Boiled Red Potatoes: How to Boil Them Until Tender

Boiled red potatoes are ready in 10 to 25 minutes, depending on their size. For even cooking, place 1½ pounds of potatoes in cold, salted water, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

Use whole baby potatoes, halved potatoes, or 1-inch cubes. Start checking at the early end of each range, and drain the potatoes as soon as a knife slides easily through the center.

Boiled Red Potatoes: Choose Whole, Halved, or Cubed Potatoes

Scrub the potatoes well, especially if you plan to keep the skins on. Red potatoes have thin, tender skins, so peeling is optional. Remove eyes, blemishes, or any green patches with a small knife.

Choose a cut based on your timing and serving plan:

• Baby potatoes, kept whole: Use potatoes about 1 to 2 inches across. They usually take 12 to 15 minutes.
• Larger potatoes, kept whole: Potatoes around 2 to 3 inches across take about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Halved potatoes: Cut small or medium potatoes in half for 15 to 20-minute cooking.
• Cubed potatoes: Cut into evenly sized 1-inch pieces for 10 to 15-minute cooking.

Keep the pieces as uniform as possible. Mixed sizes produce uneven results, with small pieces becoming soft while larger pieces remain firm. Cut very large potatoes into halves or quarters rather than trying to cook them whole.

How to Boil Baby Potatoes

Learning how to boil baby potatoes is straightforward: leave small potatoes whole, cover them with cold salted water, and simmer until tender. Whole baby potatoes retain their shape well and work nicely for buttered side dishes, salads, or skewers.

If the baby potatoes are different sizes, halve the largest ones. This helps everything finish together without leaving the smallest potatoes waterlogged.

Boiled Red Skin Potatoes: Cut and Size Guide

For boiled red skin potatoes, scrub rather than peel them, then trim away damaged areas. Their skins can split if the water boils aggressively, so use a gentle simmer once the pot reaches a boil.

Halving or cubing also exposes more surface area to the water. These cuts cook faster, but they can become mushy sooner, so begin testing promptly.

Start Boiling Red Potatoes in Cold Salted Water

The key to boiling red potatoes evenly is starting them in cold water. Cold water allows the centers to warm gradually while the outside cooks, reducing splitting and uneven texture.

Measure 1½ Pounds of Potatoes, 6–8 Cups of Water, and Salt

For one batch, gather:

• 1½ pounds red or baby potatoes
• 6 to 8 cups cold water, or enough to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or 1½ teaspoons fine salt

1. Place the prepared potatoes in a large pot.
2. Add the cold water and salt. Make sure the potatoes are covered, adding more water if needed.
3. Set the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.
4. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low so the water maintains a gentle simmer.

Use a pot large enough to hold the potatoes in a mostly even layer. Crowding can slow cooking, while too much water dilutes the seasoning. The water should bubble steadily, not churn violently.

Simmer and Test Doneness

Timing by Size: Baby 12–15, Whole 20–25, Halved 15–20, Cubed 10–15 Minutes

Begin timing when the water returns to a gentle simmer after reaching a boil. These ranges assume the potatoes start in cold water and are cut to the sizes listed above:

• Whole baby potatoes: 12 to 15 minutes
• Whole 2- to 3-inch potatoes: 20 to 25 minutes
• Halved potatoes: 15 to 20 minutes
• 1-inch potato cubes: 10 to 15 minutes

Altitude, potato age, and exact size can change the cooking time slightly. Treat the clock as a guide, not the final test. Check smaller pieces early, particularly when the potatoes are cut into cubes.

Keep a Gentle Simmer and Use the Knife Test

Maintain a gentle simmer throughout cooking. A rolling boil can knock the potatoes against one another, causing the skins to split and the edges to break apart. If the water is barely moving, increase the heat slightly.

Test the thickest potato or largest piece with a thin knife. It is done when the knife slides into the center with little resistance, but the potato still holds its shape. You should not feel a hard or crunchy center.

If the knife meets resistance, continue simmering for 2 to 3 minutes, then test again. If the edges crumble, the water turns very cloudy, or the pieces fall apart when lifted, the potatoes have cooked too long. Drain them immediately to prevent further softening.

Drain, Rest, and Season

Rest to Steam-Dry, Then Add Butter, Herbs, or Dressing

Drain the potatoes promptly in a colander. Do not leave them sitting in the hot cooking water, because they will continue absorbing liquid and may become waterlogged.

Return the drained potatoes to the warm, empty pot and leave it uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes. This short drain-rest step lets excess moisture evaporate while the potatoes stay hot. Shake the pot gently once or twice if the pieces are sturdy.

Season immediately while the surfaces are warm. For a simple side dish, toss with butter, salt, black pepper, and chopped parsley or dill. A little olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic gives them a brighter flavor.

For potato salad, let the pieces steam-dry before adding dressing so it clings instead of becoming watery. You can also fold the warm potatoes with whole-grain mustard, vinegar, scallions, and herbs. Serve the potatoes warm, or cool them in a single layer before refrigerating.