Oven-Roasted Baby Potatoes

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/26/24
Tested by
Danilo Alfaro
Danlio Alfaro
Tested by Danilo Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 2 to 3 servings

This simple recipe for oven-roasted baby potatoes makes a great side dish for a wide variety of meals. The secret to these crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside roasted potatoes is to parboil the potatoes first, giving the insides a head-start on cooking. They are drained well and then tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper before roasting in a hot oven. If you have a flavored salt blend or a fine quality olive oil, this is a great time to use them.

Baby potatoes (also called new potatoes) are simply young potatoes, and therefore can be white, red, or even purple. Since they are harvested right at the beginning of the season, they are waxy, sweet, and full of moisture, which contributes to their creaminess.

Oven-roasted baby potato halves on a baking sheet

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What You'll Need to Make This Oven-Roasted Potatoes Recipe
A Nice Big Pot
A Sharp Chef's Knife
A Sturdy Baking Sheet

Ingredients

  • 1 pound baby potatoes, also known as new potatoes

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • Chopped fresh parsley, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for oven-roasted baby potatoes recipe gathered

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  2. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

  3. Place the baby potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil.

  4. Parboil, just until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately drain and let cool.

    Parboiled whole unpeeled potatoes draining in a colander

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  5. Slice cooled potatoes in half and place in a bowl. Gently toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, being sure to coat well.

    Halved potatoes tossed with oil and seasonings in a bowl

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  6. Put the potatoes, cut-side down, on a nonstick baking pan and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

    Potato halves placed cut side down on a baking sheet

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  7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley if using.

    Roasted potatoes sprinkled with chopped parsley on baking sheet

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  8. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Why Don't I Need to Peel the Potatoes?

The skin on baby potatoes is very thin, and the potatoes are small, making peeling very challenging. But since the skin is paper-thin, there is no reason to remove it anyway.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
221 Calories
9g Fat
32g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 221
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 645mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 15mg 73%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 814mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)