Delicious pan fried potatoes with a crispy exterior and creamy interior, seasoned with whole garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs. This makes for the perfect side dish this holiday season!

Potatoes are one of my all time favorite foods. I love potatoes in every form – roasted, deep fried, steamed, boiled, air fried, and pan fried. Theyโre one of the few foods I could eat daily without ever getting bored. Alongside pickled plums and chocolate, potatoes (especially french fries) were a childhood obsession of mine.
Even now, I am still hooked on french fries, but I also love making potatoes in a skillet with plenty of garlic and herbs. This cooking method reminds me of the comforting French food I grew up eating – rustic and bountiful, uncomplicated, and satisfying in a way that feels like home. This rosemary potato recipe is just that and only requires 5 ingredients to make.
Table of contents

Rosemary Potatoes Ingredients
- Potatoes: The size of the potato matters for this recipe! Too big and the potatoes will have hard time to cook through in just a few minutes. So it’s essential to have them be bite size or just a little bigger. The easiest way to achieve that is by using baby potatoes, also called new potatoes, or fingerling potatoes (I usually slice them in half).
- Olive oil: No need to use expensive olive oil for this recipe! Since we are using the oil to pan fry the potatoes, stick to something basic, not too fruity or spicy.
- Rosemary sprigs: Fresh rosemary sprigs add plenty of aromatics to the potatoes and a piney flavor that’s unique to this herb.
- Garlic: Pan frying whole garlic cloves with the skin on in olive oil is the best! They come out tasting sweet and delicate, creamy, a little floral. I could eat them all day long!
- Salt: A good pinch of salt during the cooking process brings out the natural sweetness of the potatoes and balances the overall flavor of the dish.

How To Make Rosemary Potatoes
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Prep the potatoes. Rinse the potatoes and slice them to be about bite size or slightly bigger.
- Pan fry them. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and turn the heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes along with the garlic, rosemary, and some salt. Put the lid on and let them cook. They should take about 10-12 minutes to fully cook.
- Serve them. When the potatoes are cooked through, transfer them to a serving plate and arrange the garlic and rosemary. Season with extra salt if needed. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips
- Try to keep the size of the potatoes uniform. This helps them cook evenly in the same amount of time.
- Wait until the oil is hot before adding the ingredients. To achieve a crispy and golden brown exterior, the potatoes have to be added when the oil is hot.
- Keep an eye on the rosemary. Because the sprigs are delicate, rosemary can cook at a faster rate than other thicker, more robust ingredients. If you notice that the sprigs are turning dark brown quickly, place them on top of the potatoes. When there’s 1-2 minutes left to the cooking process, it’s okay to let them sit at the bottom of the skillet (while still keeping an eye on them).
- Shake the skillet once in a while. This prevents burning and helps the food to brown and cook evenly.

Storage And Reheating
Storing: Transfer the potatoes, garlic, and rosemary to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Place the potatoes, garlic, and rosemary in a microwave safe container and microwave on high for about 90 seconds. Or, they can be reheated in a skillet over medium high heat, with just a little oil to crisp them up again.

Serving Suggestions
- Big family dinner. As part of a buffet style dinner and served with other comforting dishes such as turkey tourtiere, baked chicken katsu, miso salmon, slow cooker pinto beans, cream of cauliflower soup, or hearty Tuscan soup.
- As part of a healthy meal. With other light and wholesome dishes such as green minestrone soup, vegetable potage, Italian celery salad, tomato and smoked salmon salad, miso salmon, or California veggie sandwich.
- As a snack. These potatoes make a delicious late night snack and are a healthier option than regular potato chips.
Other delicious side dish to serve this holiday season: Parmesan and mushroom spaghetti squash, vegan stuffing, oven roasted brussels sprouts with bacon, cranberries and walnuts, green beans almondine, whole roasted cauliflower head, foil baked cabbage with salt koji, vegetable ricotta pie.

Did you like these rosemary potatoes? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Rosemary Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 small sides 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Delicious rosemary potatoes with a crispy exterior and creamy interior, seasoned with whole garlic cloves and sea salt.
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, with the skin on
- 3 rosemary sprigs
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
Slice the potatoes if needed. Wash the potatoes and slice the ones that are too big for a single bite, in half.
Pan fry them. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and turn the heat to medium hot. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes, garlic cloves, rosemary, and a good pinch of salt.
Let them cook through. Close with a lid or cover with foil. Leave to cook for 5 minutes. Watch out for the rosemary sprigs as they may overcook and burn! If that’s the case, remove them. Check on the potatoes and flip them. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
Serve. Transfer the potatoes, garlic, and rosemary to a serving plate and serve hot.
Notes
Storage:ย Transfer the rosemary potatoes to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 1.4g
- Sodium: 19.6m
- Fat: 10.8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20.4g
- Fiber: 3.2g
- Protein: 2.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg














