Tender and fluffy on the inside with crisp bacon and a smoky seasoning mix on the outside, Smoky Bacon-Wrapped Baby Potatoes as easy to make as they are to devour. While this recipe technically feeds six, you’ll find these addictive one-bite-wonders are best-served in bulk.
This recipe for Smoky Bacon-Wrapped Baby Potatoes was also featured on Serious Eats.
Sometimes you need a show-stopping party appetizer, but don’t have the patience to deep-fry. Or maybe you just don’t have the will to wash the fryer oil smell from your hair and air out the house (I know the feeling). Either way, times like these call for Smoky Bacon-Wrapped Baby Potatoes: a craveable trio of salt, smoke, and spice that will keep you and your friends coming back for more.
Try your best not to eat them all before company arrives, though.
BACON IS A BALANCING ACT
What you’ll love about this dish is that it’s simple to make without sacrificing flavor complexity. There are 10 ingredients in the bites themselves (many of which you may have on hand already) and all of them are perfectly balanced for a dish that’s impressive as it is easy.
Fat Meets Spice: Bacon is a showstopper. That’s why we love it! But like Type A Todd on a conference call, bacon tends to do all the talking and take all the credit if left unchecked. To keep bacon’s richness from overwhelming your dish (and palate) paprika and chipotle peppers in adobo add a much-needed kick while complementing bacon’s natural smokiness.
Crispy and Creamy: Mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, crab rangoon. Have you ever noticed that the most satisfying finger foods are crisp on the outside, only to burst into creamy, gooey goodness when you bite into them? See, our mind loves to play tricks on us when it comes to food. It’s the reason we perceive perfectly-round desserts as sweeter than their mishappen counterparts, for example. If texture is just one of those things that makes food feel exciting, Smoky Bacon-Wrapped Baby Potatoes are a party in your mouth. And not like a one-year-old’s birthday party; I’m talking Animal House meets The Great Gatsby.
Bacon Plus Potato: Like Will and Jada or Beckham and Posh, this culinary coupling has stood the test of time. Cooks have been pairing bacon and potato for years because each component makes the other one better. The pork imparts a sumptuous richness into the humble potato, which in turn tempers the smoky and salty flavors of the bacon. What’s even better is that the ingredients cook at the same rate in the oven, meaning you won’t have to parcook anything.
TIPS FOR THE BEST BACON-WRAPPED POTATOES
While the recipe is pretty straight-forward, there are steps you can take to make the most of your Smoky Bacon-Wrapped Baby Potatoes.
Use round baby potatoes. This might seem obvious, but there are all sorts of shapes of baby potatoes (just like there are full-sized potatoes). Longer, thinner, or irregularly shaped potatoes won't be as easy to evenly wrap with the bacon and secure with a toothpick. They're also more prone to the bacon slipping as it bakes, since the bacon will shrink slightly as it releases some of its fat. To get the best coverage, small, evenly rounded potatoes should perfectly fit the width of the bacon and allow it to shrink around them.
If you plan on serving the potatoes with the toothpicks, soak the toothpicks first. Just like anything else that spends time in the oven, toothpicks brown and can burn. This isn't a big deal if you plan to remove the toothpicks before serving, but if you want to keep them in so that guests can grab 'em and go, soaking the toothpicks in water for at least 30 minutes before inserting them into the bacon and potatoes and baking will prevent them from charring and becoming frail.
Don't cut corners. You might be tempted to substitute the smoked paprika with regular paprika if you already have it sitting in the spice cabinet, but the smoked paprika makes a big difference in flavor here. It's worth the visit to the spice aisle-- you'll definitely use it again when you make these potatoes for the next party!
MORE BACON-PACKED PARTY FOODS TO LOVE
- 5 Ingredient Bacon Wrapped Bratwurst Bites
- Bacon-Wrapped Figs with Blue Cheese and Bourbon Caramel
- Sweet and Smoky Bacon Jam
- Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs
- Bacon Beer Cheese Bread Bowl
- Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Corn Dip
Smoky Bacon-Wrapped Baby Potatoes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 chipotle pepper from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 24 baby potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds)
- 12 strips bacon, halved crosswise
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
- Aioli, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a large plastic zipper-lock bag, mix together minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, garlic, oil, smoked paprika, brown sugar, dry mustard, and kosher salt. Add baby potatoes, seal bag, and shake, using your hands to work the seasoning mixture around the potatoes until evenly distributed and potatoes are fully coated. Pour coated potatoes onto prepared baking sheet.
- Wrap a half-strip of bacon around each baby potato and secure with toothpick. Space potatoes evenly across baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are tender and bacon has crisped, 50-60 minutes.
- Remove toothpicks, if desired. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm with aioli on the side for dipping.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
Brian says
This looks great. Do you think I could substitute fingerling potatoes (my personal favorite)?
Beth Pierce says
Wow! What an awesome appetizer! I could really go for some of these right now; they look incredible!
Anita @ Daily Cooking Quest says
I have yet to hate anything with bacon, so I am sure I will be all over these baby potatoes were they presented to me. 😀
Adriana says
Best of both worlds in one bite this is a winner for me! Now I need potatoes and bacon for appetizers. You have lovely pictures too.
Claire Cary says
Anything potato related is a yes in my book! Love the sound of this recipe!
Matt Ivan says
This is the best idea ever! Would totally be a hit at any party.
Alex Stonecypher says
I made these for our family Easter dinner and they were a hit! Thank you!
Tai says
Don't you answer questions in your review section?
Morgan says
Hi! Yes I try my best to answer them when I see them (sometimes they go through without me seeing them first, though). Did you have a question?
Linda Hall says
As a caterer, I can report that people LOVE THESE! There is never a potato left - regardless of how many we fix!!!!