Crispy Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes

Name: Crispy Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes; 1/4 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste after roasted); 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; 4 medium garlic cloves, minced well; 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced well (about 2 teaspoons )

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Oven-roasted baby potatoes are always a perfect side dish for poultry, fish, or meat. These bite-sized potato nuggets are crispy on the outside and tender and creamy in the center.

They’re coated with garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, and fresh rosemary for amazing flavor.

A sheet pan of oven roasted baby potatoes on a red and white striped napkin. A sprig of rosemary and a head of garlic are in the background.

Love that cheese-and-herb combination with potatoes? Try my Boursin mashed potatoes too!

Dietitian Tip: Many people see potatoes as a starchy “guilty pleasure,” but they’re actually good for you. A serving of potatoes with their skin provides over 600 mg of potassium (more than a banana) and about 1/3 of your Daily Value for vitamin C. Potatoes, especially the red and purple-skinned ones, also provide antioxidants to protect your cells from free radical damage. A serving (about one medium potato) has about 26 grams of carbohydrates, roughly the same amount you’d get from 1/2 cup cooked pasta.

Recipe At-A-Glance

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME:35 minutes
SERVES: 6
DIFFICULTY: easy
RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS: Crispy, cheesy baby potato nuggets are the side dish that goes with everything.
FEATURED INGREDIENTS: Baby potatoes, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, rosemary

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

EVERYONE’S FAVORITE POTATOES. You really can’t go wrong with potatoes. These are a cross between crispy potato-wedge fries and tender, perfectly seasoned bites of baked potato.
SO EASY. Baby potatoes are so fast and easy to cut and prepare. This recipe takes just a few minutes to assemble and there’s no potato peeling, boiling, or parboiling needed. Just put the pan in the oven and toss them once or twice.
GOES WITH EVERYTHING. Whether you need a side dish for a weeknight or Christmas dinner, you can’t go wrong with oven-roasted baby potatoes.

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the main ingredients needed to make roasted baby potatoes. Substitutions and variations are in the section below.

Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.

Ingredients needed to make oven roasted baby potatoes.

Potatoes. Use baby potatoes (also called new potatoes) for this recipe. Baby potatoes are regular potatoes that have been harvested while they’re still immature. They are more tender than larger potatoes and have a thin, tender skin, so you don’t have to peel them. Leaving the skins on also adds fiber to this recipe. I like to use red and yellow potatoes for some color interest. If you can find small purple potatoes, add those too.

Garlic. Buy a firm head of garlic and mince the cloves well. It adds a lovely flavor to this recipe.

Parmesan cheese. Use a good quality (like Parmesano Reggiano) grated cheese for this recipe. Shredded cheese won’t melt as well.

Fresh rosemary. Use a sprig of fresh rosemary, which has tender needles and amazing flavor. I don’t recommend dried rosemary because the needles are too hard.

Substitutions and Variations

If you have air fryer roasted garlic in the refrigerator, you use it here in place of the minced garlic. Mash the rcloves into the Parmesan cheese
If you prefer, skip the rosemary and use fresh minced parsley instead, or add both. Add parsley at the very end, after you remove the potatoes from the oven. Tender herbs will burn in a hot oven.
Try other spices or spice blends, like Italian seasoning mix, za’atar, herbs de Provence, or your own homemade dried herb mix.

How to Make Roasted Baby Potatoes

1. Prepare the potatoes – Scrub them well, lay them on a clean towel, and dry them as well as you can (this step is important because wet potatoes will steam instead of crisp). Then, cut them into halves or quarters so they’re all about the same size. Toss them with the olive oil, then add the salt and pepper and mix again.

Steps 1,2 to make roasted baby potatoes.

2. Roast the potatoes – Lay the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in the hot oven on the lowest rack. If desired, line your sheet pan with parchment paper for easier cleanup.

3. Make the Parmesan-garlic topping – Combine the grated Parmesan, minced garlic, and minced rosemary and mix well.

4. Add the Parmesan to the potatoes – Let the potatoes roast for 10-15 minutes, then turn them so they brown evenly. When they’re tender but not quite all the way golden, transfer them to a large mixing bowl, toss them with the cheese mixture so they’re evenly coated, and return them to the pan to finish cooking. Remove them from the oven when they’re evenly browned and the cheese is melted.

Expert Tips

Don’t oversalt your potatoes before roasting them. The Parmesan cheese is salty so it’s best to salt them lightly before roasting and add extra salt if needed after you add the Parmesan mixture.

Make sure your oven is completely preheated before putting the pan of potatoes into the oven. This helps ensure the potatoes develop a crispy outside and a creamy inside.

Keep a close eye on the potatoes after 20 minutes. Once they start to turn golden, they can burn quickly.

I’ve tried adding the garlic, Parmesan, and herbs to the potatoes at the beginning, but minced garlic and grated Parmesan can burn before the potatoes are done. I recommend adding these toward the end of the roasting time. That allows the cheese to melt and the garlic to toast without burning.

A sheet pan of oven roasted baby potatoes.

What to Serve with Roasted Baby Potatoes

These crispy oven-roasted baby potatoes are delicious served with:

Thanksgiving dinner. Serve them along with a platter of roasted fall vegetables and sauteé mushrooms.
Pistachio crusted salmon
Chicken with spinach and mushrooms
Beef tenderloin or a rib roast for Christmas
A weeknight chicken dinner
Pesto eggs for breakfast
A tomato and goat cheese frittata

Recipe FAQs

Can you make these oven-roasted potatoes ahead of time?

To make this recipe in advance, roast the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until they are tender but not quite golden. Refrigerate the potatoes for up to two days. When you’re about ready for dinner, spread the potatoes on a sheet pan and finish them under the broiler to let them warm and crisp. Then, toss them with the Parmesan mixture and place the pan in the oven (middle rack) for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt and the garlic to toast.

Should you boil baby potatoes before roasting them in the oven?

There’s no need to boil them. Their thin skin and small size mean baby potatoes cook through and get tender in the oven without a parboiling step. Skipping it saves you a pot to wash and about 10 minutes of hands-on time, and it won’t affect how crispy they get, since the crisping happens from the oil and high heat, not from pre-cooking.

How should you reheat leftovers?

If you have leftover potatoes, heat them in the oven, an air-fryer, or a skillet (add some eggs, vegetables, and cheese for a hearty breakfast or dinner). If you reheat them in a microwave, they’ll be soft and the garlic-cheese mixture will be a bit clumpy.

Can you make this recipe with regular large potatoes?

Yes, I recommend Yukon gold or larger red potatoes, which have a thin skin and don’t require peeling. If you use russet potatoes, peel the skin first. Make sure you cut the potatoes into small, one-inch pieces.