A standby Crispy Roasted Potatoes

At a glance

What stands out: Learn how to make crispy roasted potatoes. It’s SO straightforward and they’re irresistibly rich. Roasted potatoes go well with almost everything and are a straightforward side to make.

How long it takes: 35 minutes in the oven, plus an hour for soaking
Equipment you’ll need: sheet pan, bowl, clean towel
Servings: 5

This Is How You Get Crispy Potatoes

We might venture to say that oven roasted potatoes are better than fries (!) especially with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh chives, or a drizzle of lighter ranch dressing. We also love them with tzatziki or Chick-fil-A sauce! We could eat an entire sheet pan of these in one sitting. You’ll get what we're talking about when you try these potatoes.

What makes ours special:

• Simple ingredients: Aside from the potatoes, you likely have everything on hand: olive oil and salt and pepper (keep reading for more seasoning ideas!).
• Unique process to achieve crisp exterior: We'll show you three special (but straightforward) steps to ensure ultimate crispiness.
• No boiling needed: When you google crispy roasted potatoes, many require boiling the potatoes first, and who wants to do that? Not us, and probably not you, either.

Potato IQ

Did you know that potatoes are good for you? While they are high in carbs (mostly starch), they also contain important vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium. The skin has additional benefits, including fiber and polyphenols (an antioxidant). Red potatoes are one of the healthiest choices (Healthline).

How To Serve Roasted Potatoes

Breakfast: Consider making oven roasted potatoes for breakfast instead of hash browns or American fries. They are a healthier choice and you don’t have stand over the stove. Add a sheet pan of baked bacon to the oven and all you’ll have to do is scramble the eggs.

Salads: Add crispy roasted potatoes to fresh green lettuce or spinach, toss on a few radish slices, thinly sliced red onion, and tomatoes, and top with from-scratch red wine vinaigrette or honey mustard dressing. Make your own salad Niçoise with crispy roasted potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives, blanched green beans, and tomatoes. Add a drizzle of olive oil or a vinaigrette.

Side dish: Serve roasted potatoes with baked salmon or parmesan baked cod. They go great with grilled steak or chicken, too. We often make them as a side with sautéed pork tenderloin with apples and onions.

Meal bowls: Instead of a grain, consider using roasted potatoes for the base of your meal bowl. We often add a couple of over straightforward fried eggs!

Jim C. Said:

“Our go-to recipe for potatoes. Thank you!”

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What goes in

• Yukon Gold Potatoes: You’ll need about a pound and a half of tender-skinned potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes work well, as do red potatoes, or those cool purple potatoes. Try a colorful mixture! You can also use russet potatoes but you’ll want to peel those.
• Olive Oil: Most oils are fine but we prefer olive oil because it adds flavor. If you choose a different oil, be sure to choose an oil with a fairly high smoke point.
• Kosher Salt & Coarsely Ground Black Pepper: Coarse salt is great for roasting because it gives nice little pops of flavor. If you use fine salt, use a little less.

How it comes together

SOAK your potato chunks in cold water. This removes some of the starch and helps get them duper crispy. Soak them at least one hour.

Preheat the oven with your pan in the oven. Then the pan will be nice and hot when you add the potatoes and the crisping action starts immediately.

DRY the potatoes after draining them. And then dry them a little more. Water = Steam = Soggy = BAD BAD BAD. We use a lint-free cotton kitchen towel. Paper towels are fine, too. Toss the potatoes with oil and seasonings once they’re dry.

DO NOT OVERCROWD your pan. Just don’t do it. If you do, they’ll steam instead of getting crispy. How many times have we said “crispy?” Crispy. Crispy. Crispy.

Sheet Pan Basics

A sheet pan is a kitchen work horse. We use ours nearly every day. Look for a shallow rimmed pan, 18 x 13 inches. Aluminum pans are popular because they heat up quickly. Some come with nonstick surfaces.

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Possible Recipe Variations

• Slice the potatoes into wedges (like thick cut fries) or quarter them for a different look. If you have an air fryer, be sure to try our air fryer potato wedges recipe.
• Make a bigger batch. That’s just fine but remember: You don’t want to overcrowd the potatoes in the pan. It’s better to use two pans. Rotate the pans if necessary so that the potatoes bake evenly.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Get a head start. Prep the potatoes up to a day ahead. Scrub the potatoes, cut them into cubes, and submerge the cut potatoes in cold water. Refrigerate them overnight in the water.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Roasted potatoes are the crispiest when served right away. If you have leftovers, put them into a tightly covered container after they’ve had a chance to cool down to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Freeze: Cooked potatoes can be frozen for up to six months. There’s no need to thaw them before reheating.

Reheat: Reheat the potatoes in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer for best results (we love air fryer potatoes, too!). Single portions can be heated in the microwave but they tend to become soggy and just aren’t as tasty.

• Yield: 5
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 35 minutes
• Total: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes (about 5 cups diced)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (other types of oil work well, too)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper (or to taste)

Method

1. Scrub the potatoes (no need to peel them) and dice the potatoes into ½ -inch pieces, as evenly as possible. You should have about 5 cups of cubed potatoes.
2. Rinse the potatoes under cold water. Soak them in a bowl of cold water for at least 1 hour (or overnight). Change water if it looks cloudy.
3. Place a rimmed sheet pan (18 x 13 inches) inside the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
4. When oven is preheated, drain potatoes and rinse with more cold water. Put them on a clean lint-free towel and dry thoroughly. Dry the bowl and return the potatoes to the bowl.
5. Add oil, salt, and pepper. Toss the potatoes in the oil mixture until they're well-coated. (Don’t do this step until the oven is preheated.)
6. Carefully remove the hot pan from oven and add the potatoes. Spread them in an even layer and return the pan to the oven.
7. Roast the potatoes for 25 minutes. Stir and return the pan to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and fork tender.

Notes

Potato choices: Any type of potato will work but we prefer tender-skinned potatoes that don’t necessarily have to be peeled. Red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes are our favorites. Russet potatoes can be roasted but they have thicker skins so you may want to peel those.

With onions: Add 1 cup onion, cut into 1 inch chunks, to roasting pan if desired. Don’t cut the onions too small or they’ll scorch.

Add seasoning: Try garlic powder or onion powder, paprika, dried rosemary or thyme, or even chili powder. Try our all-purpose seasoning or seasoned salt (omit salt and pepper). The potatoes can be seasoned any way you like!

Convection bake: Convection ovens use forced air to cook foods (similar to an air fryer). Newer stove models are calibrated to take the guesswork out so you should be able to set the oven at the same temperature (425°F). If you have an older model, set the temperature 25°F less. Check the potatoes frequently to make sure they aren’t getting too done.

Storage & reheating: Leftover roasted potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for six months. They do not need to be thawed before reheating. Reheat potatoes in oven, toaster oven, or air fryer for best results. Microwaving will result in soggy potatoes.