How to Bake Small Potatoes

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: April 25, 2022 References Tested

Small potatoes, sometimes called new potatoes, can be a tasty and convenient addition to family meals, potlucks, and dinner parties. Whether you’re using an oven or a microwave, you can quickly create a savory side dish out of small potatoes using nothing more than a little olive oil and some salt and pepper. By mixing in fresh or dried herbs, lemon juice, or garlic, you can even add a little extra flair to a culinary classic.

Ingredients

1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) small potatoes
2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
0.5 teaspoons (2.5 mL) salt
0.5 teaspoons (2.5 mL) pepper
1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) each of dried rosemary, sage, and/or oregano (optional)
0.5 teaspoons (2.5 mL) chili powder or ground cayenne (optional)
4 teaspoons (20 mL) fresh lemon juice (optional)
1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh mint or parsley (optional)
2 cloves garlic (optional)

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Seasoning Your Potatoes

1
Wash the potatoes and cut them in half. Rinse your potatoes thoroughly with cold water. If the skins still seem dirty after rinsing, use a vegetable brush or wet dish towel to gently scrub them clean. Pat them dry with a clean towel before cutting them in half.^{[1]
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2
Mix the potatoes with olive oil in a large bowl. Fill a large mixing bowl with the clean, halved potatoes and pour in your 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of olive oil. Mix them thoroughly, making sure the potatoes are evenly coated with the oil.^{[2]
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3
Sprinkle in the salt and pepper. Add at least 0.5 teaspoons (2.5 mL) of each, but add more if you like the taste. Stir the potatoes gently.
4
Add dried rosemary, sage and/or oregano for a savory taste. These herbs go well with roasted potatoes. If you aren’t familiar with them, smell them before adding them to the bowl. Add at least 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of whichever herb you choose.
5
Mix in some ground cayenne, chili powder, and/or chilis for a spicier dish. If you like your food a little hot, these spices will make great additions.
6
Add garlic and/or lemon juice for extra flavor. If you’re a fan of garlic, consider adding some coarsely chopped garlic cloves to the mixture. If you want your potatoes to have a little savory tartness, add some lemon juice. Stir the potatoes well so that the flavors will be evenly dispersed.^{[3]
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- You can use bottled lemon juice, but it will taste better if you squeeze it fresh. Just be sure to strain out the lemon seeds before adding the juice to your potatoes.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Roasting Potatoes in the Oven

1
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (204 °C). If your oven does not have a Preheat feature that alerts you when it reaches temperature, check to see if it has a thermometer inside that will indicate when it’s hot enough. Otherwise, put the potatoes in whenever they’re ready -- they may just take a little longer to roast.
2
Spread the potatoes evenly in a 13 in × 9 in (33 cm × 23 cm) baking pan. Ideally, you should use a baking dish with raised sides, as it will make it easier to stir the potatoes without knocking them over the edge. However, a flat cookie sheet will work fine too -- just be careful when you stir them.
- It’s okay if your pan isn’t exactly 13 in × 9 in (33 cm × 23 cm), but make sure there’s enough room to spread your potatoes evenly on the bottom with some space between. This will keep them from getting over-steamed and soggy.^{[4]
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3
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Put the pan in the middle of the oven rack where it can be evenly heated.
4
Stir the potatoes gently in the pan. When the timer goes off, use an oven mitt or hot pad to take the pan out of the oven. Use a spatula to gently flip the potatoes so that they bake thoroughly on each side.^{[5]
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Research source} Be careful not to push them over the sides of the pan, and make sure they’re still evenly spread out.
5
Bake the potatoes for another 20 minutes or until they’re soft. When the potatoes are done, you’ll be able to push a fork into one without any resistance.^{[6]
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Research source} The skins should also be slightly wrinkled and golden, and you should be able to smell them strongly.
6
Let the potatoes cool for 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven, shut the oven off, and set the pan on a cooling rack. Let it sit for 5 minutes before moving them out of the pan.
7
Put the potatoes in a serving dish and garnish them. You can coarsely chop some fresh parsley or mint and add it to the potatoes after they cool for some extra flavor.^{[7]
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Research source} You may also want to add a little extra olive oil if the potatoes seem dry.