If you love salt and vinegar chips and have eaten a whole bag in one sitting, you're going to love these Crispy Salt and Vinegar Potatoes. They give you the same puckery, classic flavor, just in the form of a proper side dish made with whole ingredients. Boiling the baby potatoes in heavily salted vinegar water forces the vinegary flavor all the way through the potatoes. Then they are roasted until golden brown and crispy, and a healthy dose of flaky sea salt at the end seals the deal. They're tangy, salty, crispy, but most importantly, still fluffy in the middle, and they go with basically everything.
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If you're a fan of potatoes in all their crispy glory, you have to try my rustic baked French fries or my zesty Greek lemon potatoes. Serve these salt and vinegar baby potatoes as a fantastic side dish next to my barbecue beef burgers, cream cheese stuffed chicken breast, or honey Dijon salmon recipe, and with a side of roasted garlic thyme aioli for dipping, they are unstoppable.
Why You'll Love These Salt & Vinegar Potatoes
- All the classic flavors of your favorite potato chip in whole potato form. The salted vinegar boil ensures the seasoning goes all the way through the potatoes, so every bite is sharp and punchy.
- Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Boiling the potatoes first softens the inside, so these roasted baby potatoes crisp up beautifully in the oven.
- Simple ingredients. Baby potatoes, white vinegar, water, salt, and oil is all you need to make this easy side dish.
- Perfect for any occasion. Serve them as a weeknight side, a party appetizer with toothpicks, or for your next holiday meal.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Baby Potatoes: Any type of potato works, Yukon golds, red potatoes, russets, or fingerlings can all be used. Cut larger potatoes into fourths or sixths to ensure even cooking.
- White Vinegar: White vinegar gives the cleanest, truest flavor to classic salt and vinegar. Apple cider vinegar can be used, but the finished result will be milder. Serve these roasted potatoes with a side of malt vinegar for a fish-and-chips vibe.
- Salt: We use two kinds of salt here, kosher salts the water for boiling and a flaky finishing sea salt (like Maldon) is perfect for finishing and giving the potatoes a slight extra crunch.
- Cooking Oil: Avocado oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil is perfect to use for roasting the potatoes because of their high smoke points.
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, see the recipe card below.
Salt and Vinegar Potato Variations
- Spicy: Toss the roasted potatoes with chili flakes, a pinch of cayenne, or a drizzle of crispy chili oil.
- Creamy Dip: Serve with creamy roasted garlic aioli, sriracha aioli or 2-ingredient spicy mayo for dipping.
- Cheesy: Finish with grated Parmesan cheese during the last few minutes of baking.
- Serve with Malt Vinegar: Make the potatoes extra vinegary by giving them a dash of malt vinegar or serve with a small dish on the side for dipping.
- Fully Loaded: Top with bacon bits, sour cream, cheddar, and chives for a fully loaded version like my fully loaded french fries.
How To Make Roasted Salt & Vinegar Potatoes
Boil The Potatoes In Salted Vinegar Water
Wash and cut the baby potatoes in half, placing them into a large saucepan. Add the water, vinegar and kosher salt to fully cover the potatoes. If your pot is too large and the potatoes aren't fully covered, add equal parts water and white vinegar until they are fully submerged. Bring potatoes to a rolling boil and boil until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Arrange On The Baking Sheet
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
When the potatoes are fork tender and soft, drain off the cooking water, letting them steam-dry. Then toss or spray the potatoes with cooking oil and arrange in a single layer, face down, on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake Until Golden and Crispy
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are a beautiful golden brown and crispy all around.
Finish With Flaky Sea Salt
Finish by tossing the potatoes with flaky sea salt straight out of the oven, while they are still hot, so the salt sticks.
Serve immediately.
Expert Tips For Crispy Potatoes
- Don't overboil the potatoes. Pull them when they are just fork tender, the timing will need to be adjusted if you use a different type of potato or if your potatoes are larger/smaller. If they boil too long, they will fall apart on the pan.
- Let them steam-dry before placing on the baking sheet. Moisture is the enemy of crispy roasted potatoes. To steam-dry the potatoes, let them sit in the colander for an extra minute, and you can visibly see the moisture evaporate off of them.
- Roast cut-side down and don't overcrowd the pan. Split the potatoes between two pans if you need to. Overcrowding the pan will cause the potatoes to steam instead of roast.
- Salt twice. Seasoning the boiling water with salt and finishing with flaky sea salt ensures the best salty flavor.
How To Store & Reheat
Let the potatoes cool to room temperature before packing them up in an airtight container (if they are packaged hot, it will create steam and cause them to go soggy) and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or an air fryer to retain most of the crispiness, but know that they will not be as crispy as when they were first made. The microwave can also be used, but the potatoes will be soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
White distilled vinegar gives the sharpest, most classic salt and vinegar chip flavor, and it is what I use in this recipe.
The vinegar seasons the potatoes all the way through, so the flavor isn't only surface level. The acid also helps the potatoes keep their shape while they cook.
Let the boiled potatoes steam dry before oiling them, since wet potatoes steam instead of crisping up. Roast them cut-side down on a baking sheet in a single layer. Finish with flaky sea salt while they are still hot to add another level of crunch, too.
Most of the vinegar flavor comes from the boil, so make sure to use the full amount of vinegar, and if you need more liquid to cover your potatoes, use equal parts vinegar and water to ensure it doesn't get diluted. If you want an even more punchy vinegar flavor, toss the hot roasted potatoes with an extra splash of vinegar right before serving.
More Delicious Side Dish Recipes
Looking for more side dish recipes like this? Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Salt and Vinegar Potatoes
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 ½ lbs Baby Potatoes
- 2 ½ cups White Distilled Vinegar
- 2 cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
- Wash the baby potatoes well and then cut them in half lengthwise. Place them into a large saucepan, add the water, white vinegar, and kosher salt, making sure the potatoes are fully covered. If your pot is too wide and the potatoes aren't completely submerged, add equal parts water and white vinegar until they are.
- Bring the potatoes to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 15-20 minutes, until a fork slides easily into the center of a potato.
- While the potatoes boil, preheat the oven to 425℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once the potatoes are done boiling, drain off all of the cooking water, and let the potatoes steam-dry by sitting in the colander for an extra minute so the excess steam and moisture evaporate. Steam-drying the potatoes helps them crisp up nicely in the oven.
- Toss the potatoes with cooking oil or spray them generously until lightly coated, then place the potatoes face down in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each piece so they roast instead of steam.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and immediately toss the hot potatoes with the flaky sea salt so it sticks. Transfer to a serving dish and serve right away.
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Notes
- Baby Potatoes: Any type of potato works, use fingerling or full-size potatoes like russet, Yukon gold, or red. Cut the larger potatoes into fourths or sixths for even cooking.
- White Vinegar: This will give you the classic salt and vinegar flavor. Apple cider vinegar can be used instead, but it will give a milder, fruity flavor. Malt vinegar served on the side or spritzed on top before serving gives these potatoes a coastal fish and chips vibe.
- Store Leftovers: Let the roasted potatoes cool to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Jessica says
These potatoes took a few tries to get perfect, but now we have the perfect recipe for actually salty and vinegary potatoes! We hope you love it as much as we do!
Corrine says
I made these potatoes yesterday, absolutely amazing, I put sour cream on them, but I suggest nothing, they are perfect on their own… a lovely alternative to other baked .
Bravo!!!!!!
Jessica says
Yay! Happy you liked them 😊