Rosemary Garlic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Full of fresh herbs, flavor and garlic, these roasted fingerling potatoes are the perfect side dish all year round. Serve them with some lemon chicken and a side kale salad for the perfect simple dinner. 

Honestly, who doesn’t love roasted potatoes? Especially perfectly spiced, herby, garlicky, salty potatoes? They’re a pantry staple in my house and I think I’ve eaten enough to be considered a potato expert.

These roasted fingerling potatoes are truly the best I’ve had. They’re made with fresh rosemary which packs a LOT of flavor, lemon zest, garlic and plenty of salt and black pepper.

Fingerling potatoes get their name because they kind of look like stubby fingers. Weird, I know. They have a buttery interior and perfectly crispy skin when roasted like these ones.

They don’t taste too different from regular mature potatoes, but you’ll usually find a mix of red, yellow and purple varieties in a bag. The purple have a slightly deeper flavor, but they are all delicious when paired with this blend of flavors. Try my roasted red pepper hummus next!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to make
• Perfect side dish
• Packed with flavor
• Vegan & gluten free

Key ingredients

FINGERLING POTATOES. I like using rainbow fingerling potatoes, but just regular ones will do. They have the perfect size for roasting!

BUTTER OR OIL. Butter will yield a richer flavor, but you can use olive oil if you are vegan or dairy free.

LEMON. Some lemon zest will add a lot of flavor to this recipe.

ROSEMARY & CHIVES. Be sure to use fresh rosemary here! It will add so much flavor to these roasted potatoes.

SALT & PEPPER. Potatoes should be salty in my opinion! You can start with a teaspoon as the recipe says, and then add more for serving if desired.

GARLIC. I like a lot of garlic. About 2 tablespoons of minced garlic here will add a lot of flavor and pairs really well with the herbs and lemon.

How to make rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop the potatoes in half lengthwise. You can really cut them however you like, but with fingerling potatoes in particular, I like them lengthwise!

Add to a colander and run until water until clean. Add to a large mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil.

Finely mince the garlic and add to the bowl. Add all remaining ingredients aside from the rosemary and toss until well combined. Add to a cast iron skillet or regular baking sheet. 

Keeping the rosemary in about 5 small bunches (attached to the stem should be smaller bunches) add it to the top of the potatoes, spread throughout. 

When I say “sprig” of rosemary, I mean 1 small “stalk.” The terminology is a bit weird for herbs, but you want one whole stem with all of the little leaves attached. You can see in the photos that I have just chopped it into little chunks and place it around evenly over the potatoes.

Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Cook time can vary because fingerling potatoes can vary in size quite a bit, so check after 20 minutes by poking with a fork. You want the insides to be nice and soft, but have a slight crisp to the outside.

Remove from the oven and serve warm. 

Do you need to boil them first?

It depends! In this recipe, I wanted to keep things simple, so par boiling isn’t necessary before roasting. Washing, however, is necessary! Potatoes are dirty, so definitely wash them well before you begin.

However, it can speed up the baking time and make the potatoes crispier if you boil them for about 5 minutes beforehand.

Another way to help the potatoes get crispy without boiling is to cook the potatoes at a high temperature (which we do) and use just the right amount of oil.

Too much oil and the potatoes will get soggy, but not enough and there won’t be enough fat coating the outside to get them crispy. A total of 3 tbsp of olive oil for the potatoes is ideal for the perfect crisp.

Do I need to peel or soak potatoes?

You do not need to peel fingerling potatoes before roasting. So just chop, wash, toss and bake. The skin is what gives the crispy texture, so keep it on!

You can, but I don’t find it necessary. Soaking potatoes in cold water can remove some of the extra starch off the outside and help them get crispier in the oven.

If you have the extra time, you can definitely do this, but otherwise, I think the oil and roasting method will get them plenty crispy!

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