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Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes are one of my favorite sides to put on the table. The outsides turn crisp and golden while the middles stay soft and fluffy. I use a mix of fingerling, baby red, and small white potatoes, tossed in olive oil with lots of minced garlic and a good handful of dried Italian herbs. What makes these potatoes better than most is the second dousing in seasoned olive oil when they come out of the oven.
I probably serve this potato recipe more than any other, even my Southern Mashed Potatoes. These potatoes go with pretty much everything, and this is absolutely the easiest recipe. I would guess I’ve been making these potatoes for at least 20 years, and everyone who has ever eaten them has loved them.
You do have to watch the garlic carefully because it can burn easily. You can cover the potatoes loosely with foil to help and shake them around a bit. I generally don’t worry about it too much and they turn out just fine.
Testing results for roasted baby potatoes
- When I first started making these potatoes, I thought the second toss in oil was unnecessary. However, I quickly learned that it adds tons of flavor and is really what takes these potatoes from ho-hum to amazing.
- I have made this recipe using all baby red potatoes, those cute tiny honey gold potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or a mix. It doesn’t really matter which ones you use as long as they are relatively uniform in size so they will cook together.
- I’ve made these potatoes as is and also added bacon, which is really a game-changer. Most of the time I’m too lazy to add the bacon, and we love the potatoes without it. But if it goes along with the rest of the menu and I have time, I love to throw in a little crispy bacon.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
P.S. I adapted this recipe from a roasted fingerling potato recipe in Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis, one of my favorite cookbooks and one I use frequently. Giada’s recipes are always excellent and never overly complicated.
Ingredient notes
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Garlic: Four tablespoons of minced garlic for two pounds of potatoes, which sounds like a lot, but I promise it works. Some of it clings to the potatoes on the first toss, and the rest stays in the bowl for the second one.
Potatoes: Most of the time, I use a medley of fingerling, baby red, and small white potatoes, mostly for how they look together in the bowl. Any one of the three on its own works just as well. Wash them and let them dry completely before they go into the oil.
Dried Italian herbs: A tablespoon and a half of a dried blend, usually oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A quarter cup, whisked with the garlic and herbs in a large bowl. Do not wash that bowl while the potatoes roast, and if your partner cleans up behind you, make sure they know! My husband dumped out my garlic olive oil once. 🫠
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make garlic herb roasted potatoes
- In a large mixing bowl, add olive oil, garlic, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper.
- Stir to combine, then add potatoes. Gently stir the potatoes until they are well coated with the oil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to one or two lightly greased large, heavy baking sheets.
- Roast the potatoes 40-50 minutes, turning occasionally. If using two baking sheets, alternate from top to bottom halfway through the cooking time.
- Now here’s the most important part: do NOT wash that bowl! When the potatoes come out of the oven, dump them back in the bowl with the olive oil, garlic, and herbs, and swish them around until they’re coated again.
This is what sends these roasted baby potatoes into the Roasted Baby Potato Extraordinaire Stratosphere. Then toss on a tad more salt and pepper, place in a serving bowl, and you’re good to go.
Why the second toss in oil
The oil in that bowl is no longer plain olive oil. It’s been infused with all the garlic and herbs that didn’t cling to the potatoes the first time around. Potatoes coming out of a hot oven soak up oil readily, so the second turn puts a fresh coat of garlic and herbs onto skins that have already crisped. It doesn’t lessen the crispiness at all, just adds more overall flavor.
Make-ahead and storage tips
You can make these potatoes in advance, and leave them in a warm oven until ready to serve, but you will lose a little crispiness that way. They’re still delicious (I have done this many times), but just a little softer.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to reheat them in the air fryer as it crisps up the skins a little.
What to serve with garlic herb roasted baby potatoes
These potatoes go with almost anything that comes out of an oven or off a grill. I like to serve them instead of baked potatoes with my Cast-Iron Ribeye Steak. They’re also delicious with Rosemary Balsamic Chicken, and the herbs in the two recipes pair well together. For a Sunday supper, serve these baby potatoes with your Southern Pot Roast.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried Italian herbs
- 4 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lbs. mixture of fingerling potatoes, baby red potatoes, and small white potatoes, either whole or chopped into same size pieces
- ⅓ cup crispy cooked bacon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs, 4 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add 2 lbs. mixture of fingerling potatoes, baby red potatoes, and small white potatoes, either whole or chopped into same size pieces and stir gently. Be sure that all the potatoes are coated with oil.
- Lightly spray a large, heavy baking sheet.
- Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and place on the baking sheet, making sure there is space between each potato. If necessary, use two baking sheets.
- Set the bowl aside to save the olive oil mixture.
- Roast the potatoes until they are tender and golden, turning them occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove potatoes from oven and place back in the bowl with reserved olive oil.
- Stir gently to coat the potatoes again, then add 1/3 cup crispy cooked bacon (optional) and remove to a serving dish.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Store these roasted baby potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Both at the start and again at the end. Add the garlic and herbs to the oil before the potatoes, so everything roasts together, and the flavor works into the skins. Then the potatoes go back into the reserved oil out of the oven and pick up a second coating of the infused oil.
Not for this recipe. They go into the oven raw, straight out of the seasoned oil.
I use a dried Italian blend, which is generally oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.
You can, but only if they have plenty of room. Potatoes packed against each other trap steam between them, and the skins stay soft instead of crisping. I use two baking sheets so every potato has space around it, and I swap the sheets top to bottom halfway through.
Yes, you can cut the potatoes in half. You want to do that for any that are larger than the others so you have uniform sizes. I usually leave some smaller ones that stay whole and bigger ones that are cut into pieces.
