How Long to Cook Baby Potatoes

If you’ve ever been served a dish of garlic-butter roasted baby potatoes, then you must’ve dreamt about making a batch in your kitchen. But we know these tiny tubers don’t cook the same as regular potatoes, which may cause you to take a step back. But properly cooking baby potatoes isn’t as hard as you projected. And knowing how best to time the recipe depends on certain factors, which we’ll address as we read on.

Potato Nutrition Facts

Choosing the Baby Potatoes

Any choice of baby potatoes will result in a masterpiece, be it red, gold, or purple. Whichever you pick, baby potatoes will offer a tender texture while holding shape after cooking. But the consideration isn’t in the type but rather the condition of the potatoes. You’ll want firm tubers without soft spots or blackness on the skin. Such conditions indicate the baby potatoes aren’t in a prime state and thus, aren’t fit for cooking.

Prepping Baby Potatoes

One great thing about baby potatoes is they don’t require peeling. Their skin cooks to just as tasty a level as the insides, which is why they’re favored in many recipes. But they’ll need to first be cleaned before cooking, as they may carry dirt, dust, and grit from the grocery store. Plus, if the baby potatoes are farm-fresh, you’ll need a soft sponge to scrub off the extra dirt.

Wash baby potatoes in a colander under running water to clean them. Afterward, pat the tubers dry with paper towels. While this may seem unnecessary, you’d want to eliminate the chances of any grit lingering in the rinse water on the skin. Plus, you also want the seasoning to stick to the oil which won’t hold if the baby potatoes are wet.

Baby Potatoes Seasoning Suggestions

Baby potatoes are such a versatile ingredient, which is why they welcome a wide range of seasoning options. You can stick to the basics of salt and black pepper, but consider adding an aromatic herb to the mix. A popular option for this purpose is fresh or dried thyme, but other herbs like sage, rosemary, dill, marjoram, oregano, or basil can also work. As for spices, consider cayenne, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. You can also include brown sugar or Parmesan cheese in your recipe. And any fat will do from vegetable oil to ghee, margarine, and butter.

You can do a quick dry rub with the seasoning and oil for your baby potatoes, or let them sit with the seasoning and marinate for a few hours before cooking. The latter option offers a deeper flavor impact to the recipe.

 

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Baby Potatoes Cooking Time

Cooking time for baby potatoes depends on the method you use, and below, is an indication of the numerous options;

Stovetop

First, prep the baby potatoes by cutting them into halves. Then, heat oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat, and add your selected fresh herb or aromatic. Stir, so the aroma infuses with the oil, and add the baby potatoes; cut-side down. Leave them to cook for 10 minutes, then turn them over and cover the skillet. Let the baby potatoes cook for eight to 10 minutes, season with pepper and salt, and serve when fork-tender.

Oven

Combine the baby potatoes with oil and your preferred spices and seasonings. Then, pour it onto a baking sheet and cook in a 400F oven for 20 minutes. Ensure to shake the baby potatoes every five minutes so they don’t get burned.

Instant Pot

Add oil and butter to an instant pot, press SAUTE mode, and heat until the oil grows hot and the butter melts. Then, brown the baby potatoes for five minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the chosen spices and seasoning, followed by the stock, and stir. Then, close the lid, seal the valve, and cook on HIGH for five minutes followed by a quick release. After venting, open the lid and toss the baby potatoes in the sauce, then adjust pepper and salt if needed before serving.

Crockpot

Toss the baby potatoes in seasoning, herbs, spices, and oil, then pour them into the crockpot. Cook on LOW for five to eight hours or HIGH for two to four hours, depending on the potatoes’ size. Once done, garnish as desired and serve.

Air Fryer

Toss the baby potatoes in oil, spices, seasoning, and herbs until the mixture is even. Then, coat the air fryer basket with non-stick spray and add the seasoned baby potatoes. Cook for 15 minutes at 400F, shaking the bake halfway through the time. And once done, serve the potatoes at once.

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