These tiny roasted red potatoes are tender and creamy inside, with thin skins that tighten as they roast and almost pop when you bite into them. Tossed with olive oil, fresh garlic, and parsley, they're ready in about 25 minutes and make an easy side dish for fish, chicken, steak, or sandwiches.
Quick Look: Roasted Tiny Red Potatoes
- What it is: Roasted red potatoes are baked in their jackets with garlic until tender inside, with crisp skins that pop when you bite into them.
- Why Make THIS Version? Roast the potatoes whole with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper until browned and crisp on the outside. They are easy to make and go with almost anything.
- Key Ingredients: Red potatoes, fresh garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and seasonings.
- Pairs Well With: Fried snapper, chicken cutlets, baked lamb chops, pan-fried ribeye steak, and fish sandwiches.
SUMMARIZE AND SAVE THIS POST ON
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Dish
I started making these little red potatoes whole because they're on sale every other week. Why not?
There's no need to peel them. Just season, roast, and they're ready in about 20 minutes.
After making dozens of batches, I realized what I really like is the "pop." One bite and you'll see what I mean.
I add fresh garlic cloves to the pan so they roast alongside the potatoes and add a little extra flavor. If you love roasted garlic, try my Roasted Garlic recipe.
When the potatoes roast just right, the thin skins tighten around the soft, creamy centers. Bite through the skin, and they almost burst in your mouth.
What are Tiny Potatoes?
Tiny potatoes are exactly what they sound like: very small potatoes, usually sold in bags with the regular potatoes at the grocery store. I use the little red ones for this recipe because the skins are thin, the centers are creamy, and you can roast them whole.
That's the big advantage. No peeling, no chopping, and no fussing with evenly sized pieces. Give them a quick rinse, season them, and toss them straight into the oven.
Because of their size, they cook much faster than full-size red potatoes. And when they roast, the skins tighten around the soft centers, which gives them that little "pop" when you bite into them.
Ingredients
These roasted red potatoes use simple ingredients, and most of them are probably already in your kitchen. The potatoes are the star here, so you don't need much to make them taste good.
- Small red potatoes: Look for the smallest potatoes you can find so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic adds more flavor as the potatoes roast. You can leave it out if you want to keep things very simple.
- Olive oil: Helps the skins brown and keeps the seasonings from sliding off.
- Salt: Potatoes need plenty of seasoning. Kosher salt works especially well here.
- Black pepper
- Fresh parsley: Garnishing with parsley gives the finished potatoes a fresh, clean flavor and a little color.
- Lemon wedges, optional: A squeeze of lemon at the table brightens everything up, especially if you are serving these with fish or chicken.
See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full instructions.
How to Roast Tiny Red Potatoes
Follow these simple steps for perfectly crisp, tender roasted potatoes every time.
Step 1: Rinse and dry the potatoes.
Rinse the potatoes under cool running water and scrub away any dirt. Dry them well with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
Step 2: Season the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place the oven rack in the center position. Add the potatoes to a large bowl and toss with olive oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
Step 3: Roast until tender.
Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the skins are lightly browned and the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
Step 4: Add the parsley and serve. Transfer the hot potatoes to a serving bowl. Toss with chopped parsley, then taste and season with more salt and black pepper as needed.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place the oven rack in the center position.
- In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with olive oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
- Transfer the hot potatoes to a serving bowl. Toss with chopped parsley, then taste and season with more salt and black pepper as needed.
Serving Suggestions
Tiny roasted red potatoes are an easy side dish for lemon roasted chicken, Butterball roasted turkey breast, and steamed spinach.
They are especially good with garlic butter sauce or a little whole grain mustard on the side.
How To Add Extra Flavor to Roasted Potatoes
Tiny roasted red potatoes are easy to change up depending on what you are serving with them. A few small additions can take them in a completely different direction.
- Cheese: Sprinkle the hot potatoes with grated Locatelli Romano or aged Parmesan as soon as they come out of the oven. The heat softens the cheese so it clings to the potatoes.
- Seasonings: Before roasting, try paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, Italian seasoning, or Cajun blackened seasoning.
- Citrus: Finish with fresh orange or lemon zest for fish or seared steak with gremolata. Orange zest is especially good with pan-seared chicken breasts.
- Fresh herbs: Toss the potatoes with chopped parsley, thyme, rosemary, or chives right before serving.
- Butter: Add a small pat of butter to the hot potatoes after roasting for a richer finish.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover roasted red potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, spread the potatoes on a sheet pan and warm them in a 400°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until heated through and lightly crisp again. You can also reheat them in an air fryer at 375°F for 3 to 5 minutes.
Roasted Tiny Red Potatoes FAQ
Little red potatoes are small red potatoes with thin skins, creamy centers, and a waxy texture that holds up well when roasted.
Choose potatoes with smooth, firm skin. Avoid any with soft spots, deep cuts, green areas, or heavy sprouting.
No. Their skins are thin and tender, so you don't need to peel them before roasting. Just scrub them well and dry them before cooking.
Small red potatoes usually roast in about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on their size and oven temperature. They are done when a fork slides easily into the center and the skins are lightly crisp.
Yes. You can roast very small red potatoes whole. Keeping them whole leaves a thin skin on the outside and a soft, creamy potato in the center.
No. For this recipe, you don't need to boil them first. Roasting them from raw keeps the prep simple and gives the skins more time to tighten and brown.
If you tried this Roasted Tiny Red Potatoes recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments. I love hearing from you!
Roasted Tiny Red Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound small red potatoes, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and roughly chopped
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the potatoes under cool running water and scrub away any dirt. Dry them well.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- Spread in a single layer and roast about 20 minutes, until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
- Transfer the hot potatoes to a serving bowl, toss with parsley, and season to taste.
