Oven Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary

Name: Oven Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 36 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2½ lb (1130 g) small red potatoes, scrubbed, halved (quartered if larger than 2 inches / 5 cm), and patted completely dry; 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tbsp (6 g) fresh rosemary leaves, stripped from stems and finely chopped; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; ½ lemon (60 g) lemon, cut into wedges for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Halved red potatoes roast on a preheated pan until the cut sides turn deep golden and crisp while the insides stay creamy. Fresh rosemary and garlic go on near the end so they perfume the potatoes without burning.

Prep: 22 min
Cook: 36 min
Wait: 2 min
Total: 1 hr
Makes: About 6 cups (6 side servings)

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Steps

Before you start

Position an oven rack in the lower third and preheat to 425°F (220°C) with the rimmed baking sheet inside.
Choose potatoes of similar size (about 1½ to 2 inches / 4 to 5 cm across) so they cook evenly.
Dry the cut potatoes thoroughly; surface moisture prevents browning.
Total time is about 60 minutes, mostly hands-off oven time.

1
Preheat oven and panOven 425°F / 220°C
- Place the rimmed baking sheet on the lower-third rack and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Heating the pan lets the potatoes sizzle and start browning the moment they hit it.
- Let it heat while you prep the potatoes in the next two steps (about 10 minutes of work); if the oven isn't at temperature yet when you finish, wait for it.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 425°F (220°C)
Tip: Use a heavy, light-colored sheet pan; thin pans warp and dark ones can over-brown the bottoms.
2
Cut and dry potatoes
- Scrub the potatoes under cool water.
- Halve each one, or quarter any larger than 2 inches (5 cm), so all pieces are about 1½ inches (4 cm).
- Pat them thoroughly dry with a towel.
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Ready when: Cut surfaces feel dry to the touch, not slick
Tip: Dry potatoes roast; wet potatoes steam and turn pale.
3
Season with oil and salt
- In the large bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper until every piece is evenly glossy.
- Keep the garlic and rosemary aside for now.
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Ready when: No dry spots; potatoes look evenly coated
4
Start roasting cut-side downOven 425°F / 220°C
- Carefully remove the hot pan.
- Tip the potatoes onto it and arrange them cut-side down in a single layer with a little space between pieces.
- Roast for 20 minutes at 425°F (220°C) without moving them.
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Ready when: Cut sides are starting to turn golden and release from the pan
Tip: Crowding traps steam. Use two pans if the potatoes touch heavily.
5
Flip the potatoesOven 425°F / 220°C
- Use a metal spatula to scrape under each potato and turn it over.
- Return the pan to the oven and roast 10 more minutes at 425°F (220°C).
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Ready when: Both sides are golden; a knife slides in with slight resistance
Tip: If they stick, give them another 2 minutes, then try again.
6
Add garlic and rosemaryOven 425°F / 220°C
- Sprinkle the garlic and rosemary over the potatoes and toss on the pan with the spatula.
- Roast 5 to 8 minutes more at 425°F (220°C).
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Ready when: Garlic is pale golden and fragrant; potatoes are deep golden with crisp edges and a knife slides in with no resistance
Tip: Adding garlic at the start would scorch it and make it bitter.
7
Season and serve
- Let the potatoes rest on the pan for 2 minutes.
- Taste a potato and sprinkle with more salt if needed.
- Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot, with lemon wedges for squeezing if you like.
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Ready when: Crisp, golden exteriors and creamy interiors
Tip: Serve promptly; the crust softens as they sit.

Good to know

Tips

Preheating the pan is the key to crisp, golden cut sides.
Keep pieces a uniform size so none turn mushy or stay hard.
Don't crowd the pan; space lets moisture escape and edges crisp.
Finish with flaky salt or a squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavor.

Make ahead

Cut the potatoes up to 8 hours ahead and store fully submerged in cold water in the fridge; drain and dry them very thoroughly before oiling. Chop the rosemary and garlic up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate separately.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: not recommended, as texture turns grainy. Reheat on a baking sheet at 425°F (220°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or in an air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for 4 to 5 minutes, until hot and crisp.

Substitutions

fresh rosemary leaves → fresh thyme leaves (1 tbsp) or 1 tsp dried rosemary. Dried rosemary is stronger; crumble it finely and add it with the oil in step 3.
small red potatoes → baby Yukon Gold potatoes. Same size and timing; the flesh is a little more buttery.
extra-virgin olive oil → avocado oil or melted unsalted butter. Avocado oil handles high heat well; butter gives richer flavor but browns faster.
garlic cloves → 1 tsp garlic powder. Toss it with the salt and oil at the start; it won't burn like fresh garlic.