Seven ingredients and fifty-five minutes, on one sheet pan.
Three things go into the oven at three different times: the potatoes first, the bacon twenty minutes later, and the honey only in the last few minutes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Preheating the pan starts the potatoes crisping the moment they touch it.
- Roasting cut-side down gives each half a flat, golden, crisp face.
- Adding the bacon partway through lets it crisp without burning.
- Its fat renders onto the pan and helps the potatoes finish crisp.
- A light drizzle of honey at the end glazes rather than burns.
Ingredient Notes
- Baby potatoes, halved
- Two pounds, skins on. Halved rather than cubed, so each piece gets one wide flat face to crisp against the pan.
- Bacon, in large pieces
- Six slices. Large pieces stay meaty and visible; small bits burn before the potatoes are done.
- Honey
- A tablespoon and a half, drizzled lightly for the last 3 to 5 minutes. It is a finishing glaze, not a marinade.
How to Make It
Oven to 425°F, a sheet pan heated five minutes
Heat oven to 425°F and place a large sheet pan in the oven for 5 minutes.
Potatoes tossed with oil and seasoning, cut-side down on the hot pan
Toss halved skin-on baby potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper and arrange cut-side down on the hot pan.
Roasted twenty minutes, bacon added, fifteen more
Roast 20 minutes, add bacon pieces around the potatoes, and roast another 15 minutes.
Honey drizzled over, tossed once, roasted until crisp
Drizzle honey lightly over the potatoes and bacon, toss once, and roast 3 to 5 minutes more until the potato edges and bacon are crisp.
Finished with chopped parsley
Finish with chopped parsley.
Three Things, Three Different Times
Honey is barely visible in this photograph - a light gloss at most - and that is because HONEY IS THE FINISHING GLAZE ADDED NEAR THE END OF ROASTING. That is the whole shape of the recipe. Potatoes need the longest, bacon less, honey only minutes, because at 425°F honey goes from glaze to scorched quickly.
The PAN - hot before anything touches it5 minutes of preheat
A large sheet pan in a 425°F oven for 5 MINUTES before the potatoes go on. A hot pan starts the cut faces crisping on contact rather than slowly warming up with them.
The POTATOES - cut-side DOWN20 minutes, untouched
2 lb of HALVED SKIN-ON BABY POTATOES tossed with 1 1/2 tbsp OLIVE OIL, 1 tsp FINE SALT and 1/2 tsp BLACK PEPPER, ARRANGED CUT-SIDE DOWN ON THE HOT PAN and ROASTED 20 MINUTES. Halved and skin-on is the form they are served in; cut-side down is what gives each half its golden flat face.
The BACON - added AROUND them15 more minutes
6 slices of BACON CUT INTO LARGE PIECES ADDED AROUND THE POTATOES and ROASTED ANOTHER 15 MINUTES. Later than the potatoes because it crisps faster, and around them so its rendering fat runs onto the pan. For safety, cook the bacon until crisp.
The HONEY - lightly, and LAST3 to 5 minutes, watched
1 1/2 tbsp HONEY DRIZZLED LIGHTLY OVER THE POTATOES AND BACON, TOSSED ONCE, and ROASTED 3 TO 5 MINUTES MORE UNTIL THE POTATO EDGES AND BACON ARE CRISP. That explains the timing: honey can darken quickly at high heat, so add it only near the end and watch for scorching.
PARSLEY - and nothing elseScattered at the table
1 tbsp CHOPPED PARSLEY to finish. This recipe leaves out the two things this dish often gets: NO CHEESE OR ONION.
Success Tips
- Leave the potatoes cut-side down and untouched for the first twenty minutes.
- Give them room on the pan — crowded potatoes steam instead of crisping.
- Watch the honey closely in the last minutes; it darkens fast at 425°F.
Serving Ideas
Six side servings of halved skin-on baby potatoes roasted golden with crisp edges, tossed with large pieces of crisp bacon under a light honey glaze and scattered with chopped parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the honey go on?
Right at the end — drizzled lightly over the potatoes and bacon for the last 3 to 5 minutes of roasting. Earlier than that and it scorches.
Why does the bacon go in later?
Bacon crisps faster than potatoes. Added after the first 20 minutes, both finish crisp at the same time.
Can I add cheese or onion?
Not for this recipe. It is potatoes, bacon, honey and parsley — no cheese and no onion.
