Enjoy these hearty and satisfying Roasted Garlic Baby Potatoes with Rosemary as a side dish, paired with your favorite mains. The potatoes are first parboiled on the stovetop and then roasted in the oven. Fresh garlic and rosemary are added at the end of roasting to add flavor but without the risk of burning. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.

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Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes Highlights
One of the most comforting and versatile foods is the humble potato. These rosemary garlic potatoes are a tasty side dish to accompany your favorite savory mains for breakfast or dinner.
For this recipe, we’re roasting baby potatoes (aka: new potatoes), keeping the skins on. They’re small in size, have tender skin, and cook quickly.
This Recipe Is:
- garlicky
- creamy on the interior
- lightly crispy on the exterior
- can be prepped ahead
- freezer friendly
If you love tasty potato recipes, you’ll enjoy these rosemary garlic potatoes.

Ingredients You’ll Need
Simple ingredients create tasty roasted rosemary garlic potatoes. Here’s what you’ll need (see recipe card for details):
- Baby Potatoes: also known as new potatoes, but they’re called baby because they’re a smaller variety of new potatoes. You’ll often find them in mesh bags at the grocery store. I like the 1 1/2 – 2 inch size, just large enough to slice in half. You can use red or gold/yellow. If using larger new potatoes, slice into 1 inch uniform pieces.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: use a high quality extra virgin olive oil for roasting. I like Corto or California Olive Ranch brands.
- Fresh Garlic: you’ll need about 3-4 plump cloves, minced. If you love garlic, go with the high end of 1 1/2 tablespoons; otherwise, use one tablespoon.
- Fresh Rosemary: has a distinctive and robust flavor that’s often described as earthy, sage-like and slightly peppery. It adds depth and interest to these roasted baby potatoes. Use leftover rosemary in this tasty Roasted Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup or Sweet and Spicy Roasted Rosemary Cashews.
- Fine Sea Salt: a heavy dose of salt goes into the boiling pot with the potatoes. This seasons the potatoes as they parboil.
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper: potatoes can take on a lot of pepper. You’ll add this just before roasting and after to taste.




Taking a Few Extra Steps for Tasty Roasted Baby Potatoes
This recipe is simple, but it’s the attention to little details that create tasty roasted baby potatoes.
- Parboil the Potatoes: We’re taking an extra 10-minute step to parboil the potatoes before roasting. Here’s why: parboiling ensures the potatoes are seasoned with salt throughout the interior. Also, because starches are released during parboiling, you get nice tender-crisp crust on the outside with a soft, fully cooked interior after roasting. You can parboil ahead of time too, to get a jump on prep. Then, roast the potatoes later (more on that below).
- Preheat the Sheet Pan: Preheating the pan is a technique that helps to support a crispy exterior on the potatoes. When the potatoes come into contact with the hot surface, they start cooking right away. I use the same technique with my Crispy Oven Fries.
- Add Rosemary and Garlic at the End: To ensure the fresh rosemary and garlic don’t burn while they’re in a hot oven with the potatoes, we’ll add them at the end of roasting drizzled with a touch of olive oil to retain their fresh, mellow flavors.




Get Ahead Tip: How to Parboil & Store the Potatoes Ahead
To get a jump on prep, you can parboil potatoes ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator before roasting. Storing the parboiled potatoes in the fridge helps maintain their texture until you’re ready to roast the potatoes. Here’s how to do it:
Parboil:
- Transfer the potatoes to a large pot, and fill it with cold water, enough to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch of water. Add salt and bring to a boil.
- Turn down the heat and simmer for about 7-9 minutes, or until just fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes and let them steam off for 5 minutes, then rough them up by putting the lid on the pot and shaking it. Cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate:
- Once the potatoes have cooled, transfer them to a lidded container and refrigerate, where they can be stored for about 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to roast, preheat the oven and sheet pan and continue with the recipe.
Parboiling your potatoes before roasting ensures thoroughly seasoned potatoes a tender-crisp exterior with a soft, fully cooked interior.

Expert Tips
- Double the Recipe: As written, this recipe serves 3-4. Depending on how many servings are needed, you can double it (as seen in the photos). The recipe doubles with no adjustments needed.
- More Garlic Please: We’re a garlic-loving household so I use 1 1/2 tablespoons, minced, in this recipe. Feel free to reduce this to 1 tablespoon if desired.
- Scoop it Up: The garlic and rosemary don’t really stick very well to the potatoes after roasting, so be sure to scoop those bits up and sprinkle them over the potatoes when serving.
- How to Freeze: Although these are best fresh from the oven, you can freeze these rosemary roasted potatoes for up to two weeks. Freeze individual pieces on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Once frozen, store in a lidded container. They can go from freezer to oven!
More Recipes with Potatoes to Try
- Easy Crispy Oven Fries
- Cabbage White Bean Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Veggie Curry
- Vegetarian Corn Chowder
Roasted Garlic Baby Potatoes with Rosemary
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) Baby Potatoes aka small new potatoes, about 2 inch sized (2 bite), cut in half, skins on.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt + more to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Minced Fresh Garlic about 3-4 large cloves. reduce to 1 tablespoon if desired.
- 1 tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice your baby potatoes in half, into bite-size pieces, about 1 inch.
- Parboil the Potatoes: transfer the cut potatoes to a large pot (I use a 4-quart Dutch Oven). Fill it with cold water, enough to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 7-9 minutes, or until a fork inserted meets little resistance. It's okay of they get a little softer (mine did in the pictures).
- Meanwhile, Preheat the Oven and Sheet Pan: While the potatoes are simmering, arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven and a parchment-lined sheet pan to 425 Fahrenheit (218 Celsius).
- Drain the potatoes (leave them in the pot they're cooked in), and let them rest/steam off for 5 minutes. This will allow excess water to evaporate.
- Drizzle the potatoes with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, a heavy pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper. Put the lid on the pot and shake 5-6 times, to coat the potatoes in oil and to rough them up creating craggy edges. Set aside.
- Remove the hot pan from the oven, and transfer the potatoes to the hot sheet pan, making sure to scrape the oil out of the pot and onto the potatoes. Spread the potatoes out into an even layer without crowding them. Optional: turn the potatoes cut side down. This allows the flesh to brown and promotes crisping.
- Roast the Potatoes: Return the pan to the oven and roast the potatoes for about 25-30 minutes, until golden and browning around the edges.
- Meanwhile, toss the minced garlic and rosemary with a teaspoon of olive oil. Set aside. After 25-30 minutes of roasting, remove the potatoes from the oven and scrape the garlic mixture onto the potatoes. Gently toss. Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast about 5 more minutes or until the garlic is golden.
- Remove from the oven, and generously add fresh ground black pepper and more salt to taste. Serve right away.
- To Store: Cool completely, then store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days.How to Freeze: Although these are best fresh from the oven, you can freeze these tasty rosemary-roasted potatoes for up to two weeks. Freeze individual pieces on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Once frozen, store in a lidded container. How to Reheat: Reheat in a 350 Fahrenheit oven for just about 7-8 minutes. Frozen potatoes can go from freezer to oven for about 10 minutes. Watch the garlic, as it burns easily.
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