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Who doesn’t love a good crispy roast potato? I’m sharing my top tips so you can make the best crispy roast potatoes every time. So whether you’re cooking up a Sunday roast or preparing for Christmas dinner, follow this recipe and enjoy some of the most delicious roast potatoes ever! Let’s get started.
Page Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
Making perfect roast potatoes doesn’t require much—just a few simple ingredients.
- Maris Piper Potatoes – the best potatoes for the crispiest crunch.
- Olive Oil – is an anti-inflammatory oil with a beautiful fragrance.
- Fresh Rosemary – adds a lovely flavor and freshness to the dish.
- Salt & Black Pepper
What Variety Of Potato Make The Best Roasties?
When you’re planning your roast dinner, choosing the best varieties of potato is important for that oh-so-perfect crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside combo. And for that, you need a floury potato. Floury potatoes have a higher starch content, which means they break down more easily when they cook. This gives them a light, fluffy texture that is perfect for roast potatoes.
Maris Pipers are my personal favorite, but King Edward, Desiree potatoes, and Russet potatoes are also good options. Waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold potatoes should be avoided, as they will not produce the same crispy, crunchy results.
TIP: The Best Roasting Potatoes
- Maris Piper
- King Edward
- Desiree
- Russet
How To Make The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes ~ Step-By-Step
- Prep
Gather your equipment and get your ingredients ready. Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC/gas 6.
- Boil
Put the chopped potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. The water should be clear. If it’s cloudy, rinse the potatoes once more to remove any excess starch. Put the saucepan on high heat, add 1 teaspoon of the sea salt, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to medium and parboil for 8-10 minutes. The time will depend on the size of the potatoes. Keep a close eye on them from the 8-minute mark. You want the edges to have started to flake and a knife to insert without much resistance.
- Steam Dry
Once the potatoes are ready, drain them in a colander.
- Fluff
Give the potatoes a good shake in the colander to fluff them up, then leave them to one side for 10 minutes or so until the steam and moisture evaporate.
- Heat Oil
Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a roasting tray, and place it into the preheated oven for 5 minutes to heat up the oil.
- Roast
The oil will be hot, so carefully tip the potatoes onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Using a metal spoon or heat-proof pastry brush, drench the potatoes with the hot fat. Season well with black pepper and the remaining salt, and place the potatoes in the hot oven for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.
- Add Flavor
Pull the potatoes out of the oven and add the rosemary. I use half and half chopped leaves and whole sprigs. But you can use either or. Give everything a good toss, and pop the potatoes back into the oven for another 20 minutes.
Tip: The rosemary needs to be tossed in the oil so that the leaves crisp without burning.
- Serve & Enjoy!
Once the potatoes have reached crispy perfection, remove any rosemary sprigs (if necessary). Then, pour the potatoes out into a serving dish, and enjoy!
Full recipe and ingredients list in the recipe card below.
Why These Are The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
- Crispy – These potatoes have a perfectly crisp exterior with just the right amount of crunch.
- Fluffy – They have super fluffy, almost creamy centers.
- Delicious – They’re delicious, and a roast dinner wouldn’t be the same without them!
- Vegan – Unlike most roast potatoes cooked with duck fat, goose fat, or beef dripping, these potatoes are made with heart-healthy olive oil
- Gluten-Free – There’s no need to add flour to these potatoes for a crispy crunch. Maris piper potatoes can achieve that all on their own.
- Feed A Crowd – This side dish serves 6 people!
Recipe Variations & Additions
- Rosemary – while rosemary is my favorite herb to add to roasting potatoes, thyme is a delicious alternative.
- Sweet Potatoes – are an excellent replacement for white potatoes. And they require less boiling and roasting time.
- Garlic – works well in this recipe. Either add a few whole garlic cloves, skin on and smashed, into the cooking oil when roasting. Or, you can sprinkle over a teaspoon of garlic powder at the same time as you add the rosemary. Toss well, so the garlic powder gets evenly distributed.
- Chili Infused Oil – if you like it hot, you could use half olive oil and half olive oil infused with chili. A bold, spicy twist.
- Parmesan – if you like it cheesy, a generous parmesan grating 10 minutes from the end of roasting is lovely.
Tips For Making The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
1Start With The Right Potato
For best results, use starchy floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edwards. Avoid waxy varieties such as Yukon gold, as they won’t get as crispy.
2Cut The Potatoes Into Even Pieces
This will help them to cook evenly.
3Parboil The Potatoes Before Roasting
Parboiling is an essential step if you want the best crispy roast potatoes in town. Always start with cold water, so the potatoes cook evenly. Boiling water will get you a super-flakey exterior with a hard center. You don’t want this. Boil until the surface begins to flake, and a knife can be inserted into the potato without too much resistance.
4Rough Up The Edges
Don’t be afraid to shake the colander around and fluff up the edges. It’s needed for the ultimate crispy potatoes. If one or two breaks, who cares! More crispy bits to enjoy.
5Don’t Skip Steam Drying
Letting the potatoes sit in the colander to let the water evaporate is a crucial step in making the best crispy roast potatoes. It removes excess moisture and allows the potatoes to crisp up in the oven.
6Coat The Potatoes With The Hot Oil
Ensure the oil is nice and hot before adding the potatoes, so they start crisping up immediately after making contact with the pan. Then, using a spoon, drench the hot olive oil over all sides of the potatoes so that every surface can crisp up as the potatoes roast.
7Don’t Overcrowd The Roasting Tin
Putting too many potatoes into one roasting tin will cause them to steam rather than roast. So give them lots of room, and use two roasting tins if you need to.
8Season Well!
Insanely flavourful roast potatoes require double salting. First, parboil in salted water. Remember, a lot of this salt will be drained away. Then, a further sprinkling of salt is needed just before putting them into the oven. If you are trying to avoid salt, use can use more herbs and spices.
More Potato Recipes
If you like the look of these Crispy Roast Potatoes, check out more of my potato recipes.
How To Make The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes ~ Full Recipe
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The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Who doesn’t love a good crispy roast potato? I’m sharing my top tips so you can make the best crispy roast potatoes every time. So whether you’re cooking up a Sunday roast or preparing for Christmas dinner, follow this recipe and enjoy some of the most delicious roast potatoes ever! Let’s get started.
Ingredients
3.3 lbs (1.5kg) Maris Piper potatoes, peeled, quartered, and rinsed.
2 tsp sea salt, divided, divided
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 sprigs fresh rosemary – I use half and half chopped leaves and whole sprigs. But you can use either or.
Instructions
- Prep: Gather your equipment and get your ingredients ready. Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC/gas 6.
- Boil: Put the chopped potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. The water should be clear. If it’s cloudy, rinse the potatoes once more. Put the saucepan on high heat, add 1 teaspoon of the sea salt, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to medium and parboil for 8-10 minutes. The time will depend on the size of the potatoes. Keep a close eye on them from the 8-minute mark. You want the edges to have started to flake and a knife to insert without much resistance.
- Steam Dry: Once the potatoes are ready, drain them in a colander. Give the potatoes a good shake in the colander to fluff them up, then leave them to one side for 10 minutes or so until the steam and moisture evaporate.
- Heat Oil: Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a roasting tray, and place it into the oven for 5 minutes to heat up the oil.
- Roast: The oil will be hot, so carefully tip the potatoes onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Using a metal spoon or heat-proof pastry brush, drench the potatoes with the hot fat. Season well with black pepper and the remaining salt, and place the potatoes in the hot oven for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.
- Add: Pull the potatoes out of the oven and add the rosemary. Give everything a good toss, and pop the potatoes back into the oven for another 20 minutes.
- Serve: Once the potatoes have reached crispy perfection, remove the rosemary stalks (if you’ve used sprigs), pour the potatoes onto a serving dish, and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 75 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Comfort food, crispy potatoes, vegan potatoes, sunday roast, christmas dinner
Thinking of making these Crispy Roast Potatoes? I’d love to know how they turn out. Get in touch via the comments section, and let me know!
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