16 Types of Potatoes You Should Know

Potatoes are considered a staple for a reason. From a hearty dinner to a showstopping side dish, you can do almost anything with them. With so many different types of potatoes out there, it can get confusing to sort through which one to use when. Never fear, here we’ve broken down some of the most common potato varieties, as well as some lesser-known ones, so you’ll always know what to reach for whether you’re making Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, creamy Dauphinoise potatoes, or crispy skillet potatoes.

There are three main types of potatoes to choose from at the store: starchy, waxy, and those in between (which are referred to as “all-purpose”). The trick is knowing which potato works best when.

• Starchy potatoes are great for baking, frying, and mashing. Because of their starch, they don’t hold together very well when cooked, but they are are fluffy and absorbent.
• Waxy potatoes have a smooth, waxy texture so they hold their shape while cooking. They’re good for boiling, roasting, and slicing and work well in dishes like soups, stews, and salads.
• “All-purpose” potatoes have a less starch than starchy potatoes, but not so much that they completely fall apart when cooked. They will work for most potato dishes. Consider these your kitchen potato standby.

Say “potato” and most people will think of Russet potatoes, also commonly referred to as Idaho potatoes. They are typically quite large with rough brown skin. Most of your french fries are made with this faithful standby. The starch makes fries fluffy on the inside, but crispy on the outside.

Type: Starchy

Best for: Baking, frying, mashing

Russet Potato Recipes:

• Perfect Mashed Potatoes
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Shoestring Fries

Sweet potatoes and yams are not the same, however, the orange sweet potato — which is also known as a jewel yam, is in fact a type of sweet potato, with a bit of a naming mix up. The misnomer happened via a campaign by Louisiana farmers in the 1930s to market a new sweet potato with orange flesh as a “yam.” These very common market sweet potatoes have a high water content and a subtly sweet flavor.

Type: Starchy

Best for: Baking, soup, pies

Jewel Yam Recipes:

• Sweet Potato Soup with Miso and Ginger
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Baked Sweet Potatoes

Japanese sweet potatoes have pink or purple skin with yellow or white flesh that’s a bit drier, but also slightly creamier than the typical orange-colored varieties. Its flavor is sweet and nutty. You can use them in many of the same ways you would an orange sweet potato.

Type: Starchy

Best for: Steaming, grilling, baking

Japanese Sweet Potato Recipes:

• Sweet Potato Hash with Caramelized Onions, Sausage & Eggs
• No-Knead Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
• Morning Glory Sweet Potato Muffins

Despite their small size, these little potatoes are actually fully grown. These small oblong potatoes have an earthy, nutty flavor with thin skin that does not require peeling. While they come in a number of varieties (some of which are highlighted below) they’re always waxy. They’re better for roasting whole than using in a mash.

Type: Waxy

Best for: Roasting, pan-frying, potato salad

Fingerling Potato Recipes:

• Garlic Butter Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
• Nicoise Salad
• Crispy Salt & Vinegar Potatoes
• Garlic Butter Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Also known as Red Bliss, these versatile medium-sized red-skinned potatoes have golden flesh and a smooth, moist texture. Their thin skins and ability to hold their shape well then cooking make them a kitchen favorite for a wide variety of preparations.

Type: All-purpose

Best for: Baking, boiling, roasting, mashing, potato salad

Red Potato Recipes:

• 3-Ingredient Garlicky Red Potatoes
• Extra-Garlicky Mashed Red Potatoes
• Sheet Pan Home Fries
• Southern Smashed Potato Salad
• Au Gratin Potatoes

These smallish oblong potatoes have very dark purple skin and flesh, which is both moist and firm. They retain their color when cooked and are known for being high in antioxidants.

Type: All-purpose

Best for: Roasting, baking, soup, deep-frying, pan-frying

Purple Majesty Potato Recipes:

• Mixed New Potato Salad with Sweet Basil and Shallots
• Potato Salad with Yogurt, Arugula, and Dill

This common potato is known for its thin skin that doesn’t need to be peeled. Yukons can do it all. They’re medium-sized with creamy, yellow flesh that’s in between starchy and waxy. Just about anywhere you need a potato, you can use a Yukon gold.

Type: All-purpose

Best for: Whatever you like, they’re kitchen workhorses.

Yukon Gold Potato Recipes:

• Fried Potatoes and Sausage Skillet
• Classic Potato Salad
• Chicken Potato Soup
• Greek Lemon Potatoes

Creamers are a small type of thin-skinned potato known for it’s creamy texture and buttery flavor. They’re often confused for “new” potatoes, which are harvested before they’re fully grown. Creamer potatoes are fully mature, despite their small size. Use them anywhere that calls for a small potato or take advantage of their tiny size and cook them whole.

Type: Waxy

Best for: Roasting, boiling, pan-frying

Creamer Potato Recipes:

• Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites
• Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes
• Crash Hot Potatoes
• Herb Garden Potatoes with Fresh Spinach & Lemon

Very much like a Jewel potato, but with lighter skin and flesh. This starchy potato isn’t quite as sweet as other sweet potato varieties, but it’s just as delicious. It is best used in savory applications, due to its milder sweetness and lighter color.

This is a waxy heirloom fingerling variety with a pink, often knobby skin with golden buttery yellow flesh. It has an earthy flavor and is great boiled, grilled, sautéed, deep-fried, and served in salads.

This waxy potato has a pale yellow skin with rich yellow flesh and a firm texture. It is good grilled, sautéed, fried, roasted whole, or steamed for potato salads.

This waxy fingerling with bright-red skin is a favorite among chefs, due to the pink marbling of the flesh. It’s a small, buttery potato that is best boiled or roasted. Use it as a side dish or serve it sliced in a salad.

These waxy little fingerling-shaped potatoes have a silky texture and a nutty flavor. They’re best roasted or boiled whole. They were discovered in the Swiss Alps by French Farmer named Jean Pierre Clot.

This is a waxy heirloom variety with yellowish, tan smooth skin and very light yellow flesh. It is best in potato salads, but also great boiled, steamed, and roasted.

This large all-purpose potato has tan skin and white flesh. It’s great baked, mashed, fried, or shredded into latkes. It holds together well in boiling water as well.

This potato is truly blue both inside and out. It has a dry texture, but holds its shape well, so it’s best baked and drizzled with butter or olive oil, or boiled/steamed for a potato salad. Steaming and baking will ensure it keeps its color best. If you do boil it, you can keep the cooking water to dye clothes or eggs.

It’s a good idea to inspect your potatoes before you buy them. A little dirt is fine and perfectly normal, but you want to watch out for and avoid any sprouting from the eyes (the little indents in the potato), soft spots, cuts and gouges, or any potato with a green tint to the skin.

Green coloring means the potato has been exposed to too much light and developed the toxin solanine, which can cause some nasty conditions like cramping, headaches, diarrhea, and fever. Such a potato also will have a bitter flavor.

To clean potatoes simply give them a good scrub under some water to remove the dirt and debris and inspect them for any deep eyes that should be cut out. You don’t need to peel potatoes unless you want to, as the skin is edible.

Starchy potatoes are great for baking and frying. Because of their starch, they don’t hold together very well when cooked, but they are are fluffy and absorbent — perfect for butter on a baked potato or the oil in a fryer. They are decent mashed, but care must be taken not to overwork them or else you’ll have a gluey mess.