If you're looking for something to cook with red potatoes, you've come to the right place. We are going to take a closer look at red potatoes, and all of the different things you can do with them. We'll even link to some delicious red potato recipes.
In This Guide
What Are Red Potatoes?
Red potatoes are a delicious potato that come in two main types. The first type is a larger potato that is about the size of your first.
The second variety is much smaller, often called baby red potatoes, or creamer potatoes.
Besides the size, the other main difference is the skin, which is a bit more tender on the smaller variety.
Can You Eat the Skin on Red Potatoes?
The answer is a resounding yes! There is a great deal of fiber in red potato skins, and they are very delicate.
Red potato skins are also a great source of B vitamins, potassium, and iron.
How to Cook Red Potatoes
There are so many ways to cook red potatoes! You can use any potato recipe you have on hand with them, but here are a couple of favorites.
- Baking or Roasting
- Boiling (Espeically for potato salad!)
- Stews and Soups
- Delicate French Fries
- Mashing
- Air Fryer
Now, let's take a closer look at each of these prep methods for red potatoes, and how to cook them with some general information and recipes.
Can You Make Baked Potatoes with Red Potatoes?
Yes, you can make baked potatoes with red potatoes quite easily. The question you should ask yourself is do you want to bake them or roast them?
Traditional baked potatoes are usually prepared by being washed, seasoned, wrapped in foil, then baked.
Roasted red potatoes skip the wrapping step quite simply.
So wehere you want to make traditional baked potato with your red potatoes, or roast them directly in in a pan, they will be delicious.
How Do You Bake Red Potatoes?
There are a couple steps to roast or bake your red potatoes.
First and foremost is to preheat your oven. For smaller potatoes or cut up potatoes preheat your oven to 400 F. For larger potatoes, consider dropping the temperature to 375 so that you don't brown them too much.
First, wash your red potatoes well, and consider gently scrubbing the skin.
Next you should decide how you want to season them. Olive oil and a bit of salt are both popular options.
Then, either place your potatoes in a roasting pan, or wrap them in foil.
Most people prefer to roast them without foil.
If you are using large red potatoes and electing to roast your potatoes in pan, you may want to cut them! Cubed and wedges are both popular options.
Here are some great baked red potato recipes.
Loaded Twice Baked Red Potatoes
GARLIC-HERB & PARMESAN ROASTED RED POTATOES
BAKED RED POTATO WEDGES RECIPE
What to Season Red Potatoes With?
When it comes to red potatoes, the seasoning possibilities are truly endless.
Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Parsley
- Oregano
- Lemon
- Paprika
- Garlic
- Parmesan
Those are the go to red potato seasonings in my house, but there are plenty of other ideas out there. You can also mix a multiple seasonings together like:
- Garlic and Parmesan
- Olive Oil, Lemon, and Parsley
- Lemon and Oregano
You really can't mess up when it comes to seasoning your red potatoes!
How Long to Boil Red Potatoes
First and foremost, it depends on what you are doing with your red potatoes. You boil them differently for potato salad than you would for mashed potatoes.
For potato salad, you want to par boil your red potatoes, or boil them until you can just pierce them with a fork. I like to leave them whole for potato salad.
Start checking your red potatoes for potato salad after they have boiled for 10 minutes.
Here is a great recipe for Red Potato Salad.
For mashed potatoes, you want to boil them until you can stick your fork all the way through. You may also want to cut them in quarters first, which will make them cook faster.
Start checking your red potatoes for mashed potatoes after they have boiled for 15 minutes.
Here is a great recipe for Mashed Red Potatoes.
Are Red Potatoes Good for Frying?
Yes, you can fry red potatoes.
The texture is much different than the classic French fry because red potatoes are so creamy and starchy, but they are still delicious.
If you're tired of the same old French fries, or trying to sneak in some nutritious potato skin into your family's diet, making French fries out of red potatoes is a great way to do it.
Here are some great ideas when it comes to red potato French fries:
Crispy Baked Garlic Matchstick Fries
Red Potatoes in the Air Fryer
Cooking red potatoes in the air fryer is the best of both worlds, both frying and roasting! The great part about an air fryer is that it does not require much oil at all, compared to conventional
Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes (with garlic and herbs)
Want to try it yourself without a recipe? There are a couple of things to do.
First, decide how you want to cut your potatoes. If you are using baby potatoes, you can leave them whole, but if you are using large red potatoes consider making wedges or traditional French fries. You can also slice the red potatoes for chip like fries.
Next, if you cut the potatoes, rinse them until the water runs clear. You may even want to let them soak for a while, then rinse them again.
Once you have drained the water from the red potatoes, add any oil and seasonings.
We like to use olive oil and that's about it, but any of your favorite oils and seasonings will work.
Next, set your air fryer to 400F and 20 minutes. Check them after 10 and shake the basket.
You may need to add more time based on how many potatoes you are making and how full your air fryer basket is.
Enjoy your air fryer potatoes! Once you get the hand of making them in the air fryer you may not make them any other way.
Red Potatoes in Stew
Many prefer to use the bite size baby red potatoes in stews, since they can be added and eaten whole!
Simply cut larger red potatoes into cubes before adding them to your favorite stew.
Here are a couple of great stew recipes:
Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
How to Cook Red Potatoes in the Microwave
When it comes to cooking red potatoes in the microwave, there are two main things to think about: are you cooking baby red potatoes in the microwave and large red potatoes in the microwave.
How Long to Microwave Whole Red Potatoes
If you are making large red potatoes in the microwave, it could not be easier. First wash your red potato, and pierce it with a fork.
Then, wrap it in plastic wrap and cook it for 5 minutes on high. After it has cooked, let it sit for 2-3 minutes then squeeze it (wearing an oven mitt of course!).
If you can squeeze it easily, it is cooked. If not, cook it for an additional minute at a time until you can squeeze it.
You can also cook baby red potatoes in the microwave. You will need a microwave safe container with a lid in it, and you'll need to add a bit of water to the container to essentially steam the red potatoes.
The Complete Guide to Cooking Red Potatoes
We've covered everything you need to know when it comes to how to cook red potatoes in this complete guide.
Be sure to let us know your favorite way to cook red potatoes in the comments!
Last update on 2022-08-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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