Boiled Baby Potatoes (with Lemon Brown Butter)

Boiled baby potatoes tossed in a rich brown butter sauce with fresh lemon, garlic and herbs. A simple yet seriously delicious side dish that’s perfect with almost any dinner.

Boiled baby potatoes are one of those side dishes that quietly turn up alongside all sorts of dinners. But instead of serving them plain, why not give them the glow-up they deserve? A quick toss through nutty brown butter, garlic, fresh herbs and lemon is all it takes to transform them into something genuinely memorable. Follow me…

Ingredients Notes

• Baby potatoes – Try to use potatoes that are a similar size so they cook at the same rate. If they’re particularly large, simply cut them into quarters instead of halves.
• Fresh lemon – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must here. It cuts through the richness of the brown butter and gives the potatoes a lovely burst of freshness.
• Fresh herbs – Fresh parsley and chives are a must here. Dried herbs won’t provide the same fresh flavour or vibrant finish.

Boiled Baby Potatoes

Boiling potatoes is pretty foolproof, but a handful of small tweaks can make a big difference to the final result:

• Potato skin – Keep the skins on! Baby potato skins are lovely and tender once boiled, plus they help the potatoes hold their shape. Besides, who’s got the time (or patience) to peel a whole bag of baby potatoes?
• Start with cold water – Always start the potatoes in cold, well-salted water. This helps them cook all the way evenly through instead of becoming mushy on the outside before the centres are tender.
• Don’t overcook – Cook the potatoes until they’re just fork-tender. If they’re overcooked, they’ll begin to fall apart when you toss them through the butter sauce.
• Steam dry – Once drained, leave the potatoes to steam dry whilst you make the butter. This allows excess moisture to escape, meaning they’ll soak up all that glorious brown butter instead of watering it down.

Process shots: slice potatoes (photos 1&2), add to cold water (photo 3), boil then drain (photo 4).

Brown Butter Sauce

It’s time to make the star of the show. Brown butter is simply butter that’s been cooked until the milk solids turn golden, creating an irresistibly rich, nutty flavour. Paired with garlic, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon, it transforms humble boiled baby potatoes into something genuinely special.

Tips for browning butter

• Keep it moving – Brown butter can go from perfectly nutty to burnt surprisingly quickly. Stir regularly with a spatula so you can keep an eye on the colour and stop the milk solids from catching.
• Watch the colour – The butter is ready once it turns a rich golden brown and smells wonderfully nutty. Don’t wait until it’s dark brown, as it’ll continue cooking from the residual heat.
• Add the garlic and lemon afterwards – Brown the butter first, then stir in the garlic. If you add it too early, it’ll likely burn before the butter has had a chance to brown. Stirring through the lemon at the end will not only help prevent spitting, but also it keeps the flavour nice and bright.

Serving Suggestions

You’ll want to serve the potatoes up right away, because the herbs start to dim and the sauce starts to dry up. You can finish with an extra squeeze of lemon juice, but that’s completely optional!

Here are my favourite meals to serve these potatoes with:

• Crispy Chicken Croque Monsieur
• Creamy Tarragon Pork Chops (or Tarragon Chicken)
• Cordon Bleu
• Chicken Schnitzel
• Prosciutto-wrapped Chicken

Alrighty, let’s tuck into this boiled baby potato recipe shall we?!

How to make the Best Boiled Baby Potatoes (Full Recipe & Video)

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 For more similar recipes check out these beauties:

Baby Potato Recipes

• Roasted Baby Potato
• Mini Loaded Potatoes
• EXTRA Crispy Smashed Potatoes
• Baby Potato Salad
• Rustic Mash Potato

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