Tasty roasted fingerling potatoes with Mexican spices and a sweet and smoky chipotle crema. The smell when these are roasting in the oven will drive you crazy but wait until you dip them in the spicy crema!
Have you ever made a recipe only to have the side dish you prepared in a rush ended up outshining the main dish? That's what happened with these roasted fingerling potatoes. I needed a starch as a side and potatoes are always a good go-to especially fingerling potatoes.
They're soft and waxy and taste great boiled but the best way to enjoy them is roasted until the skin turns crispy and a little caramelized. Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that you don't overthink and just grab a bunch of spices with the hope that they'll work.
Some of my favorites began like that, like these garlic roasted potatoes with Pancetta and rosemary. These are great anytime but do really well at the holidays!
Serve these fingerling potatoes with a huge grilled ribeye steak and a glass of your favorite red wine, or just eat them as they are with that chipotle crema dip!
Ingredients needed for these easy fingerling potatoes
- Fingerling Potatoes- These are small and long shaped potatoes with a waxy skin.
- Olive Oil
- Ancho Chili Powder- This seasoning is made from 100% ancho chilis and tastes sweet and smoky. It's not necessarily a hot spice but does have a slight heat to it.
- Cumin- This can be found as a seed or ground which tends to be more popular in recipes. It's used in many different cooking cultures and reminds me of curry powder.
- Mexican Oregano- Regular oregano can be used if you can't find this.
- Crema- Is a Mexican dairy product made from a blend of buttermilk and heavy cream. It's similar to sour cream but thinner and tastes much better. Sour cream can be used as a substitute in this recipe.
- Chipotle Pepper- Ground chipotle peppers, hotter than the ancho chili above but works great as an add-in to the crema dip for the potatoes.
FAQ's about roasted fingerling potatoes
Do I need to peel my potatoes? I don't ever peel them. I like to give them a good scrub under running water and then dry with a paper towel.
The flavor and texture of the skin after the potatoes have roasted is what I think makes this recipe amazing.
Should I boil my potatoes first? You can but I think it's unnecessary. The potatoes become too soft and tend to fall apart.
Roasting potatoes doesn't take too long anyway and the potatoes seem to have a better texture.
What is the best oil to use? You can use vegetable oil but I prefer using a good quality extra virgin olive oil for extra flavor.
How will I know my potatoes are done? You can pierce them with sharp pointed knife or metal skewer. If it goes into the potato easily without resistance then the potatoes are done.
Tips for the best roasted potatoes
- Rub the spices into the potatoes an hour or two beforehand, almost like you would with a marinade.
- As the potatoes are cooking, make sure to move them around a few times so that they get evenly roasted on all sides.
- You can make the crema dip ahead of time and keep it in the fridge.
- Slice the larger sized potatoes in half whilst keeping the smaller ones whole.
- Serve warm but the potatoes can be eaten at room temperature also.
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