These roasted red potatoes come out of the oven with crisp browned edges, then get tossed in a garlic butter sauce built in the same hot pan. The sauce clings rather than pools, which is what gives them the glossy, lacquered look in the photo.
The order is what makes it work. Garlic roasted alongside potatoes for forty minutes burns and turns bitter long before the potatoes are done, so it goes in at the end instead, cooked briefly in butter and poured over.
Red potatoes are the right choice here because their thin skins crisp without peeling and their waxy flesh holds its shape through high heat.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Crisp outside, creamy inside. High heat and a properly preheated pan do all of it.
The garlic never burns. Cooking it separately for sixty seconds is the fix, and it takes almost no extra effort.
Five real ingredients. Potatoes, butter, garlic, salt, pepper. Everything else is optional.
It goes with almost anything. Steak, chicken, fish, eggs, or a roast dinner.
Cheap and scalable. Red potatoes cost very little and the recipe doubles without adjustment beyond using two pans.
Recipe Overview
Prep time: 10 minutes
Roast time: 35 to 40 minutes
Total time: About 50 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Best for: Weeknight sides, Sunday roasts, holidays, brunch, meal prep
Ingredients
For the Potatoes
• 2 pounds (900 g) small red potatoes, halved or quartered
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
For the Garlic Butter
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
To Finish
• Flaky sea salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional
Choosing the Right Potatoes
Red potatoes are the best fit. Their waxy, low-starch flesh holds together under high heat, and the thin red skin crisps well without peeling.
Yukon Golds work nearly as well and are slightly creamier inside. They brown a little faster, so check them at 30 minutes.
Baby or new potatoes of any colour work. Halve anything smaller than a golf ball and quarter anything larger.
Fingerlings are excellent here. Cut them lengthwise for maximum flat surface area.
Russets are the wrong choice. Their high starch content makes them fluffy and prone to crumbling at the edges, which is ideal for baked potatoes and wrong for this.
Choose potatoes of similar size. Mixed sizes cook at different rates, and you end up with some burnt and some underdone.
Why Cut Side Down Matters
Every flat cut surface pressed against a hot pan is a browning surface. Potatoes arranged cut side down develop an even golden crust across that whole face.
Potatoes tossed on randomly touch the pan at a few small points, and most of the surface is just exposed to hot air, which dries rather than browns.
It costs about two minutes. Turning each piece cut side down as you arrange them is tedious the first time and quick after that.
Do not stir for the first 25 minutes. That initial undisturbed contact is where the crust forms. Stirring early breaks it before it sets.
Give them space. Crowded potatoes trap steam between them and steam prevents browning. Use two pans rather than one crowded one.
How to Make Garlic Butter Roasted Potatoes
Step 1: Preheat the oven and the pan
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rimmed baking sheet inside it.
A preheated pan starts browning the potatoes the moment they land. A cold pan lets them sit and sweat while it warms up.
Step 2: Prepare the potatoes
Scrub the potatoes and dry them thoroughly. Halve the small ones and quarter the larger ones so all pieces are roughly the same size.
Drying matters. Wet potatoes steam and never fully crisp.
Step 3: Season
Toss the potatoes in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika if using, until every piece is evenly coated.
Step 4: Arrange cut side down
Carefully remove the hot pan and spread the potatoes across it in a single layer, cut side down, with space between the pieces.
They should sizzle on contact. If they do not, the pan was not hot enough.
Step 5: Roast undisturbed
Roast for 25 minutes without opening the oven or stirring.
Step 6: Flip and finish
Turn the potatoes with a thin spatula, scraping under the browned faces so the crust lifts with them rather than sticking.
Return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until deeply golden and easily pierced with a knife.
Step 7: Make the garlic butter
While the potatoes finish, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and black pepper and cook for 60 to 90 seconds, until fragrant but not coloured.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Step 8: Toss
Tip the hot potatoes into a large bowl, pour the garlic butter over, and toss to coat.
Toss while everything is hot. The butter thins on contact with hot potatoes and coats them evenly. Cold potatoes make it seize into patches.
Step 9: Finish and serve
Scatter with flaky salt and parsley, add Parmesan if using, and serve immediately.
Tips for the Crispiest Potatoes
Preheat the pan. This single step does more for the crust than any other.
Dry the potatoes completely. Water on the surface has to boil off before browning can begin, and by then the interior is overcooked.
Use metal, not glass. Metal conducts heat far better and produces a noticeably better crust. Dark metal is better than light.
Do not crowd the pan. If the potatoes touch each other, use a second sheet. Steam is the enemy of a crisp edge.
Skip the parchment paper. It insulates the potatoes from direct contact with the hot metal. Oil the pan instead.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Roasting the garlic with the potatoes. Minced garlic burns in about ten minutes at 425°F. Bitter black flecks are the result.
Salting after roasting only. Salt in the oil draws a little moisture to the surface early, which helps the crust. Finish with flaky salt on top of that, not instead of it.
Cutting the potatoes too small. Small pieces dry out before they crisp. Aim for roughly 1 1/2-inch chunks.
Opening the oven repeatedly. Every opening drops the temperature significantly, and recovery takes several minutes.
Adding the butter too early. Butter poured on before roasting burns and smokes at 425°F. It goes on after.
Easy Variations
• Parmesan garlic. Toss with 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan immediately after the butter, so it melts onto the surface.
• Herb roasted. Add fresh rosemary and thyme to the garlic butter instead of Italian seasoning.
• Spicy. Add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne to the butter.
• Lemon garlic. Double the lemon juice and add the zest of one lemon at the end.
• Bacon and chive. Toss with crumbled bacon and chopped chives after the butter.
• Air fryer. Cook at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes, shaking the basket twice, then toss with the garlic butter.
What to Serve With Them
These go with almost any roast or grilled protein: steak, roast chicken, pork chops, salmon, or lamb.
For brunch, serve them with eggs, bacon, and toast in place of hash browns.
They suit a holiday table alongside a roast, green beans, and gravy.
Leftovers reheat into a good breakfast hash with onions, peppers, and a fried egg.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-ahead: Cut the potatoes up to a day ahead and keep them submerged in cold water in the refrigerator. Drain and dry very thoroughly before roasting.
The garlic butter can be made up to 3 days ahead and gently rewarmed.
Refrigerator: Store roasted potatoes in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in a single layer, then bag, for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen at 425°F for 15 minutes.
To reheat: Spread on a hot baking sheet at 425°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or in an air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes. The microwave makes them soft and is best avoided.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to peel red potatoes?
No. The thin skin crisps beautifully and holds the pieces together. Just scrub them well.
Should I boil them first?
Not for this recipe. Parboiling gives a different, fluffier result and is worth doing for russets, but red potatoes crisp well from raw.
Why are my potatoes soggy?
Usually a crowded pan, a cold pan, or wet potatoes. All three trap steam.
Can I use garlic powder instead of fresh?
You can, and it will not burn, but fresh garlic in butter is most of the flavour here. Use 1 tablespoon of powder if you must.
Can I make them ahead for a party?
Roast them up to two hours ahead, leave them on the pan, and reheat at 425°F for 8 minutes before tossing with fresh garlic butter.
What size should I cut them?
Roughly 1 1/2 inches. Halve small potatoes, quarter medium ones, and cut large ones into six.
Nutrition Information
Approximate values per serving, based on 6 servings:
• Calories: 265
• Total fat: 15 g
• Saturated fat: 6 g
• Carbohydrates: 30 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Sodium: 400 mg
Nutrition is estimated and will vary with brands and portion sizes.
Final Thoughts
Garlic butter roasted potatoes come down to two decisions: get the pan hot before the potatoes touch it, and keep the garlic out of the oven.