How to Roast Baby Potatoes

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 27, 2023 References Tested

When you need a satisfying, easy to make side dish, consider roasting baby potatoes. Baby potatoes come in several colorful varieties and they present well when accompanied by almost any protein-based entrée, such as chicken, steak, pork, fish, and tofu. You can use a simple combination of olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper to season your potatoes. Then, simply roast the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet until they are golden brown and tender.

Ingredients

1 lb (0.45 kg) of baby potatoes
¹⁄₄ c (59 mL) of extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (30g) of fresh, chopped rosemary
1 minced garlic clove
1 1/2 teaspoon (7.5g) of salt
1/4 teaspoon (1.25g) of black pepper

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Cleaning the Potatoes

1
Preheat your oven to 450 °F (232 °C). It will take around 15-30 minutes for your oven to reach this temperature depending on how quickly it warms up, so it’s best to turn it on before you begin prepping. This way, you can place them right into the oven after they’re prepped.^{[1]
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- If you don’t plan to cook the potatoes right away, hold off on pre-heating the oven.
2
Rinse the baby potatoes under cool water. Use a colander to hold the potatoes while you rinse them. This will help the water and dirt drain out while keeping the potatoes in place. If your baby potatoes do not have any visible dirt clumps on them, you won’t need to do anything else to get them clean.

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3
Scrub the potatoes with a vegetable brush to remove excess dirt. Some baby potatoes have minimal dirt on them so you might not need to worry about this. However, if there are visible clumps of dirt on the potatoes, use a vegetable brush to scrub them clean while holding the potatoes under running water.
- If you do not have a vegetable brush, use your hands to rub the dirt off of the potatoes.
Did you know? You can wash potatoes in a washing machine with no soap in it! Place them on the top rack of the dishwasher or put them into a colander on the top rack if they are too small and slip through the slots of the rack. Run the rinse cycle and the potatoes will be squeaky clean and ready to prep when it’s done.^{[2]
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4
Cut the potatoes in half to speed up cooking time if desired. Place the potatoes on a cutting board and cut each of them in half with a sharp knife. It’s not necessary to cut the baby potatoes in half, but it will reduce the cooking time, especially if they’re on the large side.
- If possible, try to select baby potatoes that are all about the same size. This will help to ensure that they cook at the same rate.
5
Place the baby potatoes on a greased baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Spray the baking sheet or pan with non-stick cooking spray or brush vegetable oil onto the surface. If you have a cookie sheet with high edges, this will work as well.^{[3]
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- Do not place the potatoes on a baking sheet with no edges as they will likely roll off the edges when you move the pan.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Seasoning the Potatoes

1
Mix the seasoning ingredients together in a small bowl. Combine ¹⁄₄ c (59 mL) of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons (30g) of fresh, chopped rosemary, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 1/2 teaspoon (7.5g) of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon (1.25g) of black pepper in a small bowl. Then, mix the ingredients together using a whisk or fork.^{[4]
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- You can change up the seasoning combination if you'd like to add different flavors to your potatoes. Try adding ½ tsp (2.5 g) of cayenne pepper in place of fresh rosemary for spicy potatoes, or stick with 1 tsp (5 g) each of salt and pepper for a simpler flavor combination.
- Another type of liquid fat will work in place of olive oil, such as canola, coconut, avocado oil, or even melted butter.
2
Pour the oil mixture over the potatoes. Make sure that you use all of the oil mixture as this will help to make your potatoes nice and crispy. You can also drizzle the oil over the potatoes with a spoon. However, don’t worry if some of them don’t have any oil on them after you do this.^{[5]
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3
Toss the baby potatoes in the roasting pan or baking dish. Coat each potato completely with the seasoning mixture. You can also use a slotted spoon to gently toss the potatoes and coat them in the oil mixture.^{[6]
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Tip: If you cut any of the potatoes, place them cut side down on the baking sheet to ensure that they get crispy.^{[7]
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4
Spread the potatoes in a single layer ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) apart. This will help to ensure that all of the potatoes get brown and crispy. If the potatoes are too close together, they may not cook properly.^{[8]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Baking the Potatoes

1
Roast the potatoes uncovered for 20-35 minutes. Place the potatoes on the lowest rack in the oven. Do not cover them with foil or a lid. Close the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes.^{[9]
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- Smaller potatoes will take less time to cook while larger ones will take more time.
2
Check the potatoes after 20 minutes for a brown color and tenderness. Look into the oven to see if the potatoes are brown around the edges. If they are, remove them from the oven while wearing oven mitts and poke a few random potatoes with a fork. They are done if they’re tender when you pierce them with a fork. The potatoes are undercooked if you cannot pierce them easily.^{[10]
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- Choose a few of the largest potatoes to check with a fork as these will take longer to cook.
3
Cook the potatoes another 5-10 minutes if they’re not done. If the potatoes are not finished cooking, return them to the oven for another 5-10 minutes and then recheck them. If they’re still not done, cook them for another 5 minutes and check again. Keep doing this until they are ready.^{[11]
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- Be careful not to overcook the potatoes.
4
Transfer the potatoes to a serving platter when they are done cooking. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a serving platter. Make sure to serve the potatoes while they are still warm. You can eat them as is, or dip them in something, such as sour cream, ketchup, or barbeque sauce.

Tip: You can also scoop potatoes directly onto your plate from the pan if you don’t want to dirty another dish.

Community Q&A

Question

Would it be better to parboil them first?

Community Answer

There is no need to. Parboiling can make them into mashed potatoes because they're so small.
Question

Can I use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic?

Community Answer

Yes, absolutely. However, if you're replacing fresh garlic with powdered garlic, you should use 1/2 tsp. for each clove of garlic.
Question

What temperature is it roasted at?

Community Answer

As per instructions #2, preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit (204° Centigrade).