Keep them to the sides of the actual fire, turning the packet every so often. Check them after about 20 minutes and then cook them longer as needed.
Hope you enjoy!
If you liked this recipe please take the time to leave a comment and a star rating below! Also, don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram!
For another easy potatoes side dish try my Crock Pot Party Potatoes.
These Foil Packets pair great with Baby Back Ribs on the Smoker!
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Foil Packet Loaded Potatoes
Equipment
- heavy duty aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. yellow russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly (at least 1/4 inch or thinner) see notes
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 3 tbsp. Ranch Dressing seasoning
- 2-4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled/chopped
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated/shredded or cheese of your choice
- green onions, chopped *added on after the potatoes cook
- sour cream *added on after the potatoes cook
- salt and pepper to taste, after cooking (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and slice your potatoes, then place in a bowl. They need to be sliced as thin as possible, 1/4 inch or thinner.
- Melt your butter then add your ranch seasoning and mix well.
- Pour seasoned butter over your potatoes in the bowl. Mix them all around making sure all of the potatoes are covered.
- Cut 4 large pieces of foil and spray each piece with cooking spray. Place 1/4 of the potatoes in the center of a piece of foil. Top with 1/4 cup of cheese and 1/4 of the cooked bacon. I like to make sure cheese and bacon are in between the potatoes the best I can so it is not just on top.* You can make smaller portions and get 6 foil packets out of this if you prefer smaller servings.
- To Seal the foil packet: Take the 2 long sides of your foil (lengthwise) and bring them up to meet each other and fold/roll them down on top of each other, sealing the foil on top of the potatoes. Take each end and roll it up tightly to the potatoes.
- Repeat until you have 4 packets of potatoes.
- Place on your grill over medium-low heat (low if your grill cooks hot). They will need to cook for at least 30 minutes.
- When they are done, take them off the grill. Cut the top of the foil open, then tear it so you can add the rest of your toppings. Be careful because the steam is HOT!
- Top with sour cream and green onions! Salt and Pepper to your liking.
- We eat ours right out of the foil packet! Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
