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We love to serve whole boiled potatoes with Baked Salmon or Grilled Chicken Thighs, but my ultimate favorite way is to dollop a generous amount of sour cream over the top and indulge! Often times a Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Salad pairs well.
These buttery dill boiled potatoes are so easy to make! Simply boil and serve them whole. When seasoned right, they have a ton of good flavor and make a staple side to almost any meal. Yes, they’re even tasty enough to impress guests!
Types of Potatoes To Use
Boiled potatoes are best with high moisture and low starch varieties, such as waxy or new potatoes. Some fingerling varieties will work, too. Their skins are thin and delicate, so it’s unnecessary to peel them before cooking. They also keep their shape well when cooked, making them ideal for boiling. Larger golden potatoes can be used if you cut them in half.
Garlic Butter and Dill Boiled Potatoes:
I have been making Boiled Potatoes with Bacon for a long time. My family loves whole boiled potatoes, and serving them with bacon or a pork belly slab makes them a main course. However, this simple combination makes them an excellent side dish. Adding chives and cheese can take them to a whole other level if you like loaded boiled potatoes.
When you bite into these potatoes, they are light, buttery, and creamy tender. For the best results, choose the right potatoes and make sure plenty of butter is used. The butter seeps into the potato flesh, creating more flavor and a slightly flaky texture. So don’t despair if you peeled and cut the potatoes; they will soak up the buttery and garlicky flavors better. However, leaving the skins on is a healthier choice.
For more about boiled potatoes with skin on, read this article on the Health Benefits of Potatoes.
Make-Ahead Potato Side
I also love that it makes a great Sunday lunch meal. You can boil the potatoes, add the butter and seasonings, and place the whole thing in the slow cooker over low for a couple of hours while you’re in church. It stays nice and warm, making it perfect for potlucks and church gatherings.
Ingredients for Boiled Potatoes
- 3 pounds potatoes– small yellow or gold potatoes or any waxy variety like red potatoes.
- Unsalted butter– melted and tossed in the potatoes.
- Garlic salt– Adding salt to the water will enhance the flavor. Add additional garlic salt after draining.
- Dill or parsley– I usually use frozen dill from my freezer, but fresh parsley or dill adds an earthy, fresh flavor and a pop of color.
How To Boil Potatoes:
The key to preparing boiled potatoes is ensuring they’re clean, smooth, and of the same size. I like to use a large pot big enough to toss and coat the potatoes in butter. Make sure you have a colander prepared to drain the potatoes right after boiling.
- Wash and scrub the potatoes. Remove any sprouts and trim off any bruised areas. Depending on how old and big the potatoes are you may want to peel or cut the potatoes in half for even cooking.
- Add potatoes to a pot and submerge the potatoes in cold water. Add the salt.
- Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid to prevent exposing the top of the potatoes as they can cook unevenly.
- Check potatoes for doneness by piercing with a fork after 5 minutes. It should be tender all the way through. Depending on how large the potatoes are this can take 10-15 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and transfer them back into the pot. Add the butter and season with garlic salt. Close the lid and allow the potatoes to steam and the butter to melt. Gently shake the pot while moving it forward for a smashed look, or use a spatula to coat the potatoes.
- Garnish with dill or fresh parsley for flavor and aroma.
Pro Tip: Starting the cooking process in cold water ensures even cooking. Adding water with the potatoes together at the start of the cooking process is also a good indicator of how much water is needed to cover the potatoes.
Reheating and Storing:
Cooked potatoes are best served steaming and perfectly coated in butter and garlic salt. Once they cool down, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 4 days in the fridge. The best way to reheat boiled potatoes is to pan fry or steam the potatoes to revive the potato texture.
To do this, pour 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of a baking dish and top with the leftover cooked potatoes, Cover the baking dish and pre-heat in a 350°F for 30-45 minutes until steaming hot again. You could also melt 1 tablespoon of butter over a non-stick skillet and fry until warmed through and crispy.
Tips for Making The Perfect Boiled Potatoes:
- Potatoes with very green skins shouldn’t be eaten. Too much exposure to light will give potatoes a green tinge called solanine (soul-an-neen).
- Waxy potatoes are best for boiling. They hold their shape well and are usually left unpeeled and boiled whole.
- Once the water reaches a boil, it’s important to reduce it to a simmer as the boiling water can evaporate too fast, exposing the top half of the potatoes and causing them to cook unevenly. I like to use a lid to keep the moisture in and from preventing the water to evaporate quickly.
- Always start the boil from cold water when boiling potatoes.
- Bring water down to a simmer.
- Choose the right potatoes. Remember, waxy potatoes are best for boiling.
- Check your potatoes for doneness, the smaller the potatoes the more quickly they’ll be done. Boiled potatoes can take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes depending how large they are. You want them to pierce easily with a fork but not too mushy.
- Warmer temperatures, will make potatoes sprout more quickly and refrigeration can turn the starch into sugar more quicker ending up with a sweeter tougher potato. Storing your potatoes right can make a difference in the texture of the potatoes.
- Very large waxy potatoes can be peeled and cut into halves or quarters if larger to decrease the cooking time but still ensure even cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can You Freeze Boiled Potatoes?
So, you boil potatoes, serve them and end up with leftovers, what do you do? Boiled potatoes freeze well so, if you’re not using up the leftovers for a breakfast hash simply place cooled and leftover potatoes into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Then thaw and pan-fry for breakfast potatoes or use in breakfast casserole recipes in place of hash browns.
Can I Par-Boil Potatoes?
You can par boil potatoes ahead of time for special events and heat it over low heat to doneness. My friend and I catered a wedding where we served boiled potatoes as the side dish. In order to serve 300+ guests we boiled the potatoes for 5 minutes and then drained and added butter and seasonings. Then we transferred the par boiled potatoes to large roasters over low heat until it was ready to be served 3 hours later.
More Potato Side Dish Recipes:
Potato side dishes are easy and quick. Here are some simple ideas.
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Boiled Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- 1 colander
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds new potatoes , (any small waxy potato variety like red or gold potatoes)
- 1 Tbsp salt , (for salting the water)
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, (61 grams)
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill , (or parsley)
Instructions
Directions:
- Wash and scrub the potatoes. Peel or remove any sprouts or bruises. If the potatoes are larger, cut them in half or into quarters to ensure even cooking.
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover them with 2 quarts of cold water. Add the salt. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until tender all the way through when pierced with a fork (about 12-15 minutes).
- Drain the potatoes in a colander.
- Return the boiled potatoes to the pot and add the butter and garlic salt. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the potatoes to steam and melt the butter. Gently toss the potatoes to coat them evenly in the butter and seasonings.
- Garnish with dill and serve.
Notes
- Starting the cooking process in cold water ensures even cooking. Adding water with the potatoes together at the start of the cooking process is also a good indicator of how much water is needed to cover the potatoes.
Nutrition (per serving)
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