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….
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
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.
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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Print
Roasted Baby Potatoes
Easy garlic roasted potatoes recipe that turn out crispy on the outside, while staying tender on the inside.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow baby potatoes, cut into half or quarters
- 3 Tb extra virgin olive oil
- 3 medium garlic cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tb freshly chopped herb of choice (Italian parsley, chives, rosemary, thyme)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Chop the garlic finely, then add 1/8 tsp of salt and use the side of your knife to smash it into a garlic paste.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the cut potatoes, olive oil, and garlic paste until the garlic is evenly covering the potatoes. Spread potatoes in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet, and sprinkle on the remaining salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to carefully turn the potatoes so the crispy sides are now up. Return to the oven until the second side is crispy, about 5-10 minutes more. Remove, sprinkle on the fresh herbs and serve.
Notes
For an air fryer, use the same temperature but cut the potatoes into smaller batches that fit into your basket. Roast for 20 minutes, shaking the basket twice during the roasting time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 th
- Calories: 176
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 294 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: roasted baby potatoes
Maggie says
My sister made some potatoes for a gathering that were fantastic. She coated the chopped potatoes in olive oil and PERFECT PINCH GARLIC AND HERB SEASONING, then baked as you did in your recipe. Easy and good! Even my picky husband liked them!
Carole says
Sounds like a great option Maggie!
Manpreet says
Wow…it’s wonderful with many of our Indian summer veggies too….
Carole says
Love that idea!
Sharrie says
I made this for my family tonight and it was a big hit! Everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Carole says
Hey there Sharrie! I love when a recipe is a hit for the whole family 🙂 Thanks for coming back and letting me know
Tannamia L. Hall says
This recipe is so easy to fix and is delicious!!! I sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese the last time in the oven and that just tops it off!! Thank you for sharing your recipe !
Carole says
Thanks so much Tannamia for coming back and leaving your review! It helps out so much 🙂
Melissa says
Using this tonight!!
Carole says
Melissa, be sure to come back and let me know how they turned out!
Emma says
Cooked them in the morning for breakfast w some fruit and coffee!! So yummy, thank you
Carole says
So glad you loved them Emma!
Jennifer says
I’ve made these twice now. Delicious! They are my go-to roasted potato.
Carole says
Awesome Jennifer! So glad you love them as well.
Margo Z says
Hi Carole, wanting to try this later in the week. Just a question – in the photo you have the potatoes on parchment paper (which I always use on top of a cookie sheet), was this just for the photograph or do you actually use the parchment paper in the recipe? Thanks!
Carole says
You can use it or not. It was just a prop for the photo.
Jennifer says
Peel the potatoes?!
Carole says
Hey Jennifer! Nope, not need to peel the potatoes.
Salome Amuakwa-Mensah says
Hah perfect! I’m gonna try this tomorrow evening
Christyn says
Yet another successful and easy recipe from this blog.
Delicious! Thank you!
Carole says
I’m so glad you loved them Christyn! These are on a regular rotation in our menu. Usually 2-3 times a month.