Boiled Red Potatoes with Butter

Simple, tasty boiled red potatoes are a quick and delicious side for meat dishes, and leftovers make great mashed potatoes or potato salad.

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How to make Boiled Red Potatoes

You only need water, baby red potatoes, butter, and kosher salt to make boiled red potatoes. If you'd like, you can garnish them with chopped fresh herbs like parsley or dill for extra flavor and a pretty presentation.

Red potatoes are available in several sizes, but I like the baby red potatoes for this dish. Sometimes you will see these called new potatoes, but new potatoes are not necessarily red; new just means potatoes that are harvested early when they are small.

Baby red potatoes are small and flavorful with thin, tender skins. You do not need to peel baby red potatoes. Due to their size, they cook quickly and are an ideal quick side.

To make the potatoes, place them in a pot or large saucepan with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring the water to a simmer over medium high heat, and cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

I like to use a meat thermometer to test for doneness—I'm not looking for a specific temperature, but the probe on my Thermopop thermometer is tiny and won't break the potato when I test for tenderness.

When tender, drain the potatoes and toss with butter and kosher salt to taste. If you'd like, you could also add black pepper, garlic, or chopped herbs.

This easy cooking method also works well with fingerling potatoes or any color new potatoes.

Store leftover boiled red potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Leftovers can be reheated or used in potato salad or mashed potatoes.