New Potatoes with Lemon-Garlic Butter and Basil
For an easy, filling side to go with your weeknight dinners, look no further than these buttery soft new potatoes. Coated in a zesty and aromatic sauce of butter, minced garlic, lemon, Italian herb seasoning, salt, and pepper, and topped with chopped basil, this is a super delicious way to cook new potatoes.
Serve these flavor-packed potatoes with this lemon-yogurt marinated chicken breast, or these rich kotleti-style chicken meatballs. For a pescatarian option, try them with these air fryer salmon fillets coated in a garlic-lemon butter sauce, or this panko-crusted baked salmon and enjoy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Want to make this easy potato dish? You’ll need to get the following:
- New Potatoes – 1 1/2 lb (680 grams) new potatoes (or baby potatoes or miniature potatoes)
- Butter – 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Lemon – 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- Garlic – 1 garlic clove (or more to taste)
- Italian Seasoning – 1/2 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning (or dried oregano)
- Fresh Basil – a handful of fresh basil (about 2 tablespoons when minced)
- Salt – 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt (plus regular salt for boiling the potatoes, about 1/2 tsp)
- Pepper – 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Easy Steps to Make the Potatoes
Step 1. Wash and clean the potatoes.
Step 2. Put the potatoes in a pot and fully cover them with cold water (with the water line about 1 inch above the potatoes) and add salt to the water (about 1/2 tsp regular salt).
Step 3. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat (it will take about 10 minutes) and then lower the heat so the potatoes simmer until they’re cooked through (soft when pierced with a knife). It will take about 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, drain them.
Step 4. Return the pot to the stove on medium heat and add the unsalted butter. Once the butter has melted, add the Italian dried herb seasoning (or dried oregano), minced garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 30 seconds.
Step 5. Add the drained potatoes and the lemon juice to the pot and keep cooking while stirring for about 1-2 minutes until the potatoes are coated in the sauce. Turn the heat off and leave the potatoes in the pot for about 2 minutes.
Step 6. Add the finely chopped fresh basil to the potatoes and stir with a heatproof silicone spatula until the sauce and basil evenly coat the potatoes. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
Don’t waste any time. Bring them to the table, get your fork, and try one of these bite-sized potatoes. Bite in, and enjoy their buttery soft texture and rich and herby flavor, with plenty of zest.
If you made this and really enjoyed it, please leave a review below. Also, let me know in the comments what you paired it with. I’ll be honest with you – everyone in my house could happily grab a fork and eat these on their own!
More Potato Dishes You’ll Love
Want to add more potato sides like this one to your weeknight roster? These rosemary potato wedges are great with burgers and a dipping aioli while these lemon-parmesan potato bites have a similarly rich, zesty flavor.
If you have an air fryer, these potato bites and parmesan baby potatoes are simple to prep and can be ready in under 30 minutes. You could also start your day with a slice of this hearty potato, mushrooms, and feta frittata.
All-in-One Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb new potatoes or baby potatoes or miniature potatoes (680 grams)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 1 garlic clove or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning or dried oregano
- a handful of fresh basil about 2 tablespoons when minced
- 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt plus regular salt for boiling the potatoes, about 1/2 tsp
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and clean the potatoes.
- Put the potatoes in a pot and fully cover them with cold water (with the water line about 1 inch above the potatoes) and add salt to the water (about 1/2 tsp regular salt).
- Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat (it will take about 10 minutes) and then lower the heat so the potatoes simmer until they’re cooked through (soft when pierced with a knife). It will take about 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain the potatoes.
- Return the pot to the stove on medium heat and add the unsalted butter. Once the butter has melted, add the Italian dried herb seasoning (or dried oregano), minced garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Add the drained potatoes and the lemon juice to the pot and keep cooking while stirring for about 1-2 minutes until the potatoes are coated in the sauce. Turn the heat off and leave the potatoes in the pot for about 2 minutes.
- Add the finely chopped fresh basil to the potatoes and stir with a heatproof silicone spatula until the sauce and basil evenly coat the potatoes. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
Need more easy sides for your weeknight dinners? Don’t forget to save this recipe to one of your idea boards, so that you’ll always be able to find it with ease.