The key is size. The smallest potatoes you can find are the goal here; cooked through, tender inside, and small enough that each one is one or two bites with half a strip of crispy bacon around it. The herbs go against the skin of the potato, so they steam gently as the bacon renders and their fragrance soaks into the flesh rather than burning off in the oven.
This is a recipe that scales naturally for two as a side dish, or makes a generous appetizer plate to start a meal. Either way, the math is simple: one baking dish, one oven, and the kind of result that makes people ask what you put in them. As if bacon and herbs needed any more explanation.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Potatoes – the smaller the better. Small potatoes of usually immature potatoes. They have a thinner skin and usually contain more moisture than there when they are mature. Because the skin is thin, there is not need to peel these babies.
- Bacon – I prefer to use the normal sliced or thinly sliced bacon. It bakes quicker than the thick slices.
- Italian herbs – an herb mix consisting of parsley, basil, oregano and thyme.
Watch the short video below to see how easy these bacon wrapped potatoes come together.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Potatoes with Italian Herbs
Like with so many recipes, once you know what you need, the preparation is pretty straight forward.
Step 1 – Do not peel the potatoes. Wash them and cook them in water with salt, like you would do with any other type of potato. Cook them until just done, this will be about 10 minutes. Don’t cook longer than necessary, they will go into the oven later and will cook a little further.
Step 2 – Prepare the bacon, by cutting the slices in half. You just need enough bacon the wrap around each potato, no need to double wrap them. Brush the bacon lightly with oil and sprinkle them with Italian herbs.
Step 3 – When the potatoes are cooked and cooled just a little, so you can handle them without burning your fingers, make the rolls.
Place a potato on a slice of bacon and roll lengthwise. Place that wrapped potato (seam-side down) in a oven-safe dish that you lightly brushed with oil.
Step 4 – Place the dish in a 400°F oven and cook the potatoes about 20 minutes. If you want the bacon crispy, you may need to rotate the potatoes and place them in the oven a little longer.
Serve as a side dish or an appetizer. When you serve them as an appetizer, make sure to NOT serve them straight out of the oven; people will burn the lips on the bacon. Instead allow them to cool a little.
Alternatives and Substitutes
- Potatoes – in theory you can pick any type of potato you like, as long as they are small. There are red potatoes, small Yukon or Fingerling potatoes and more. Cutting up regular size potatoes may not work so well as they may fall apart during the baking in the oven, as not all sides are covered by a skin and/or the bacon.
- Bacon – Italian pancetta is a perfect alternative to bacon.
- Italian herbs – instead of Italian herbs, try other combinations, like thyme, sage and rosemary, lemon grass, mint and parsley or cilantro, parsley and tarragon to name a few.
Other Simple Potato Recipes to Try
Bacon Wrapped Potatoes with Italian Herbs
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 8 ounces small (young) potatoes, skin on
- 4-5 slices bacon, cut in half
- Italian herbs , parsley, basil, oregano and thyme
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wash and cook the small potatoes in a little bit of water and salt for about 10 minutes or until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Allow them to cool, so you can handle them.
- In the meantime, lay the bacon slices on a plate or board and brush them lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle the Italian herbs over the slices.
- Once the potatoes are no longer hot, roll them in the herbs covered bacon slices and place these rolls in a dish, brushed with olive oil, seam-side down. Sprinkle some herbs over the rolls.
- Place the dish in the oven for about 20 minutes. Bake longer if you want the bacon to be crispier.
- Serve as side dish or as an appetizer with cocktail picks. (NOTE 1)
Notes
- If you serve these bacon wrapped potatoes as an appetizer, please allow them to cool a little bit before you serve them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.