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The Best Buttery Parsley Potatoes

Avatar photoby Published: Sep 26, 2019 Updated: May 1, 2024

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Boiled potatoes get an infusion of butter and parsley to make this super easy, three-ingredient side dish. This is one of my all-time favorite side dish recipes for any meal!

Boiled potatoes in white serving bowl with spoon

Buttery Parsley Boiled Potatoes Recipe

This is one of those recipes that comes so naturally, without much thought, that I didn’t really think about sharing it.

Until someone asked for it.

I bet we had these potatoes at least once a week when I was growing up. They’re the ultimate pairing for any and all comfort food because they’re so insanely simple to add along to any main. And so intensely delicious.

Baby red potatoes are the simple cook’s dream side dish. They’re creamy in texture. They cook quickly. You don’t have to skin them. And they’re easy to prepare no matter what your method. Roasting. Grilling. Smashing. And like here, with your basic quick boil in water.

Buttery Boiled Potato Ingredients

Based on the name of this recipe, I bet you can guess all the ingredients you’ll need to make these addicting boiled red potatoes. But hey, who’s going to complain about a simple ingredients list that delivers maximum flavor? Not me.

Here’s what you’ll need to make these buttery boiled potatoes:

  • Small red potatoes
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • Salted butter
  • Fresh Italian parsley

Buttery Parsley Boiled Potatoes ingredients

How to Boil Potatoes

I think I discovered the secret to making these potatoes extra good thanks to my inability to get food on the table all at once. Invariably when I prepare these, they are ready before the main dish so they end up sitting and steaming in the pan with all that delicious butter, salt, pepper and parsley.

And that’s when the magic happens.

I use small white or red potatoes for this easy side dish. To prepare the potatoes, I simply give them a light scrub under cold water and use a small paring knife to remove any major blemishes.

Then, I add the potatoes to a saucepan and cover with cold water. I bring the potatoes to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes until done. Once cooked through, I drain the potatoes.

Once the potatoes are drained, any remaining water in the pan simply steams these spuds just a little more and the butter infuses into these little red bundles of starch with the chopped parsley and a bit more kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. The skins begin to fall off these little red orbs. And with a few good shakes of the pot, the creamy centers become just a bit more mashed/smashed/dashed with love.

Finally, cover the potatoes and let them sit on the stove for about 10 more minutes. You don’t even have to turn on the heat, but you can rewarm them before serving if you feel they need it.

Who knew 3 ingredients plus a dash or six of salt and pepper could be so good?

Who am I kidding? We all know, that’s who.

How Long to Boil Potatoes

Cooking red potatoes is incredibly easy. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat and let the potatoes simmer for 20 minutes or so.

How to Tell When Boiled Potatoes are Done

You’ll know the potatoes are done boiling by look — the skins will being to break apart from the golden whites of the vegetable — and with touch — by using a fork to check for doneness. The fork should easily slide in and out of the potato.

Watch the Video: How to Make Buttery Parsley Boiled Potatoes

Can I Use Other Fresh Herbs Besides Parsley?

Of course! If you don’t like parsley potatoes, feel free to use another fresh herb instead. Or, use a blend of herbs.

Can I Use Dried Herbs?

I don’t recommend using dried herbs in this boiled potatoes recipe as they’re much more potent in flavor and they’re also quite crunchy. Fresh herbs are the way to go here!

Tips for Making Buttery Boiled Potatoes

The secret to flavoring boiled potatoes of any size, especially how to boil potatoes for potato salad like the recipe where I share how to make the best potato salad, is to generously salt the water. But don’t salt it before the water comes to a boil or you’ll end up pitting your pan. I bring the water and potatoes to a boil together, then lower to a rolling simmer and add the salt then.

There’s no need to cut the red potatoes before boiling them. Just cut out any impurities and add the potatoes to the saucepan as is. You want the potatoes to remain whole so that the centers become ultra creamy.

Also, you’re welcome to play around with the flavorings used in this boiled potatoes recipe. If you like garlicky potatoes, add a little garlic powder. You can also use flavored salts, if desired.

The Best Buttery Parsley Boiled Potatoes in a white bowl

More Recipes with Boiled Potatoes

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #foodiecrusheats



4.38 from 170 votes

The Best Buttery Parsley Boiled Potatoes

Boiled baby red potatoes get an infusion of butter and parsley to make this super simple side dish one of my all-time favorites for any meal.
Print
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword boiled potatoes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 130kcal

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ to 2 pounds small red potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt , plus more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter , cut into slices
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Add the potatoes to a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 2 inches.
  • Bring to a boil and add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Reduce to a rolling simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender and the skin is beginning to fall away from the potatoes, about 20 minutes.
  • Drain the water from the pan. Quickly add the potatoes back to the saucepan with the butter and parsley, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Give the potatoes a vigorous stir with a wooden spoon or shake with the lid on so the potatoes break up a bit. Let sit on the still warm (but off) burner for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 386IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Looking for More Side Dishes?

What to Serve with Boiled Parsley Potatoes to Make a Meal

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Heidi of FoodieCrush

Hi! I’m Heidi and I cook real good, real food I hope you’ll love to make, too.

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Comments

    4.38 from 170 votes (162 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  4. Ramona Marenda

    5 stars
    Heidi, I added the brine from mild jalapenos to the water for the potatoes prior to boiling. Then I substituted chopped fresh jalapenos for the parsley–with the ribs and seeds removed for those who can’t handle the heat. It was a great twist on boiled potatoes.

    Reply

  6. Donna Blanton

    5 stars
    I make these all the time…I love ’em!!! I will make a batch & eat them all. I guess there’s only one way to prepare this dish, I created my own recipe, from the way it wax prepared at my elementary school lunchroom, it is exactly the same except, I use Yukon Gold potatoes, this is my personal preference, but I sometimes use a combination of both, the red & yellow potatoes. I always use real butter instead of margarine & I never let heat from the burner melt the butter, just the residual heat after removing the pan from the burner.

    Reply

  7. Sarah

    5 stars
    with the current coronavirus going around, I was unable to find the red russet potatoes, but I did find larger brown russet potatoes can I cut those up and follow this recipe? Will it work?

    Reply

  8. Lori Tinjum Johansen

    5 stars
    I didn’t have fresh parsley, but wanted to try these as I’ve grown to LOVE the little grocery store potatoes with the seasoning packets that you can grill or nuke. These were GREAT! Hubby wanted more but I’d scraped the bottom of the sauce pan and they were gone. :D SUCCESS!! I’ll be making them again soon.

    Reply

  12. Angelo

    I love those parsley potatoes. My mother used to make them all the time. They sure brought back good memories. I had to read the recipe many times to get it down right. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the beautiful instructor. Thank you

    Reply

    • Nate

      Most likely turn to mush.. if you want to make them far ahead of time, refrigerate and then reheat either by roasting in the over or by quartering and pan frying.. this will also add a crispy exterior. If you want to avoid any crunch, just put foil over them and bake.

      Reply

  18. Rustine

    oh my these potatoes were soooo good!
    i followed the recipe exactly but next time i may add some chives or sour cream…
    Family loved them…
    thanks so much !

    Reply

  27. Nancy

    This was truly absolutely amazing!!!! My whole family went crazy over these potatoes!!! The only thing different that I did was I added I’d say at least a teaspoon of garlic powder !!!! I love garlic❤️ Thank you so much!!

    Reply

  29. Kathy

    I’ve been making these for years. I usually make them when I make baked fish or salmon patties during lent and all year long. I make extra and on the weekend I fry them up and break several eggs on them and stir until cooked. The key is to use fresh parsley never dried. Thanks for posting.

    Reply

  33. Brenda

    I love simple potatoes like this. However, I’m not a big fan of parsley. Can I use other fresh herbs instead? Maybe chives? I love chives…

    Reply

    • Joy M

      I make these all the time but instead of Parsley, I chop up fresh oregano and add it in during the butter stage. It’s the main reason I keep an oregano plant!! The kids never allow leftovers of this side dish.

      Reply

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