How to Bake Cubed Potatoes

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 References Tested

Baked cubed potatoes are a delicious side dish that goes great with meat, fish, or veggies. To make cubed potatoes, you’ll need to cut the potatoes with a sharp kitchen knife, then bake them in the oven for 25-30 minutes. If done properly, you’ll end up with delicious and crispy cubed potatoes.

Ingredients

1.5 pounds (680 g) potatoes
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) dried rosemary leaves, crushed
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) dried basil leaves (optional)
1.5 teaspoons (7.4 ml) crushed garlic (optional)
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) cumin (optional)

Makes 3-4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Cutting Potatoes into Cubes

1
Scrub the potatoes with a brush under cold water. Hold the potato under your faucet and use a hard brush to remove any dirt from the surface of the potato. Typically, potatoes will have dirt on them from when they were grown, which needs to be removed before you eat them. Work on areas of the potato that have dirt caked on.^{[1]
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- You don’t have to remove the brown or red skin on the potato during this step.
2
Peel off the skin of the potatoes if you prefer them that way. Hold a peeler in your dominant hand and the potato in the other hand. Work from the base of the potato all the way up to the top, peeling the skin as you go along.^{[2]
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- You can opt to cook the potatoes with the skin on as well.
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3
Cut off one side of the potatoes, lengthwise, so you have a flat surface. Hold the potato firmly against the cutting board and cut the rounded side of the potato, lengthwise. This creates a flat surface that will make it easier to cut the rest of the potato.^{[3]
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- Use a sharp knife when cutting the potato, so that the knife doesn’t slip.
4
Cut the potatoes 2 or more times, lengthwise. Place a potato on its flat side on the cutting board. Hold the potato firmly in one hand and make 2 cuts, lengthwise, to create 3 slices of potato. Repeat the steps on the other potatoes.^{[4]
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- If you want smaller cubed potatoes, cut the potato into more than 3 slices.
- If you want thicker cubes, cut the potato twice to create 3 slices.
- Make each slice of the potato the same size.
5
Stack the slices of potato and cut them lengthwise 2 times. Put the slices of potato on their sides and stack them on top of each other so that they rest on your cutting board. Cut the potato lengthwise again so that it creates 3 potato sticks.^{[5]
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- Make your cuts the same width as the original cuts so that your pieces come out as cubes and not rectangles.
6
Cut the potato widthwise to create cubes. Keep the potato sticks together as if they weren’t cut. Try to keep the same width as you did with the previous cuts so that each side of your potato cubes are the same size. Continue cutting the potato widthwise while holding it together to create all of your cubes.
- Most cubed potatoes are ¹⁄₂–¹⁄₄ inch (1.27–0.64 cm) wide on each side.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Cooking Potato Cubes

1
Heat the oven to 450 °F (232 °C). Preheat the oven before cooking the potatoes to get an even cook. A light or indicator should come on when the oven is fully preheated.^{[6]
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2
Spread the cubes on a 15 in × 10 in (38 cm × 25 cm) baking sheet. Use a glass or metal baking sheet or pan to cook your potatoes. Try to space out the cubes evenly and don’t stack them on top of each other or they will cook unevenly.^{[7]
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3
Pour the olive oil and spices over the potatoes and toss. Pour the 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil over the potatoes evenly. Then, sprinkle a pinch of salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of rosemary leaves on top of the potato cubes. Toss the cubes with the olive oil and spices so that they are all covered in oil and spices.
- Experiment adding other spices to your baked cubes like cumin, basil, garlic, paprika, and parsley.
4
Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes. Place the tray on the center rack of the oven and close the door. The potatoes should start to brown and smell fragrant as they cook in the oven.^{[8]
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5
Flip the potatoes over with a spatula. Wear a pair of oven mitts and pull out the baking sheet after the potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes. Carefully use a spatula to turn the cubes over. This will ensure an even cook on all sides.^{[9]
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- Be gentle as you flip the cubes so that you don't break any of them apart.
6
Cook the cubes for another 15 minutes. Let the potatoes finish cooking for 15 minutes before you take them out. You’ll know that they are done when the potatoes are brown and smell fragrant. Push a fork into the cubes to test for tenderness.^{[10]
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- Let the potatoes cool for 2-3 minutes before serving them.
- You can store leftover potato cubes in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.^{[11]
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