The crispiest, easiest roasted potatoes

British style roasted potatoes are the best potatoes: fluffy and soft on the inside with ultra crispy almost chip-like outsides. So much better than regular roasted potatoes.

I am potato obsessed. Potatoes are and always will be my all time favorite vegetable. I love potatoes all the ways and a potato buffet would be my dream come true! It’s hard for me to choose a favorite potato dish but I will admit that I have a huge soft spot for roasted potatoes, or what I like to call them: British style roasties.

How to make roasted potatoes

1. Parboil the potatoes. Parboil peeled potatoes in salted water until just cooked but not soft.
2. Fluff up the potatoes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and give them a shake to rough and fluff up their edges. The fluffy edges will get extra crispy in the oven.
   
3. Coat potatoes in oil. Coat the potatoes in oil, more on that below.
   
4. Roast. Roast, flipping as needed, until crispy and crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Remove from the oven, toss in the scallions in and season with flaky sea salt.
   

So crispy, so potato-ey

Ultra crunchy and crisp outsides, a fluffy and mashed potato inside, and an addictive amount of scallions finished with a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Best potatoes for roasting

First off, for the best roasted potatoes you have to use the best roasting potatoes. The best potatoes for roasting are a combination of waxy and starchy. The waxiness holds its shape so it can develop crusty, caramelized outsides and the starchiness is the creamy, buttery, silky, fluffy inside. The perfect combination of waxy and starchy is the beautifully yellow, sweet and buttery Canadian Yukon gold potato! They are my all-time number one potato choice. But, if you can’t find Yukon golds, you can use russets, which are just a touch more starchy – they tend to not hold their shape as much.

Double Cooked Method

After potato choice, the key to these potatoes is the fact that they’re doubled-cooked. So many roasted potato recipes have you put raw potatoes in the oven, which is easy, but doing that won’t give you a potato with two distinctive textures. If you parboil your potatoes first, they get a head start so the oven doesn’t have to penetrate into the middles. Parboiling makes sure the insides are cooked and creamy. Since the potatoes go in the oven hot, the oven heat can concentrate on crisping up the outsides. Plus, when you parboil in salted water, you’re seasoning the insides of the potatoes.

Three levels of crispiness

You can achieve three different levels of crispiness depending on how you want to make your potatoes. From crunchiest to crunchy:

1. Crispiest: Place the oil in a deep roasting pan and place it in a hot oven for 10 minutes until shimmery. Carefully remove the roasting pan, place on a heat proof surface and use a pair of tongs to place the potatoes in the hot oil, turning to coat, then roast the potatoes in the oven.
2. Crispier: In a small pan, heat up the oil over medium heat. When hot and shimmer, very carefully pour it into it to a deep roasting pan. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the potatoes over to the hot oil and toss to coat then roast in the oven.
3. Crispy: Place the potatoes in a roasting pan, drizzle on the oil and then use a pair of tongs to coat each potato then roast in the oven.

The secret to ultra crispy roasted potatoes

My favorite way of getting super crispy potatoes without the scariness of pulling a hot pan of oil out of the oven is a combination of numbers 2 and 3. I like to get my biggest cast iron, and heat it up with the oil over medium high on the stove. When it’s hot and shimmery, I carefully use a pair of tongs to add the fluffed up potatoes in, tossing, while the pan is still on the heat. Once everything is evenly coated in oilm I pop the whole thing into the preheated oven where everything gets super crispy and crunchy. The key to crispy potatoes is the hot oil and the hot pan in combination, so this is my number one choice for both, as well as safety.

What is the best fat for roast potatoes?

• A neutral oil that has a high smoke point is best, something like: sunflower oil, safflower oil, grapeseed, or canola oil.
• If you want to increase your roast potato game and go for something ultra luxe, try duck fat. Duck fat is super rich and full of flavor.
• Why not butter? Butter has a low smoke point and will burn and smoke in a 425°F oven.

Roasted potato tips

• Start potatoes in cold water: Starting the potatoes in cold water makes sure that the potatoes are par cooked through evenly.
• Season twice: Salt the water when you’re cooking the potatoes (just like pasta) so the potatoes are seasoned. After they’re done getting roasted and crisp in the oven, finish them with flaky sea salt while still hot.
• Don’t crowd the pan: Give the potatoes some space. These potatoes need a bit of social distancing so they can get their crispy on.
• Use enough oil: If you want crispy potatoes, don’t skimp on the oil. I used 1/4 cup but if your roasting pan is really big you might need more.
• Make sure to flip: After the first 15 minutes of roasting, it’s time to flip so the sides that haven’t had any contact with the pan get a chance to crisp.

Air fryer roasted potatoes

As much as I love the air fryer, I say no. Technically you can, but the ultra crispiness of these potatoes comes from the fact that they have full, flush contact against a hot pan. The nature of air fryers is air circulation so their inserts are baskets with holes in them. That being said, you can air fry these, they just won’t be quite the same!

How to store

Roasted potatoes will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to one week.

To reheat

To heat up, place potatoes in an oven safe dish at 350°F for 10 minutes or until warmed through.

What to serve with roasted potatoes

• ham because potatoes and pork are best friends
• stuffing because who doesn’t love carbs on carbs
• salad for health

Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Fluffy and soft on the inside with ultra crispy almost chip-like outsides.

Serves 6

5 from 4 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 4-6 potatoes Yukon Gold or similar preferred
• 1/4 neutral oil high heat such as grapeseed or safflower oil
• 1 bunch green onions sliced
• flaky sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel the potatoes and cut into even 2-inch pieces. Rinse the potatoes and place in a large pot just covered with cold water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. When at a boil, turn down the heat to a gentle boil and cook for 7-8 minutes until the potatoes are par cooked. Drain in a colander and shake to roughen up the edges. The potatoes will look fluffy.
  
• Put the potatoes on a deep baking sheet or oven safe roasting dish and use a pair of tongs to coat each potato with oil.
  
• Roast the potatoes for 30-35 minutes, flipping once or twice during the last 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
  
• Remove the pan from the oven and add the scallions. Toss briefly so the heat of the pan wilts them a little. Scoop everything out and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Enjoy hot!
  

Notes

Pro tip: If you want REALLY crunchy roast potatoes, heat the oil up before roasting your potatoes, as in the above post.

Estimated Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 168 Calories from Fat 83

% Daily Value*

Fat 9.2g14%

Saturated Fat 1.2g8%

Cholesterol 0.01mg0%

Sodium 325mg14%

Potassium 483mg14%

Carbohydrates 20.6g7%

Fiber 1.8g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 2.3g5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.