Boiled Baby Red Potatoes

Boiled Baby Red Potatoes are beyond easy and simple to make. Served with an easy slow cooker roast beef and these roasted green beans, this is a company-worthy meal that only requires a few minutes hands-on effort.

Little round red potatoes are a side dish that’ll never steer you wrong. This delicious and easy side dish can complete a meal any night of the week; we rarely get tired of potatoes!

I love potatoes in just about all their forms. From Crispy Cheese and Bacon Potatoes to fancy tasting Vanilla Bean Whipped Sweet Potatoes, there are potatoes on my dinner menu more often than not.

Typically, I find myself veering toward roasted or baked potato recipes like  Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and BBQ Chicken Stuffed Baked Potatoes. When boiled potatoes aren’t done right they can be grainy and flavorless.

These potatoes, I’m happy to report, are neither of the above. Each baby red potato is tender, salty and melts in your mouth.

For a real treat, put a smear of butter on your plate and use your fork to break each potato in half as your eat them. Dip the halves in the butter as you devour them.

What are baby red potatoes?

Baby red potatoes are small round potatoes with pinkish-red or brownish-red skin. They have a light and creamy flavor that makes them perfect for roasting and boiling. Red potatoes can also be mashed like in this Garlic Parmesan Mashed Red Potatoes recipe from Big Bear’s Wife.

Red potato skins are thinner and milder flavored than Russets so they’re typically eaten with the skin on. As a bonus, the skin is full of lots of beneficial nutrients! My favorite thing, though, is that cooking with red potatoes saves me the extra step of peeling.

How Long to Boil Potatoes

One of the tricks to getting perfect tender boiled potatoes is being careful not to overcook your spuds.

Start by placing whole baby red potatoes in a pot of cold water. Bring them to a boil and let them cook for about 15 minutes until a fork easily punctures a potato and slides through. Sometimes this can take up to 20 minutes.

When the potatoes are finished cooking, CAREFULLY remove them from the water and place them in a large bowl.

If you’re not careful and dump all the potatoes right into the bowl at once, they’re likely to break. The skins will slide right off and you’ll be left with naked potatoes.

Toss the potatoes with a couple of pats of butter along with a sprinkle of salt and freshly cracked pepper and you have a perfect simple side dish for any occasion.

They taste great on their own but I typically served the boiled potatoes with an extra pat of butter for dipping.

We love these served with Simple Skillet Pork Chops, Perfect Pan-Fried Chicken Thighs or Broiled Salmon. Add some simple steamed or sauteed veggies or a side salad and you’re good to go!

Potato Recipes

If you like these baby red potatoes, you’re sure to love Salt Potatoes, potatoes boiled in super salty water and drizzled in butter. Roasted Red Potatoes are another favorite that work their way into my meal plans often. Roasted Breakfast Potatoes are perfect for stuffing into breakfast tacos or eating alongside your Green Chile and Sausage Scrambled Eggs.

Looking for a complete one pan meal with potatoes? Give my 5 minute Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner with Green Beans and Potatoes a try! Irish Colcannon (Potatoes with Bacon and Cabbage) would make a great meal or side dish anytime of year, but especially on St. Patrick’s Day.

I also can’t wait to try Foodie Crush’s Dilled Baby Red Potatoes and Peas next time I pick up a bouquet of fresh dill. I’ve never paired my red potatoes with English peas but the combination sounds delicious!

Boiled Baby Red Potatoes

1. Put the potatoes in a medium-size saucepan and cover them with water. Bring them to a boil and continue boiling until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes and carefully place them in a large bowl. If you dump the potatoes into the bowl, they will break and the skins will rub off the potatoes.
3. Add the butter and with a soft spoonula or wooden spoon, toss them gently until all the potatoes are well covered. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Serve warm with extra butter for dipping.

{originally published 6/9/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 10/12/22}