Easy Boiled Potatoes Recipe (2024)

This Boiled Potatoes Recipe is the easiest way to cook potatoes and there is no peeling required. New potatoes are the best for boiling because they have delicate skins and are so creamy and buttery in the center. These potatoes are excellent drizzled with melted butter, extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkled with kosher salt and herbs.

Boiled potatoes are a tasty and easy side dish that pairs well with Pan-Seared Steak, Broiled Lobster Tails, or Surf and Turf for a date night in.

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Boiled Potatoes with Olive Oil

I recently made Surf and Turf for my family and I knew my attention would be on making sure my steaks and shrimp are cooked to perfection so I needed a quick side dish. Boiled potatoes to the rescue!

This recipe pretty much makes itself with very little prep required. I usually make potatoes with just butter but adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil made the flavors really shine. So simple and so delicious.

Ingredients for Boiled Potatoes

The key to making great boiled potatoes is in using equal-sized potatoes so they cook at the same rate. If your potatoes are a little larger, you can cut them in half.

• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs Potatoes – you can use small yellow or red potatoes
• Unsalted butter – melted and drizzled over the potatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil – drizzled over the cooked and drained potatoes
• Salt – I salt the boiling water with fine sea salt then sprinkle the cooked potatoes with kosher salt.
• Black Pepper – sprinkle over the cooked potatoes, adding it to taste
• Parsley – this is optional but it sure adds beautiful color and fresh flavor to the potatoes.

How to Boil Potatoes

1. Prep Potatoes – wash and scrub potatoes and cut larger potatoes in half so potato pieces are even-sized.
2. Boil Potatoes – place potatoes in a pot of salted water and cover with an inch of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fork tender (10-18 minutes depending on size).
3. Drain – drain off the water and return potatoes to the pot (or to a mixing bowl).
4. Drizzle melted butter and olive oil over potatoes.
5. Season – sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper, adding both to taste.
6. Garnish – add freshly chopped parsley and toss to combine.

Pro Tip: The boiling time for potatoes can vary greatly depending on the size of your potatoes. Tiny potatoes can be done as quickly as 8 minutes while larger new potatoes can take up to 18 minutes. Test for doneness by poking with a fork and cook until potatoes are fork-tender.

Variations

There are so many variations for boiled potatoes. You can keep it simple or try some of these substitutions and additions:

• Herbs: You can use either parsley, fresh dill, or chives, or a combination of herbs.
• Salt: You can use a coarse salt like kosher or Maldon salt, or a fine sea salt to season the potatoes, just add it to taste.
• Bacon: Saute bacon in a skillet and toss the potatoes with bacon bits and grease instead of butter and olive oil.
• Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan is an excellent garnish for boiled potatoes.

More Side Dish Recipes

If you love easy but interesting side dishes, you will love these ideas:

• Roasted Cauliflower
• Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Spaghetti Squash
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes

These Boiled Potatoes are a staple recipe for our family and they are impressive enough for company. They have tons of flavor and I appreciate how easy they are to cook.