Roasted potatoes are an easy and incredibly delicious side dish perfect for classic roasts like leg of lamb, whole roasted turkey or a juicy ribeye steak, and a must-have over holidays when cooking for friends and family.
There are a few secrets to cooking the best roast potatoes you've ever tasted and lucky for us, I've cooked these in some of the most iconic London eateries and hotels where they are considered a holy food. They truly are that good!
What makes these roasted potatoes truly unforgettable is their texture and flavor. They are glass-shatteringly crispy on the outside with a soft, fluffy and rich center. Everything one could wish for in the perfect roast potatoes.
We'll look at which potatoes to use, the best fat to use, as well as a few delicious upgrades to make them stand out from all the other roast potato recipes out there.
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Which potatoes to use
Starchy/floury potatoes make the best roast potatoes. They will be crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. Waxy varieties won't crisp up and will result in over-browned, leathery textured roasties.
Works perfect (Starchy)
Works good (All-rounders)
- Gala
- Lady Rosetta
- Agria
Won't work (Waxy)
- Desiree
- New potatoes (young, small potatoes of any variety, most often waxy)
Ingredients
To make roast potatoes you only need potatoes, fat and salt. I like to upgrade mine and that extra level of flavor.
- Potatoes - I got my hands on some nice Lady Rosetta potatoes to show you how great these turn out even when using an all-rounder.
- Fat - I use a mix of goose fat and olive oil, but you can use either, or opt for beef tallow or a neutral oil like canola. I prefer to use seed oils sparingly but use whichever oil you are comfortable with.
- Herbs (optional) - I like using hard herbs like rosemary or thyme for flavor and then adding parsley or very finely chopped sage last-minute before serving.
- Garlic (optional) - It's optional but, in my opinion, essential, especially when it's roasted in the skin until sweet and soft.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Before you do anything, turn your oven to 200 °C or 392 °F. We need a hot, preheated oven for the best results.
- Step 1: Peel, and cut your potatoes into large chunks. In half for smaller potatoes and quarters for larger potatoes. Rinse them under cold running water to get rid of the excess starch.
- Step 2: Heat your fat of choice on a large, deep baking tray for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Step 3: Simmer them in salted water, with a few optional bay leaves added. They are done when almost soft throughout when tested with a skewer or knife.
- Step 4: After about 10-15 minutes, they'll be semi-cooked. Let them steam dry for a few minutes, then rough them up by shaking the pot lid on. You will lose some potatoes in this process as they break up a bit. It's normal, don't worry.
- Step 5: Once roughed up with a fluffy layer of potato on the outside, they will be very gentle, so treat them carefully. Get them into the hot fat, spread them out well and spoon over the fat, so they are all evenly covered.
- Step 6: Roast for 30 minutes, turning them carefully a few times for even cooking. Add the garlic and hard herbs if using them. Roast for another 15 minutes until completely golden brown and crispy all over.
- Last step: Dry them on a paper towel, then add the optional chopped parsley and baked garlic if you want. Season with a touch of flaky salt and black pepper before serving straight away.
Top Tips
The three most important steps for making the best and crispiest roasted potatoes:
- Choose the right potato. Starchy is perfect. All-rounders will do a good job. Waxy won't work.
- Cook them until almost soft, then rough them up to make that fluffy starchy coating pictured above. This floury layer will soak up some fat, which will result in these perfectly golden and crispy spuds.
- Do not overcrowd them in the pan and don't spare on the fat or oil. They are shallow frying in the oven, essentially, and need enough space and fat to turn out this great.
Watch how to make it
Substitutions and variations
- Vegan - Use non-animal fat like olive oil, cold-pressed rapeseed oil (gives a beautiful golden color), or sunflower oil. Olive oil is the healthiest and won't degrade at the temperature we cook them at.
- Other animal fats - Goose fat or duck fat is classic, but you can also use beef tallow, chicken fat or ghee (clarified butter).
- Sweet potatoes - Sweet potatoes do not crisp up like starchy potatoes, and they will burn if roasted at these temperatures. To make a similar dish with sweet potato, don't pre-boil them, drop the temperature to 160 °C or 320 °F, and cook them for about 2-3 hours.
- Spiciness - Once cooked, sprinkle some smoked paprika onto them to add a smoky note. Great if having these with roasted pork.
Serving suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with roasted potatoes. They are also delicious dipped in lemon mayonnaise or blue cheese dressing.
FAQ
Yes! Boil the potatoes, spread them out on a tray, and store them in the fridge uncovered overnight. Roast them when needed.
It's best to eat them straight away. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, then reheated, but they won't be as good flavor and texture-wise.
No. The potato texture will not be pleasant, and they won't crisp back up.
Yes, but they won't be as crispy and delicious because of the lack of surface area available to crisp up.
More potato recipes
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Recipe
Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes With Garlic And Herbs
Ingredients
Boiling
- 2 kg (4 ⅖ lb) potatoes - note 1
- 2 liters (2 liters) water
- 4 (4) bay leaves - optional
- 15 grams (2 ½ teaspoon) salt - kosher salt
Roasting
- 350 grams (1 5/7 cups) goose fat - or duck fat/ olive oil/ beef tallow/ ghee (note 2)
- 1 whole bulb (1 whole bulb) garlic
- 4 sprigs (4 sprigs) rosemary
Serving
- 6 grams (1 ½ tablespoon) parsley - optional
- 6 grams (1 tablespoon) spring onion - optional
- flaky sea salt
- black pepper
Instructions
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 200 °C or 392 °F
Cutting and boiling
- Peel and cut potatoes into ½ if using smaller potatoes and quarters if using larger potatoes.
- Rinse off excess starch under running water. Place into a pot with water, salt and optionally, bay leaf.
- Simmer for 10 -15 minutes until the center is just about cooked.
- While the potatoes are boiling, heat up the fat or oil in the oven on a deep, large baking sheet.
- Drain off the water and let the potatoes steam dry for 10 minutes in the pot or, even better, on a tray spread out. The potatoes will be very fragile, and you will lose some potatoes due to breakage, but that's ok. It's normal and necessary.
Roasting
- Add the potatoes to the hot oil and spread them out on the tray, making sure they are not touching. Spoon some hot fat all over them to make sure they are evenly coated.
- Roast them for 30 minutes, turning them carefully a few times throughout this time to make sure they brown and crisp up evenly. Add the rosemary and garlic if using it and roast for another 20 minutes or until fully golden brown and crispy all around.
- Drain on a paper towel to soak up any excess fat.
Serving
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Optionally toss with chopped parsley, spring onion, and squeezed out roasted garlic as a final touch before serving.
Video
Notes
- Whatever you buy or wherever you live, you need to use a starchy or floury potato instead of waxy potatoes. Waxy potatoes will burn quickly and not crisp up. Here is a short list from around the world. (UK) - Maris Piper, King Edward. (US) - Yukon Gold, Russet(Idaho). (AUS) - Dutch Cream, Coliban. (EUR) - Gala, Maris Piper.
- You can use any of the types of fat or oil mentioned. DO NOT USE BUTTER. Butter will burn, which is why you should use ghee (clarified butter) instead if looking for a buttery flavor.
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