Name: Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pound potatoes, Note 1, about 3-4 potatoes (I prefer Yukon Gold/yellow potatoes ); 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (optional) Note 2; 2 tablespoon unsalted butter ((if using salted butter, cut down on salt)); 2 tablespoon olive oil; cooking oil spray; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 2 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary or more (optional) (or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary or thyme)

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Crispy oven roasted potatoes are soft and creamy inside, crispy and golden outside. The two step cooking method takes a bit longer, but it’s worth it. They’re that good!

These oven roasted potatoes are truly exceptional.

How are these potatoes different?

It’s all in the cooking method.

Boil and rough up the potatoes first
Add butter and oil
Then roast the potatoes in a very hot oven.

The end result is a roasted potato that’s creamy on the inside with a crispy exterior. Almost like a fried potato.

I can assure you, there will be no leftovers. I think it’s my favorite potato recipe 🙂

Ingredients – tailored to your taste

potatoes butter oil rosemary salt pepper — Yukon gold potatoes, butter, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Potatoes: I prefer Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe. They have thin skins, creamy insides and they brown and crisp up beautifully. Fingerling, red potatoes or baby potatoes will also work. Russet potatoes are OK too (more fluffy than creamy and they don’t get quite as crispy).

Butter and oil: You can use any combination of oil and butter you like. Butter does add great extra flavor if you’re wondering. I use half butter and half oil.

Herbs: Use fresh rosemary or thyme if you have it. If not, use dried.

Here are a few variations and substitutes to try.

Instead of butter and olive oil, try duck fat, goose fat, or beef fat – depending on what you’re serving.
Try sprinkling the potatoes lightly with garlic powder and/or rosemary before roasting if you like.
Serve the potatoes with a dip or sauce on the side. Traditionalists will stick to ketchup (which is just fine), but you can also try roasted red pepper sauce or 5 minute herb sauce or a gremolata.

Step by step instructions

potatoes on cutting board cut into chunks — Cut potatoes into even chunks, about 1 1/2-2 inches.

boiled potatoes draining in sieve — Boil potatoes in salted water until tender but not too soft. Drain,

butter, oil, seasonings added to boiled potatoes in pot — Place drained potatoes back in pot and shake over heat on stove to dry out. Add butter, oil and seasonings.

seasoned boiled potatoes in single layer on pan — Spread potatoes on pan lined with foil or parchment paper in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd.

roasted potatoes on pan — Roast in preheated oven 20 minutes, flip potatoes, then roast another 10-20 minutes longer until brown with crispy edges.

Sprinkle with fresh herbs if you like and serve immediately.

Important Tips

To peel or not to peel

If I use Yukon gold potatoes, yellow potatoes or red potatoes, I don’t bother peeling them. The skins are thin and there is extra nutrition in the skins. I do, however, discard any skins that get separated from the potato chunks after boiling. These will just get burned. If you are using Russet potatoes (more fluffy than creamy), peel the potatoes first.

Size of potato chunks

Cutting your potatoes into bigger chunks (2-3″) will give you more of the creamier insides. Smaller chunks like 1-inch cubes give you more of the crispy surfaces. I find 1 1/2 – 2 inches (3.8-5 cm) perfect. Whatever you choose, try to cut the potatoes more or less the same size for even cooking.

Add a pinch of baking soda

Serious Eats chef Kenji Lopez-Alt adds a pinch of baking soda to the water (in this case a 1/2 tsp) when boiling the potatoes. Apparently it creates a rougher surface to the potato to increase browning. I always forget and my potatoes come out brown and crisp anyways as you can see in the pictures. It might be worth a try though.

Dry out your boiled potatoes

After draining the boiled potatoes, put them back in the pot to dry them out. Heat the stove to medium and give the pot a few good shakes for 30 seconds. This also roughs up the surface of the potatoes for better browning.

Line the pan

Line the pan with foil and spray well with oil. This will ensure no sticking and easy clean up. Parchment won’t work as well.

Single layer of potatoes only

Make sure your potatoes are in a single layer in the pan when roasting. Don’t overcrowd the pan or they will steam, not brown. Use two pans if needed.

Use some butter if you can

If you can manage to use at least part butter in the roasting stage, the extra flavor is amazing. If you can’t, don’t worry. Oil is great too.

How many potatoes you need per person

Figure 1/3 to 1/2 lb (151-227 g) of potatoes per person. I use at least 1/2 lb (227g) per person, especially with these potatoes – about 1 medium potato.

What to serve with roasted potatoes

Crispy oven roasted potatoes are great no matter what you serve them with. Even on their own as the main event or a breakfast potatoes. But I do love them as a delicious side dish with Marinated Flank Steak , Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings, Juicy Grilled Pork Chops, Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy and Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken.

Make Ahead

Complete the dish, roasting them for slightly less time. The potatoes can sit on the counter until you’re ready. Reheat them at 450F/232C for the final 7-10 minutes to crisp them up again.

Alternatively, make the recipe up to the point of putting them into the oven to roast. I do this all the time. About 45-50 minutes before serving, roast the potatoes.

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