Foil-Baked Potatoes on the Fire
Whole russets buried in coals or set on a grate. One hour, no pot, no dishes.
- calories
- 450
- weight
- 11 oz
- cal / oz
- 41
- protein
- 8 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 60 min
- total time
- 65 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Large russet potatoes | 4 | russets go floury inside; waxy varieties stay dense |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 8 tbsp | 2 tbsp per potato; olive oil works and keeps better in heat |
| Kosher salt | 2 tsp | |
| Heavy duty foil | 4 sheets |
Method
- Scrub the potatoes at home and let them dry all the way. Wet skins steam instead of crisping.
- Stab each potato six or eight times with a fork. This is not optional. Trapped steam splits them open.
- Set each potato on its own sheet of heavy foil, put 2 tbsp of butter on top, salt it, and crimp the foil shut.
- Lay the packets on a grate over a fire that has burned down to coals, or nestle them in the edge of the coals themselves.
- Turn them every ten minutes so no side sits against the hottest spot. Expect about an hour.
- Test with a fork through the foil. If it slides in with no resistance, they are done. Split them open and eat straight out of the foil.
This is a method more than a recipe. A whole russet is mostly water, and the foil traps that water so the potato steams itself from the inside while the coals work on the outside. An hour is not a suggestion — a big potato has a lot of mass to heat through, and pulling it early gets you a raw core with a soft edge.
The fork holes matter more than the butter. They let the steam out gradually instead of all at once. The butter is there because the inside is bland starch with nothing in it, and fat carried into hot potato is most of what makes it worth an hour of firewood. Whole potatoes are heavy, so this stays a car-camping and basecamp dish; nobody should carry these up a hill.
Packing
Potatoes travel loose in a mesh bag and last a week in a cooler or out of it. Pre-cut the foil sheets at home and stack them flat. Butter rides in the cooler; oil does not need to.
Variations
- Sweet potatoes work and finish about fifteen minutes sooner.
- Add a foil packet of chili or a handful of hard cheese to make it a full dinner.
- Cut them in half before wrapping to get them done in thirty-five minutes.
https://campfirefoodie.com/baked-potatoes-in-foil