Recipe updated: April 4th, 2024
These boiled baby potatoes can be made in just minutes and are so delicious and super easy to make. Just boil potatoes, drain the water, add a little bit of butter, then sprinkle on some Kosher salt. That’s it! So tasty! This is an easy side dish to make while you are preparing the main dish.
🔑 Key Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 pounds of baby potatoes (half of a 5-pound bag)
- 1 teaspoon of table salt
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon of coarse Kosher salt
🥔 How to Make Baby Potatoes
These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.
Step 1. Wash the Potatoes & Put Them in a Pot of Water
First, wash the potatoes in the sink. Then put the potatoes in a large saucepan. We used half of a 5-pound bag. Our bag had a mixture of baby red potatoes and yellow small potatoes. Note that this recipe will work if you need to make fewer potatoes than we did, but use less salt than called for or taste as you go.
After you have the right amount of potatoes in your pot, fill the pot with cold water about an inch above the potatoes, just enough to cover them. Then add 1 teaspoon of table salt to the water and the potatoes. Stir it up a bit.
Step 2. Bring the Water to a Boil
Put the pot of water on the stove. Turn the burner on high. Bring the water to a boil. After the water starts boiling, turn the burner down to medium-high heat. After that, boil baby potatoes for about 15 minutes. If your water is boiling too much, turn the burner down to medium heat.
Tip: Insert a toothpick (or fork) into a potato to check for doneness. It should slide in the potato with ease, but not tear the potato apart.
Step 3. Add Butter and Kosher Salt
Drain the water from the pot after 15 minutes of cooking and the potatoes are fork tender. Then add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and continue to cook on low heat until the butter has melted. After that, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of coarse Kosher salt over the potatoes and mix it all up. Turn the burner off. Place a lid on the potatoes to keep them warm until dinner is served.
Note: Depending on your preferences, you can add extra seasonings to the boiled potatoes. These boiled baby potatoes also taste great sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and herbs.
✨ Buttery Boiled Baby Potatoes
The melted butter together with the Kosher salt makes these boiled baby potatoes taste fantastic. And of course, you can add all of your favorite seasonings as well.
The best way to eat these little potatoes is whole, just like they are. But you can cut them in half on your plate if you choose to. You can even cut them in half and smash them a bit with your fork, then pour some gravy over the top of them.
Store any leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days, then toss them in the trash after that. The longer the potatoes sit in the refrigerator, their quality will diminish, and “icky things” can start growing on them such as mold.
🙋 FAQs
There are a lot of different toppings for these tasty whole potatoes. Examples are:
✨ Fresh herbs
⭐️ Freshly ground black pepper
✨ Parmesan cheese
⭐️ Fresh parsley
✨ Cheddar cheese with bacon bits
⭐️ Garlic salt
✨ Fresh rosemary
⭐️ Gravy
✨ Olive oil
Yes, any of your favorite potatoes will work great with this recipe. There are a wide variety of potatoes that are sold in the grocery store. Adjustments to the cooking time and also the seasoning measurements may have to be made depending on how many potatoes you are making and how big the potatoes are. Some examples are:
🔵 Red potatoes
🟣 New potatoes
🔵 Jersey royals
🟣 Russet potatoes
I always figure about 1 potato per serving, or per person, and then one to boot just in case the person wants 2 potatoes. But it also depends on the size of your potatoes. For example, if they are larger potatoes, then I would use 1 potato per person. Normal-size potatoes could be 1 or 2 potatoes per person. In this recipe, the potatoes are very small, so I would figure about 4 or 5 potatoes per person.
💡 Final Thoughts
These potatoes are a delicious recipe for any night of the week because they do not take much time to prepare and make at all. The recipe uses only simple ingredients, and they are a great option for a side dish for a weeknight meal, summer cookouts, or during a winter snowstorm!
So, the next time you are running late, get in the kitchen and boil some potatoes! This recipe is definitely one of the easiest ways to prepare baby potatoes, and it will soon be one of your favorite ways!
📋 Recipe Card
Boiled Baby Potatoes
🫕 Equipment
🧂 Ingredients
- 2½ lb baby potatoes (half of a 5-pound bag)
- 1 tsp table salt (for boiling water)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp kosher salt
👩🍳 Instructions
- First, wash the potatoes in the sink.
- Put the potatoes in a large saucepan.
- Fill the pot with cold water about an inch above the potatoes.
- Add the table salt to the water and the potatoes. Stir it up a bit.
- Turn the burner on high and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high.
- Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes. If your water is boiling too much, turn the burner down to medium heat.
- To check for doneness, insert a toothpick (or fork) into a potato. It should slide in the potato with ease, but not tear the potato apart.
- Drain the water from the pot.
- Add the unsalted butter and cook on low heat until the butter is melted.
- Sprinkle the coarse Kosher salt over the potatoes and mix it all up.
- Turn the burner off and place a lid over the potatoes to keep them warm until you are ready to serve them.
*️⃣ Recipe Notes
- You can add any of your favorite toppings and seasonings to these potatoes.
- Can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 3 days.
🥰 More Potato Recipes You Will Love
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges – This is an easy recipe that tastes so fantastic!
- Baked Potato (No Foil) – A quick side dish to go along with your roast chicken, steak, or ham dinner.
- How To Make Mashed Potatoes – So easy to make, we have the right amount of measurements for you.
- Potato Salad with Eggs and Mustard – This classic potato salad is the best. It’s simple to make too, with mustard, mayo, relish, and onions. A real treat!
A wife, a mother to a son and a daughter, and a grandmother to three granddaughters. Flo loves sharing recipes passed down from her own mother, her mother-in-law, and her grandmother as well as new recipes created with her daughter, Tamara Ray.
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