This recipe makes perfect Crispy Roasted Potatoes with a crisp exterior and a delectable soft, fluffy center.
This delicious recipe goes great with anything from a holiday dinner to Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs served alongside Roasted Broccoli.
Roasted potatoes are a classic side dish that everyone loves. They’re crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and go well with just about anything. But getting them perfectly crisp can be a challenge. This simple guide will show you how to make the perfect crispy roasted potatoes every time, with just a few simple ingredients and helpful tips.
Sometimes simple is just better! This recipe uses just 5 ingredients, making it super easy to prepare. It’s the perfect side dish for a busy weeknight dinner or a fancy holiday spread!
Why This Recipe Works
- Parboiling the potatoes allows the outside to get soft enough to rough them up, creating the best surface for crisping.
- Roughing them up before roasting creates a textured surface that crisps up nicely.
- Just the right amount of oil makes the roasted potatoes crisp without becoming greasy.
- Simply seasoning them with salt and pepper and a hint of fresh thyme allows the potatoes to remain the star of the show.
Ingredient Notes
Which Potatoes For Roasting
When roasting potatoes, a good rule of thumb is to choose a waxy potato. They have enough starch to make the interior light and fluffy, holding their shape and developing a nice golden exterior.
In the US, a good choice is Yukon Gold or Russet. If you’re in the UK, King Edward works well. In Australia, Dutch Cream is good all-around potatoes.
What Oil Is Best
Oils with a mild flavor and a higher smoke point are best for roasting potatoes as they can be heated to the higher temperatures used in roasting. These oils include light olive oil, canola, and grapeseed oil.
Herbs & Seasoning
Seasoning: I like to keep it simple with salt and pepper. Kosher or sea salt are both great options. You can experiment with flavors like fresh garlic, garlic powder, sweet or smoked paprika, or onion powder.
Herbs: In our roasted potatoes, we use fresh thyme, but feel free to use other fresh herbs like rosemary or oregano instead for a different flavor.
How To Parboil Potatoes For Roasting
Most recipes will tell you to start with cold water. This is because boiling potatoes in hot water will cook the outside of the potato faster than the inside resulting in an uneven cook.
That logic is excellent for boiled potatoes, but for roasted potatoes, starting with potatoes that are cooked on the outside and undercooked inside is perfect for achieving a crispy exterior.
Once drained and dry, gently shake them in the strainer to rough up the cooked exterior. This will result in a perfectly crisp roast potato.
How to Make Crispy Roast Potatoes
- Add parboiled potatoes to a large bowl. Add oil, salt, and pepper. Gently stir to coat, transfer to a baking sheet in one layer, and add the fresh thyme.
- Roast in the hot oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil and serve.
Step By Step Instructions
Preparation
Start with peeling and cutting 2 lbs of potatoes. I cut mine into pieces a little smaller than a ping-pong ball. Just cut the potatoes into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
Soak the cut potatoes in salted ice water for 20 minutes before starting. The salt adds flavor, soaking removes excess starch that can cause them to stick to the pan and creates a crisper finish.
Boil enough water to cover the potatoes, salt the water, and pour it over them.
Parboil the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes until they are tender on the outside but firm on the inside.
To tell if the potatoes are parboiled enough, Take one potato from the boiling water and test it using a fork or a sharp knife tip. If it pierces the potato with little resistance, it’s done.
Be sure to use a fork, not a knife, as a knife is sharp and will always slide in easily.
Drain the potatoes in a strainer and leave them to dry out.
Once the potatoes are dry, gently shake the strainer to rough them up. Not so much that they break; you just want to create a textured surface. I promise you, doing this will make them crisp up beautifully.
Place the potatoes in a large bowl and add 4 tablespoons of oil, and season to taste. I add about 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Then gently toss them to coat them evenly with the oil and seasoning.
Transfer the potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet, spreading them in a single layer. Then sprinkle some fresh thyme over the potatoes.
Use non-stick foil to line the pan – this is a game changer because you never have to worry about the crispy goodness being left behind stuck to the pan!
Roasting & Serving
Roast in the hot oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
Season with salt, serve hot, and enjoy!
Storage & Freezing Instructions
To Make Ahead: To make these roasted potatoes ahead of time, you can parboil them, rough them up, and coat them with oil and seasoning as directed in the recipe. Then, instead of roasting them, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Then put them in the oven when you’re ready.
Storing Leftovers: Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Roasted potatoes can be easily frozen. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
To Reheat: Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F/200°C for 10-15 minutes or until heated through and crispy.
Erren’s Top Tips
- Cut the potatoes into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
- To safely add the potatoes to the boiling water, add the potatoes to the empty pot, boil the water in a kettle, and then pour over the potatoes. This keeps you from dropping them into the hot water and getting burned by the splash.
- Be sure to salt the water – Adding salt to the water when boiling or parboiling potatoes is essential as it enhances the potatoes’ flavor and helps keep their texture intact.
- Use an oil with a high smoke point to prevent the oil from burning and producing a bitter flavor. Good options for high smoke point oils include light olive oil (not extra virgin), canola, grapeseed, and vegetable oil.
- Use non-stick foil to line the pan – this is a game changer because you never have to worry about the crispy goodness being left behind stuck to the pan! Plus, it makes clean-up easier.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet to help prevent oil or drippings from spilling onto the bottom of the oven.
- Don’t overcrowd the potatoes on the pan. Overcrowding will cause heat from the pan to get trapped under the potatoes and cause them to steam instead of roast.
- Start with a hot oven – Preheat the oven before adding the potatoes. This will help to create a crispy exterior while keeping the interior soft and fluffy.
- For extra crispy potatoes, flip them in the pan halfway through the cooking time.
- For extra flavor and super crisp results, try using duck, or goose fat to roast your potatoes. You won’t be disappointed!
FAQs
Yes, to parboil the day before roasting, parboil, drain, rough the outside, and coat with oil the day before. Then cover them with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge until needed.
Covering them with cold water is the best way to keep them from turning brown. Don’t store them this way any longer than overnight, as they will start to lose their structure.
To make ahead and freeze roasted potatoes, parboil, drain, rough the outside, and transfer them to a baking sheet or dish in a single layer. Loosely cover them with plastic wrap and freeze them. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and return to the freezer.
Heat the olive oil in a large roasting pan for five minutes to roast from frozen in the oven. Carefully add the frozen potatoes to the hot oil and turn to coat. Cook for 45-50 minutes, turning in the oil halfway through until golden and crisp.
Did you make this?
Stay Updated
Receive new recipes & dinner ideas straight to your inbox!
Let’s Make Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Potatoes
- 4 Tablespoons light olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh Thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF.
- Peel the potatoes, cutting any larger ones, so they’re uniformly sized. I cut mine to be a little smaller than a ping-pong ball.
- Wash the potatoes in cold water to remove extra starch, then add them to a large pot. Boil enough water to cover the potatoes well (about 2 inches higher than the potatoes). Pour over the potatoes, salt the water, and parboil for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain in a strainer and leave dry.
- Once dry, gently shake the strainer to rough up.
- Add the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the oil, salt, and pepper, gently stir to coat, transfer to a baking sheet in one layer, and add the fresh thyme.
- Roast in the hot oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. For even browning, flip the potatoes in the pan halfway through the cooking time.
- Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil and serve.
Tips + Notes
- Soak the cut potatoes in salted ice water for 20 minutes before starting. The salt adds flavor, soaking removes excess starch that can cause them to stick to the pan and creates a crisper finish.
- To safely add the potatoes to the boiling water, add the potatoes to the empty pot, boil the water in a kettle, and then pour over the potatoes. This keeps you from dropping them into the hot water and getting burned by the splash.
- To tell if the potatoes are parboiled enough, insert a fork into a potato. They are done if the fork slides in reasonably quickly but meets some resistance in the center.
- Use an oil with a high smoke point to prevent the oil from burning and producing a bitter flavor. Good options for high smoke point oils include light olive oil (not extra virgin), canola, grapeseed, and vegetable oil.
- Don’t overcrowd the potatoes on the pan. Overcrowding will cause heat from the pan to get trapped under the potatoes and cause them to steam instead of roast.
Erica Marie says
Trying this recipe for the first time…your roasted potatoes…I find your video and your written recipe are not exactly the same. So you’re in one instance saying to boil the water…then salt it…then pour over potatoes….then boil them for 10 to 15 mins.
But this is not how your video shows you doing it.
Can you just simplify it…can I not just start to parboil my potatoes in cold water, drain, shake, rough up and then roast & when relatively dry? I read your recipe 4 times and watched video and it is not clear enough for me.
Thank You January 20, 2024
Erren Hart says
Hi Erica,
Parboiling the potatoes from cold water is great for mashed potatoes, but for roasted potatoes, starting with salted boiling water speeds up the cooking process because the potatoes start cooking right away (while also seasoning the potatoes with the salt), ensuring they cook evenly. This method is great for achieving the perfect texture in your roasted potatoes, giving you a crispy outside and a fluffy inside. If you don’t want to take the time to soak the potatoes, first, boiling water helps remove some surface starch, which means the potatoes are less likely to stick to the pan and they’ll get a nicer crisp. So, for beautifully roasted potatoes, beginning with boiling water is the way to go!
When adding the boiling water to the potatoes, be sure to do this carefully. Trying to dop them into boing water can cause splashes that can cause burns. I recommend boiling the water in a kettle and pouring it over the potatoes placed in the pot you’re using. I hope this helps!
CanadianChick says
These were great – made them tonight exactly as written. Loved the crunchy outside, soft inside! Next time I’ll add garlic and Parmesan for added flavor.
Erren's Kitchen says
We are so happy you loved them!! Garlic and parmesan would be such a great addition!! Let us know how they come out next time when you add those!
Sarah says
OMG, as good as the restaurant I stalk for their potatoes! these outdid the steak hubby cooked in his new sous vide
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much for your enthusiastic review! I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the roast potatoes and found them comparable to the restaurant’s version. It sounds like they paired perfectly with the steak your husband cooked!
Natelie says
Very good and very yummy. Hubs loved them and wanted them for almost every meal.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hearing this makes us so so happy! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! We are so glad your husband requests them so much.. definitely proof that he enjoys them! 😊
Kristi Jones says
Hi! Can I make these potatoes a day ahead up through parboiling them? Then cook in the oven the next day?
Erren's Kitchen says
Yes, you can definitely prepare the potatoes up to the parboiling stage a day ahead. This can be a convenient way to save time on the day you plan to serve them. After parboiling, drain, and leave them to dry.
Once dry, you can let them cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container and refrigerating them. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF.
Continue with the remaining steps of the recipe: tossing the parboiled potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper; transferring them to a baking sheet; adding fresh thyme, and roasting in the oven until crispy and golden brown. Make sure to let them come to room temperature before roasting in the oven to ensure even cooking. You may need to adjust the roasting time slightly since the potatoes will be starting from a cooler temperature than if you parboiled and roasted them on the same day. Keep an eye on them and adjust the cooking time as needed.
Let us know how they turn out!
Terry says
Hello,
When you pour the boiling water on to the potatoes that are in an empty pan, are we then trying to bring that water to a boil or simmer? Or are we just letting the potatoes sit in that boiled water for 15 minutes?
Erren's Kitchen says
Great question! After pouring the boiling water over the potatoes in the empty pan, you’ll want to bring the water back to a boil and then let the potatoes simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The goal is to parboil the potatoes, which means partially cooking them in boiling water. This step helps to soften the potatoes and begins the cooking process before they go into the oven for roasting. After the simmering time, drain the potatoes in a strainer and let them dry before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
I hope this clarifies the process for you. Enjoy making the roast potatoes! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
Stephen K says
The only thing that is not correct in this recipe is where you say waxy potatoes are best for frying. Starchy potatoes are the best. Waxy potatoes are the opposite and are better for mashing.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Stephen! we understand what you are saying howvever, you generally want to choose waxy or all-purpose potatoes for roasting. These varieties hold their shape well during the roasting process and have a creamy texture on the inside.