Oven-roasted red potatoes have crispy outsides and soft and tender insides. This simple recipe has four ingredients: trim baby red potatoes, toss with olive oil, garlic, and salt, and bake on a rimmed pan. These baked red potatoes are the perfect side dish for almost any meal.
🥔Ingredients
Baby red potatoes or similar small or baby thin-skinned potatoes
Olive Oil
Garlic
Salt
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Featured Comment by Ginny:
"Absolutely love, love these!"
We have used this baked red potato recipe hundreds of times over the last 45+ years—perfect every time. We call them roasted "baby potatoes," using baby red potatoes, but other varieties with thin skins, like yellow, purple, fingerling, or new potatoes, will all work.
I recommend a convection oven for both a crispier outside and faster cooking. Almost any oven temperature will do if you are cooking something else—adjust the cooking time to compensate.
👨🍳How to Oven Roast Baby Potatoes—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Clean and trim the potatoes to 1 inch or less thick. Soak for 15-30 minutes, rinse, and dry.
2. In a large bowl, toss with olive oil, crushed or minced garlic, and kosher salt. Stir well until all the potatoes are well covered.
3. Spread evenly over a large rimmed oiled baking pan. Move to a preheated 400° convection or 425° conventional oven.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes until nicely browned. The internal temperature should be 200° plus.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏲️How long to roast red potatoes
At 400° convection oven, the cooking time is 30 minutes if you use the recommended size of potatoes. However, the size of the potatoes, the oven's exact temperature, and even the pan may vary the time.
The roasting time in a 350° conventional oven is about 45 minutes.
The roasting time in a 375° conventional oven or 350° convection oven is about 40 minutes.
The roasting time in a 400° conventional oven or 375° convection oven is about 35 minutes.
The roasting time in a 425° conventional oven or 400° convection oven is about 30 minutes.
The roasting time in a 425° convection oven is about 25 minutes.
This is an easy recipe to cook along with something else and vary your timing for the potatoes. Remember, potatoes can stay hot for a long time when tented with foil.
🤔When Are Potatoes Done?
With this recipe, just going by the browning and fork-tender almost always works. If unsure, check the internal temperature—200° is good, but 190° is not done. I like to use 210°. Cook's Illustrated recommends 205° to 212°.
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👍Options and variations
The potatoes are usually baby red potatoes, but any thin-skin small potatoes or new potatoes like purple, yellow, or fingerling are fine. Even chunks of larger thin-skin potatoes may be used if they are cut down in size.
I prefer a convection oven for a crispier outside, but a conventional oven may be used.
Garlic—fresh garlic is preferred, but garlic powder may be used.
Optional seasonings can add more flavor—dried herbs and spices can be added with the garlic, but fresh rosemary or thyme should be near the end of cooking, or they will burn. Add a sprinkle of black pepper just before baking if you wish
Optional Parmesan Cheese—sprinkled freshly grated as they come out of the oven.
🍽️When to serve
Serve with casual meals like Old Fashioned Meatloaf, Baked Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-in), Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs, or Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin.
You can also use them for formal dining with Small Prime Rib Roast, Grilled Ribeye, Pan Seared Filet Mignon, or Grilled T-bone Steak.
👨🍳Potato recipes
For other easy potato side dishes, check out Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Crispy Parmesan Baked Potatoes, or Crispy Baked French Fries.
❄️How to store and reheat roasted baby potatoes
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. I don't recommend freezing.
Use an oven, air fryer, stovetop, or microwave to reheat, but they are always better freshly cooked.
❓FAQs
Yes, you can trim the potatoes a day ahead and store them covered with water and refrigerated. Rinse and dry thoroughly before coating with oil, then cooking. The soaking does have the benefit of a little added crispiness.
Large red, Yukon Gold, or any potato with thin skin is fine. Trim them into the correct size pieces. Russets are thick-skinned and not recommended since they would need to be peeled, which would lose flavor.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes - red or other thin skinned potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons crushed or minced garlic - approximately 2 medium cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional, or combine with other dishes and adjust the potatoes' cooking time accordingly.
- Scrub your potatoes and cut them into pieces, keeping the size about 1 inch or less thick. You can soak the potatoes for 15-30 minutes and then rinse to remove starch for a crispier surface, but be sure to dry them before coating them with oil.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of crushed or minced garlic (2 medium cloves of fresh), and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir well until all the potatoes are well covered.
- Spread evenly over a large rimmed oiled baking pan. Keep them separated so they can brown nicely. I like the cut sides up.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until nicely browned. The internal temperature should be 200° plus.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- We always call them roasted "baby potatoes," using baby red potatoes, but other varieties with thin skins, like yellow, purple, or new potatoes, will all work.
- Easy to scale to the number of servings you need. Use a serving size of ¼ to ⅜ pounds per serving.
- Cut into pieces, but keep them about 1 inch or less thick. Larger thin-skinned potatoes can be used and cut into smaller pieces. Russets would need to be peeled, losing the skin and some flavor.
- Don't skimp on the oil, and season to your taste.
- I suggested an oven temperature of 400° convection but match other things you are cooking and adjust the time.
- Usually, the color is a good endpoint, but if unsure, a done potato has an internal temperature of at least 200°F.
- Alternate oven temperatures are discussed in the post.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's note: This recipe was first published on April 10, 2012. The blog was not very busy yet, and few visitors saw it. I have re-edited the text and pictures.
Deborah L says
Delicious! And here's an option. Ran out of potatoes when family wanted this again. Took 2 cans whole potatoes, patted them dry, then seasoned and cooked per recipe. I eyeballed their doneness. They were already cooked. But just Meh out of the can. This made them great.
Dick Hynes says
Senior guy learning to cook. You have become the "go to" source for cooking ideas. My wife is thrilled with the results.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Dick,
Welcome to the blog (old guy to old guy),
My wife loves my hobby also. She is a wonderful cook but sometimes I have to force her to do it now.
Let me know if you have questions, comments or requests.
Dan
Ginny Gass says
Absolutely love, love these!
As per my grandma, I put the oven on 400 degrees. I then place the metal baking pan in the cool-oven for 10 minutes ( to get the pan very-hot). I then add the cut potatoes. I bake for approx. 30 minutes.
Note: The reason I place the pan ( without the potatoes ) in the oven first, is so the outcome will be a much-crunchier potato.
Steve says
This same recipe with some parmesan at the end is also very good.
DrDan says
Hi Steve,
You are definitely right about the parmesan, it goes well with this recipe. I sprinkle it on with about 5 minutes left.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Donna says
These would have been a great side dish with my meatloaf (your tasty recipe) last night. Speaking of meatloaf, I ran out of ketchup, so we will be having meatloaf sandwiches tomorrow night after a trip to the store. Will attach this potato recipe to the meatloaf recipe...which I will definitely be making again! Off to leave rating and comment to that recipe now.
Donna says
These were awesome with the leftover meatloaf last night. Finished up both tonight and both were just as tasty as the night I made them. Will def have both again!
Angela Upton says
It was very easy to prepare and it was very good good ole soul food I live in the south Louisiana this is what we eat good good
Molly Mo says
This is one of my favorite things to make!
Chris says
One of our favorite side dishes, for sure!