One of the easiest recipes ever with only four ingredients, roasted baby potatoes are the perfect side dish for any meal, including that special holiday spread. Scrub, cut, season, and bake. This recipe is a 1/10 on the skill level but a 10/10 on the useful scale.
Introduction
This recipe is a formalization of our baby potato recipe we have used for 40+ years. We always call them roasted "little red potatoes," but they don't need to be red.
Start with a hot oven. Almost any temperature will do—adjust the cooking time to compensate. Scrub your potatoes and cut them into pieces that are about 1-inch max. Coat with olive oil, garlic, and salt. Finally, spread over a large baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. It's very hard not to get perfect roasted potatoes every time.
My Rating
Always a 5. The perfect side dish for a steak or other family dinners but good enough for company or holiday meals.
🥔About Baby Potatoes
Baby potatoes are also sometimes called "new potatoes." Red is the most common, but purple and gold are commonly found. They have a creamy texture and are incredibly tender.
There are several hundred types of potatoes, but I like to divide them into russets potatoes (thick skin) and thinner skin types like red or Yukon Gold.
🥔Ingredients
- Thin Skin Potatoes - Usually trimmed baby red or Yukon Gold potatoes but other potatoes like yellow, gold, or fingerling are also good choices.
- Garlic - fresh garlic is preferred but garlic powder may be used.
- Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Other seasoning can add more flavor—dried herbs and spice can be added with the garlic but fresh rosemary or thyme should be at the end of cooking or they will burn. A sprinkle of black pepper just before baking if you wish.
👨🍳How to Roast Baby Potatoes
- Start with scrubbed thin skin potatoes cut into pieces of 1 inch or less thickness. The recipe is set for 4 serving (one pound) and can be easily adjusted up or down. Soak, rinse and pat dry if you have time.
- Crush 2 cloves of garlic. Use more or less depending on taste.
- In a large bowl, mix the trimmed potatoes with olive oil, garlic, and kosher salt.
- Spread over the coated potatoes over an oiled rimmed baking sheet. A large baking dish may be used but don't "crowd the pan." I like the cut side up.
- Place in a 400° convection or 425° conventional oven and bake until golden brown—about 30 minutes.
🌡️⏰Oven Temperature and Time for Baby Potatoes
The cooking time is almost always 30 minutes if you use the recommended size of potatoes and oven temperature of 400° convection.
But this is a great recipe to cook along with something else and vary your timing for the potatoes. Remember, potatoes can stay hot for a long time tented with foil.
Here are some approximate cooking times. The size of your potatoes, the pan, and your oven will affect the timing—see the next section about the endpoint of cooking.
| Convention Temperature | Conventional Temperature | Approximate Cooking Time | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 350° | 45 Minutes | ||
| 350° | 375° | 40 Minutes | |
| 375° | 400° | 35 Minutes | |
| 400° | 425° | 30 Minutes | Preferred |
| 425° | 25 Minutes |
When Are Potatoes Done?
With this recipe, just going by the browning and fork-tender seems to almost always work.
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°.
FAQs
Yes, you can trim the potatoes up to a day ahead and store them covered with water refrigerated. Rinse and dry thoroughly before coating with oil, then cooking. The soaking does have a benefit of a little added crispiness.
Sure, anything with thin skin is fine, just not russets. Trim them down to the correct size.
Store them in an airtight container for 2-3 days, refrigerated if you have leftovers. I don't generally freeze.
Use an oven, air fryer, stovetop, or even the microwave to reheat, but they are always better freshly cooked.
📖Oven Potato Recipes
Crispy Parmesan Baked Potatoes
Old Fashion Scalloped Potatoes
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start by preheating an oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional or combining with other dishes and adjusting the potatoes' cooking time accordingly.
Scrub your potatoes and cut them into pieces keeping the size about 1 inch or less thickness. You can soak the potatoes for 15-30 minutes and then rinse to remove starch for a crispier surface but be sure to dry before coating with oil.
In a mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons of crushed or minced garlic (2 medium cloves of fresh), and 1 teaspoon 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 to do cut sides up.
Bake for about 30 minutes until nicely browned. The internal temperature should be 200° plus.
📖Recipe
Roasted Baby 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
Instructions
- Start by preheating an oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional or combining with other dishes and adjusting the potatoes' cooking time accordingly.
- Scrub your potatoes and cut them into pieces keeping the size about 1 inch or less thickness. You can soak the potatoes for 15-30 minutes and then rinse to remove starch for a crispier surface but be sure to dry before coating with oil.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons of crushed or minced garlic (2 medium cloves of fresh), and 1 teaspoon 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 to do cut sides up.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until nicely browned. The internal temperature should be 200° plus.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Easy to scale to the number of servings you need. Use a serving size of ¼ to ⅜ pounds per serving.
- Cut into slices but keep them about 1-inch or less thickness. Larger thin skin potatoes can be use and cut down. Do not use Russet potatoes.
- 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, just the color is a good endpoint but if unsure, a done potato has an internal temperature of at least 200°.
- Alternate oven temperatures are discussed in the post.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor note: This recipe was first published on April 10, 2012. The blog was not very busy yet, and not very many visitors saw it. I have re-edited the text and pictures. I have added a couple of new dog photos.
Deborah L
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
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
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
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
This same recipe with some parmesan at the end is also very good.
DrDan
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
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
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
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
This is one of my favorite things to make!
Chris
One of our favorite side dishes, for sure!