Roasted Baby Potatoes (Crispy Recipe)

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In the oven or the air fryer, roasted baby potatoes are one of my favorite side dish recipes, especially in the fall when the weather starts to turn cool! This recipe is simply the best, honestly. Learn how to roast potatoes that are loaded with fresh garlic, olive oil, and herbs, then turn perfectly crispy on the outside while staying soft and fluffy on the inside. This recipe is a healthy alternative to french fries but please don’t mess around with the first step if you want them to really turn out crispy….

Oven Roasted Potatoes - how to roast potatoes

Why I Love Roasted Baby Potatoes

I’m sure you can understand how I tend to get into a recipe rut as the designated home cook in the family. Every week when I am menu planning, my head has a hard time remembering what I like to eat compared to what my kids will actually eat. Those are two very different lists!

My six kiddos really adore my killer mashed potatoes, but sometimes a gal just wants a more sophisticated potato side dish. Come on, if we’re going to indulge in a helping of potatoes, don’t we want them to be worth the carbs and calories?!? This recipe will do just that for you. You’ll end up with garlic-roasted baby potatoes that are perfectly crispy on the outside while staying tender on the inside.

Roasted Baby Potatoes Ingredients

The beauty of this recipe for roasted baby potatoes is the simple, straightforward ingredients. The best home cooking lets the ingredients shine all on their own.

Baby yellow potatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh garlic cloves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh herb of choice (rosemary, flat-leaf parsley, chives, or thyme)

How to Make Roasted Baby Potatoes

The actual time working is only a few minutes to make these amazing gems of deliciousness! Most of the time is in the oven so give them a try.

Time needed: 45 minutes

How to Make Roasted Baby Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
The key to crispy roasted baby potatoes is a very hot oven the whole time so don’t skip this step.
Prepare the potatoes.
Wash the potatoes and cut them into quarter or half pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will roast. There is no need to peel the potatoes for roasting.
Oil and season the cut potatoes.
Use extra virgin olive oil if you want a more flavorful end result, but a simple canola or vegetable oil will also work well. Season with garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet
A quality baking sheet helps create a golden brown and crispy surface on the potato as it takes on the heat of the oven.
Roast in the oven
The amount of time will depend on the size of the potato after cutting but usually around 40 minutes.
Add fresh herbs after the potatoes are roasted
If the herbs are added before going into the oven, they will burn and become bitter. If you want them to be part of the flavor of the potatoes instead of just a finishing herb, add them and toss into the roasted baby potatoes when you turn them after the first 30 minutes of roasting is complete.

Roasted Potatoes FAQs

Should I boil potatoes before roasting?

While boiling the potatoes before roasting them would reduce the amount of time in the oven, doing so also introduces water into the potato. So, when it goes into the hot oven to roast, it will steam for a while until the water evaporated, then it will finally get around to roasting. If you boil the potatoes first, they won’t get as golden brown and crispy because of that initial steaming session.

How do you get crispy roast potatoes?

There are three keys to crispy roast potatoes: enough heat, enough oil, and enough time on the baking sheet. Your oven should be very hot and completely preheated before the pan goes in or the potatoes will steam instead of roast. Second, you need enough oil over the surface of the potatoes so they can turn crispy. And lastly, leave those potatoes alone for the first 30 minutes in the oven. They need contact with the surface of the hot baking sheet for the crispiness to form. Once they’ve achieved that, then you can go in with a metal spatula and flip the potatoes for the last 15 minutes of roasting. Recipe FAQs

Recipe FAQs

Can I made roasted baby potatoes in the air fryer?

Yes, an air fryer would work well for this recipe. Follow the recipe exactly as it is written but you’ll need to roast them in smaller batches. If you crowd the air fryer too much, they won’t brown. They should take about 20 minutes per batch and you should stop the machine to shake the basket at least twice during the roasting time.

Can I use regular potatoes instead of baby potatoes?

Yes, you can easily substitue standard sized potatoes for the baby potatoes in this recipe. The taste and texture will be slightly different but they will still be delcious. Baby potatoes are a bit sweeter, a bit more tender, and have a softer skin on their exterior. If you use regular sized yellow potatoes, just be sure to cut them into small enough pieces so they will be cooked through on the inside by the time the outsides are golden brown.

Do I have to use extra virgin olive oil?

No, you can substitute a standard vegetable or canola oil for the olive oil. I like the flavor the olive oil brings to the roasted baby potatoes, but a more neutral-flavored oil will work just as well. You can also use regular olive oil for a less intense olive flavor compared to extra virgin.

Can I use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic?

Yes, if that is what you have on hand, go for it! Fresh garlic is preferred but garlic powder will still result in delicious roasted baby potatoes. For this recipe, you can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder instead of the fresh cloves of garlic and add it along with the kosher salt and black pepper.

Roasted Baby Potatoes Recipe Variations

Being a home cook provides endless opportunities to experiment with recipes, personalizing them to your tastes and creativity. Any of the following variations would be great spin-offs of this recipe for roasted baby potatoes.

Add parmesan cheese for a great punch of flavor that compliments the garlic beautifully.
Add some spice with a couple of shakes of red pepper flakes or you can even add some sriracha to the oil before you toss it into the cut baby potatoes.
Add carrots with the potatoes for a delicious sweetness. You can use either baby carrots or cut your own from whole carrots. Just be sure they are about the same size as the pieces of potatoes so they will both be finished roasting at the same time.
Use baby red potatoes instead of the baby yellows for a different flavor and texture to the baby roasted potatoes. Or, you could even mix the two types, using one pound of reds and one pound of yellow.

Tips for Crispy Roasted Baby Potatoes

Be sure to use the right type of shallow pan – Use a good quality, shallow pan, and don’t overcrowd the potatoes or they won’t brown. Give them room to breathe! My favorite pans have a shallow lip on them and are thick aluminum. Both of those features help in the browning and crisping process while letting the inside of each piece of potato stay light and fluffy.
Choose the right type of potato – To roast potatoes that will get crispy, you need a lower-starch potato, like a Yukon gold or red potato. If you want the best roasted baby potatoes, then spend a few extra dollars on your most important ingredient.
Let the potatoes sit on the pan without turning them – I’m not telling you to never turn the potatoes. To really get that great crispy surface on these roasted baby potatoes, give them enough time on the surface of the hot, rimmed baking sheet. So, step away from the spatula until close to the end of the roasting process.

Looking for More Great Potato Recipes?

If you love these roasted baby potatoes, then you’ll want to hurry and grab these other delicious recipes while you are here!

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