Buttery Grilled Potatoes Skewers

Grilling season shouldn’t be all about burgers and hot dogs. Don’t get me wrong—I love those classics as much as the next person—but sometimes you want something different that still brings that smoky, charred flavor everyone craves. Plus, if you’re trying to round out your cookout menu with a side dish that’s more exciting than the usual potato salad, you might find yourself stuck in a rut.

That’s where these grilled potato skewers come in. They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and loaded with buttery, garlicky goodness that pairs perfectly with a cool, herby sour cream dip. Best of all, they’re easy to throw together and cook right alongside whatever else you’re grilling.

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What Kind of Potatoes Should I Use?

Baby potatoes are perfect for grilling on skewers because they’re already the right size and cook evenly. You can use any variety you find at the store – red, yellow, or white baby potatoes all work great for this recipe. If you can’t find baby potatoes, you can also use regular potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks, just make sure they’re all roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate. When shopping, look for firm potatoes without any soft spots or sprouts, and give them a good scrub before cooking since you’ll be leaving the skins on for extra flavor and texture.

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Options for Substitutions

These grilled potato skewers are pretty straightforward, but here are some swaps you can make:

• Baby potatoes: You can use regular potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks instead of baby potatoes. Just make sure they’re all roughly the same size so they cook evenly on the grill.
• Unsalted butter: Olive oil works great as a substitute for butter. Use the same amount and you’ll still get that nice coating for the potatoes. If using salted butter, just reduce the added salt a bit.
• Sour cream: Greek yogurt makes a good swap for sour cream and gives you a similar tangy flavor. Plain yogurt works too, though it’s a bit thinner.
• Green onions or chives: If you don’t have green onions on hand, regular chives work perfectly. You can also use finely chopped regular onion mixed with the parsley, though the flavor will be a bit stronger.
• Garlic powder: Fresh minced garlic (about 1 clove) can replace the garlic powder. Just mix it into the melted butter before brushing it on the potatoes.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Grilling

Skipping the microwave step is a recipe for disaster – raw potatoes will take forever on the grill and likely burn on the outside before cooking through, so those 5-8 minutes of pre-cooking are essential for tender results.

Another mistake is not oiling your grill grates before adding the skewers, which causes the potatoes to stick and tear apart when you try to flip them – a quick brush with oil solves this problem.

Make sure your potatoes are similar in size so they cook evenly, and don’t crowd them too tightly on the skewers or the sides touching won’t get those nice grill marks.

Finally, resist the urge to flip them too early – let each side develop a golden crust for the full 3-4 minutes before turning, otherwise they’ll stick and fall apart.

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What to Serve With Grilled Potato Skewers?

These grilled potato skewers are perfect alongside any grilled meat like steak, chicken, or burgers since you’ve already got the grill going. They also pair really well with a simple green salad or coleslaw to balance out the richness of the sour cream topping. If you’re doing a backyard barbecue, throw some grilled vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, or corn on the cob on the side. For a lighter meal, serve them with grilled fish or shrimp and a squeeze of lemon.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep any leftover grilled potato skewers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can leave them on the skewers or slide them off – whatever works best for your storage space. They make a great quick side dish throughout the week!

Reheat: To bring back that grilled flavor, toss the potatoes back on the grill for a few minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the oven at 375°F for about 10 minutes, or pop them in the microwave if you’re in a hurry. The sour cream and toppings are best added fresh after reheating.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 550-650
• Protein: 7-9 g
• Fat: 15-18 g
• Carbohydrates: 90-100 g

Ingredients

For the skewers:

• 1.5 lb potatoes (cut into 1-inch chunks to ensure even grilling)
• 2 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

For the topping:

• 1/3 cup sour cream (I prefer Daisy for a thicker texture)
• 2 tbsp green onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

Step 1: Prepare Equipment and Potatoes

• 1.5 lb potatoes
• wooden skewers

Start by soaking wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning on the grill.

While the skewers soak, prick the potato chunks several times with a fork and place them in a microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave on high for 5-8 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape.

This par-cooking step is essential because it ensures the potatoes will be fully cooked through by the time the outside gets nicely charred on the grill.

Step 2: Season and Coat the Potatoes

• cooked potatoes from Step 1
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

While the potatoes are still warm from the microwave, transfer them to a bowl and add the butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.

Toss everything together gently until each potato chunk is evenly coated with the seasoned butter.

I like to let the warm potatoes sit with the butter for a minute so the seasonings really meld—it makes a huge difference in the final flavor.

Step 3: Preheat Grill and Thread Skewers

• seasoned potatoes from Step 2
• soaked wooden skewers from Step 1

Heat your grill to 400°F while you thread the seasoned potatoes onto the soaked skewers, distributing them evenly so the potatoes sit close together but not overcrowded.

This ensures good contact with the heat and helps them develop a nice crust.

Leave about an inch of space on each end of the skewer for easier handling.

Step 4: Grill the Potato Skewers

• threaded skewers from Step 3

Place the skewers directly on the grill grates and cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side without moving them—this creates those beautiful caramelized, charred spots that add depth of flavor.

Carefully flip each skewer and grill the other side for another 3-4 minutes until you see similar charring on all sides.

The potatoes should be golden brown with crispy edges while staying tender inside.

Step 5: Prepare the Topping and Serve

• grilled potato skewers from Step 4
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp green onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

While the skewers finish grilling, prepare your topping by combining the sour cream with most of the green onions, fresh parsley, and chives, reserving just a small amount of herbs for garnish.

Transfer the grilled potato skewers to a serving platter and dollop generously with the herbed sour cream mixture, then sprinkle with the reserved fresh herbs.

I find that the warm potatoes slightly melt the cool sour cream, creating a creamy sauce that clings beautifully to each piece.

Buttery Grilled Potatoes Skewers

Delicious Buttery Grilled Potatoes Skewers recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 600 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the skewers

• 1.5 lb potatoes (cut into 1-inch chunks to ensure even grilling)
• 2 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

For the topping

• 1/3 cup sour cream (I prefer Daisy for a thicker texture)
• 2 tbsp green onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

Instructions

 

• Start by soaking wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning on the grill. While the skewers soak, prick the potato chunks several times with a fork and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5-8 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape. This par-cooking step is essential because it ensures the potatoes will be fully cooked through by the time the outside gets nicely charred on the grill.
• While the potatoes are still warm from the microwave, transfer them to a bowl and add the butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Toss everything together gently until each potato chunk is evenly coated with the seasoned butter. I like to let the warm potatoes sit with the butter for a minute so the seasonings really meld—it makes a huge difference in the final flavor.
• Heat your grill to 400°F while you thread the seasoned potatoes onto the soaked skewers, distributing them evenly so the potatoes sit close together but not overcrowded. This ensures good contact with the heat and helps them develop a nice crust. Leave about an inch of space on each end of the skewer for easier handling.
• Place the skewers directly on the grill grates and cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side without moving them—this creates those beautiful caramelized, charred spots that add depth of flavor. Carefully flip each skewer and grill the other side for another 3-4 minutes until you see similar charring on all sides. The potatoes should be golden brown with crispy edges while staying tender inside.
• While the skewers finish grilling, prepare your topping by combining the sour cream with most of the green onions, fresh parsley, and chives, reserving just a small amount of herbs for garnish. Transfer the grilled potato skewers to a serving platter and dollop generously with the herbed sour cream mixture, then sprinkle with the reserved fresh herbs. I find that the warm potatoes slightly melt the cool sour cream, creating a creamy sauce that clings beautifully to each piece.