These crispy roasted potatoes are crunchy and golden on the outside with soft, fluffy centers, and a garlicky, herbaceous flavor. I use a few extra tricks, including baking soda, potato starch, and a hot pan of fat, to create as much texture on the outside as possible. The end result is a delicious side dish that’s perfect for pairing with everything from butter-basted steak to prime rib.
Out of all the ways to cook potatoes, including creamy Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, French fries, potato gratin, and oven-baked potatoes, roast potatoes have to be my favorite. They take a little planning, but trust me, it’s worth it. The key to the best results is building the crust before the potatoes even go into the oven. Keep reading to learn all my tips and tricks!
Ingredients and Notes
See the recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and instructions.
- Russet Potatoes – Many recipes call for Yukon Gold potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or even red potatoes. However, I prefer russets because their high starch content creates fluffy, soft centers and helps develop those rough, crispy exteriors. I cut them into roughly two-inch chunks but intentionally keep them a little uneven. More edges means more opportunities for crispy bits.
- Water – Start the potatoes in cold water so the centers and exteriors cook at a more even rate.
- Baking Soda – This is one of my favorite tricks for crispy potatoes. Making the cooking water slightly alkaline helps break down the potatoes’ exteriors, creating a rougher surface that gets extra crispy in the oven.
- Kosher Salt – Salt the cooking water generously to season the potatoes as they cook.
- Garlic – I add crushed garlic at the end rather than roasting it with the potatoes for the entire hour, when it would be more likely to burn.
- Fresh Thyme – Tossed with the potatoes at the end, this adds a touch of brightness. Fresh parsley, rosemary, or dill taste great, too.
- Neutral Oil – The high oven temperature calls for an oil that can handle the heat, such as avocado oil or canola oil. You’ll use some in the baking pan and the rest to coat the potatoes.
- Beef Tallow or Duck Fat – Either one gives the potatoes a rich, savory finish while helping the exteriors get beautifully crisp. For vegetarian roasted potatoes, simply replace the animal fat with additional neutral oil, such as vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Potato Starch – Dusting the cooked potatoes with potato starch before roasting helps create an even crispier exterior.
How to Make Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Nick’s Tips for Success
- Start with cold water. Adding the potatoes to cold water and bringing everything up to temperature together helps the potatoes cook more evenly without the exteriors becoming mushy before the centers are tender.
- Let the potatoes dry. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness. I prefer refrigerating the boiled potatoes uncovered overnight, which gives their surfaces plenty of time to dry before roasting.
- Preheat the fat. Don’t put your potatoes into a cold pan of oil. Heating the fat and baking pan in the oven means the potatoes immediately start sizzling in the hot oil and forming a crust when they hit the pan.
- Don’t touch the potatoes for the first 25 minutes. I know it’s tempting to keep checking and turning them, but leave them alone. Giving the potatoes uninterrupted contact with the hot pan and fat is how you develop the best crust.
Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe
These crispy roasted potatoes are golden and crisp on the outside and light and fluffy in the center! My favorite way to cook potatoes, they’re an impressive side dish guaranteed to impress your guests. The recipe takes a little planning ahead, but the incredibly crunchy, golden crust makes it well worth the wait!
Equipment
- 1 Large Saucepan
- 1 Colander
- 1 Wire Rack
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Deep Baking Tray
- 1 Spatula or Tongs
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potato (~3 pound / 1.36 kilogram)
- 2 quart (1.9 liter) cold water
- 3 tablespoon (30 gram) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 gram) baking soda
- ⅓ cup (80 millileter) neutral oil, divided
- ⅓ cup (80 milliliter) beef tallow or duck fat
- 2 tablespoon (20 gram) potato starch
- 2 clove (~6 gram) garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoon (~2 gram) fresh thyme, chopped
- flaky salt, for serving
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into rough two-inch chunks. It’s fine for them to be slightly uneven, as this creates different textures as they cook.4 large russet potato (~3 pound / 1.36 kilogram)
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with the cold water, kosher salt, and baking soda. Starting with cold water helps the potatoes cook evenly without the outsides turning to mush before the centers are cooked.2 quart cold water, 3 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the water to a gentle simmer.
- Cook for about ten minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender but not falling apart. Take them as far as you can without letting them break apart, as this is key to achieving fluffy, crispy roast potatoes.
- Drain the potatoes carefully, then arrange them on a wire rack. Transfer to the refrigerator, ideally overnight, to allow them to steam-dry.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Add two-thirds of the neutral oil and the beef tallow or duck fat to a deep baking tray and place it in the oven to heat. For a vegetarian option, replace the animal fat with additional neutral oil.⅓ cup neutral oil, ⅓ cup beef tallow or duck fat
- Meanwhile, transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and dust them with the potato starch. Drizzle with the remaining neutral oil and toss carefully until evenly coated.2 tablespoon potato starch
- Carefully remove the hot baking tray from the oven and add the potatoes to the hot fat.
- Return the tray to the oven and roast the potatoes, without turning, for 25 minutes to allow the crust to set.
- Remove the tray from the oven and turn the potatoes over. Return them to the oven and roast for another 25 minutes.
- Remove the tray and carefully drain off any excess fat.
- Return the potatoes to the oven for a final ten minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.
- Toss the potatoes with the thyme, crushed garlic, and a pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.2 clove garlic, 2 teaspoon fresh thyme, flaky salt
Video
Notes
*Adjust the ingredient amounts in the recipe instructions accordingly if doubling or tripling the recipe.
Storage:
– Store: Allow leftover roast potatoes to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three to four days.
– Freeze: Let the roasted potatoes cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to two months. Reheat directly from frozen in a 425°F (220°C) oven or air fryer until hot and crispy. There’s no need to thaw them first.
– Store: Allow leftover roast potatoes to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three to four days.
– Freeze: Let the roasted potatoes cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to two months. Reheat directly from frozen in a 425°F (220°C) oven or air fryer until hot and crispy. There’s no need to thaw them first.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 416kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.05g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 3502mg, Potassium: 1061mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 34IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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These are officially my favorite potatoes!