Did you ever meet a potato recipe you didn’t like? Whether double-baked, boiled, mashed, or french-fried, potatoes rank high on our list of favorites. It also helps that they’re the most versatile comfort food ever. One of the best recipes for savoring these starchy tubers is roasted fingerling potatoes.
Cooked with Parmesan, rosemary and olive oil, these little potatoes are full of savory, umami flavors. And if you’ve never tried roasted fingerling potatoes but you always have a potato dish with your steak dinners, you’re going to want to scope these out at your local market ASAP.
What are fingerling potatoes?
Fingerling potatoes are a slender and small mature potato variety. They’re often mistaken for new potatoes (one of the types of potatoes on the smaller side), but fingerlings are their own breed. Red-skinned French fingerlings, plum-hued Purple Peruvians and yellow-skinned Russian Banana varieties all make for beautifully colorful dishes.
Fingerlings are a little pricier than your average potato because they’re an heirloom variety, but if you can get your hands on some, they’re going to stand out on your dinner plate—or become your new fave snack!
Ingredients for Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Fingerling potatoes: As mentioned above, there are several color varieties of fingerlings. We used the Russian Bananas in this recipe, but you can use any color you like.
- Parmesan cheese: The slightly nutty taste of Parmesan and the way the cheese crisps on the potato skins make this a restaurant-quality recipe. Opt for freshly grated Parmesan, if you can, for the best flavor.
- Olive oil and butter: Olive oil and butter will melt together to form the perfect amount of crispiness in your potatoes, plus they’ll give them a wonderful flavor once mixed with the herbs. Since we’re using the oil and butter for flavor in addition to texture, we don’t recommend swapping them out for other cooking fats.
- Fresh herbs: You can use dried herbs if that’s all you have, but fresh herbs really brighten this simple recipe. If you have leftovers, freeze the fresh herbs to use in future recipes.
Directions
Step 1:  Boil the potatoes
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover with water by a couple inches. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes, and transfer to a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Stir together the Parmesan, parsley, oil, rosemary, butter, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle the mixture over the potatoes, and toss to coat.
Step 2: Roast the potatoes
Bake the potatoes, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender, stirring halfway through cook time.
Recipe Variations
- Change up the herbs: Taste of Home associate food stylist Sarah Fischer says you can interchange or add any of your favorite fresh herbs to this fingerling potato recipe. Add a tablespoon of minced fresh thyme and oregano, or use a teaspoon of dried herbs. If you’re a big garlic fan like Sarah, add a teaspoon or two of minced garlic to the mixture as well.
- Use Yukon Golds: If you can’t find fingerling potatoes, swap out them for Yukon Gold potatoes. Yukon Golds work well in almost any recipe, and they’ll hold up well to roasting.
- Smash them: Turn your fingerling potato recipe into crispy smashed potatoes. Boil them as directed above, then smash them with a potato masher or fork. Drizzle with olive oil, Parmesan and herbs, and roast until brown and crispy.
How to Store Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Store leftover roasted fingerling potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Learn more about how long potatoes last and how to store them properly.
Roasted Fingerling Potato Tips
Why aren’t my roasted potatoes crispy?
If your roasted potatoes don’t crisp up, your baking sheet or dish might have been too crowded. Overcrowding a pan leads to soggy potatoes that don’t crisp up nicely. Make sure you leave enough space around all the potatoes that they’ll get an equal amount of airflow. Secondly, be sure to use the right amount of fat/oil. Potatoes that aren’t fully coated won’t get that essential crispness from the oil. Add more olive oil and melted butter if you notice dry spots.
What can you serve with fingerling potatoes?
These fingerling potatoes are a perfect side dish that everyone will love. When roasted, they have a perfectly creamy, buttery texture. Serve them with grilled steaks, slow-cooked short ribs or your favorite pork roast recipe.
