How to Make Basic Roast Potatoes
In our house, my wife is Queen of the All Things Potato. She makes the best mashed potatoes, twice baked potatoes, baked potatoes, and my kids can’t get enough of her roasted potatoes. Her method of preparing these roasted tubers is simple and described below.
I already have a two-step recipe for Awesome Roasted Potatoes from Chef JoAnna Minneci, a personal chef to the stars. Her method is to first boil the potatoes for a minute before roasting. This is a great way to prepare roasted potatoes, but like many of you, we don’t always have the time or desire to execute this 2-step process.
My wife skips the boiling step but has a few other tips for making incredibly delicious roasted spuds. One of them is to make sure all the potatoes are the same size.
You can either quarter larger potatoes, so they are all the same size or cook baby potatoes that are similar in size. Having the potatoes all the same size ensures even cooking.
In the photo above, we roasted purple and fingerling potatoes because that’s what we had on hand, and needed to use them up. A restaurant would only serve one kind, but that’s the beauty of cooking at home – you can serve them any way you want.
Simple Roasted Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- If necessary, prep the potatoes by cutting them into equal-sized pieces and then coat them with oil. Most recipes say to do this right in the roasting pan.
- I prefer to transfer them to a bowl, add the oil, season with salt, and stir them. This way, I know I will get all of them coated.
- I always feel I'm not getting them coated completely when I coat them in the pan.
- Spray the bottom of your roasting pan with spray olive oil. You may think this is necessary, but we've found it prevents the potatoes from sticking even though they are coated with oil.
- Place the roasting pan into the oven and roast for 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are done. Halfway through the cooking process, flip the potatoes using a sizeable heatproof spatula.
Notes
Cooking Tips for Great Roasted Potatoes
| Tip | Description |
|---|---|
| Choose the Right Potato | Use starchy potatoes like Russets or Yukon Golds for fluffy interiors and crispy exteriors. |
| Cut Evenly | Cut potatoes into uniform pieces to ensure they cook evenly. |
| Parboil Before Roasting | Boil potatoes for 8-10 minutes to soften the edges, helping create a crisp crust. |
| Rough Up the Surface | After draining, shake potatoes in the pot to roughen edges, which increases crispiness. |
| Preheat the Baking Sheet or Pan | Heat the pan in the oven before adding potatoes to jumpstart crisping. |
| Use Enough Fat | Coat potatoes generously with oil, duck fat, or clarified butter to promote browning. |
| Don't Overcrowd | Arrange potatoes in a single layer with space around each piece for even roasting. |
| High Oven Temperature | Roast at 425°F (220°C) or higher for crispy, golden results. |
| Turn Occasionally | Flip potatoes halfway through cooking to brown all sides evenly. |
| Season After Roasting | Add salt and fresh herbs after cooking to preserve flavor and texture. |
How Many Potatoes?
How many you prepare doesn’t matter for this recipe. It’s more important that you don’t overcrowd the roasting pan to prevent the potatoes from steaming rather than roasting.
You can see from my tips for great mashed potatoes, I suggest 1/3 to 1/2 pound of raw potatoes per person, but in actuality, it depends on who’s eating them. Your son, who’s in college and is bulking up for his school’s sports team is going to eat a lot more potatoes than your 80-year-old aunt, who visits on holidays.
So for this recipe, we’ll say 2 pounds for four people. That will most likely be too many, but these potatoes are great for making home fries the following morning.
Main Dishes That Pair Well with Roasted Potatoes
| Dish | Why It Pairs Well |
|---|---|
| Roast Chicken | The crispy, flavorful potatoes complement the juicy, tender chicken perfectly. |
| Steak | Potatoes provide a satisfying, crispy side that balances the rich, savory steak. |
| Grilled Salmon | The roasted potatoes add a hearty texture to the light, flaky fish. |
| Vegetable Stir-Fry | Potatoes add a crispy, comforting contrast to the fresh, vibrant veggies. |
| BBQ Ribs | The smoky, tender ribs pair well with the crunchy, savory potatoes. |
| Eggs Benedict | Potatoes serve as a crispy, flavorful side to the rich and creamy main dish. |
| Beef Stew | Roasted potatoes add texture and crispness alongside the tender stew meat. |
| Grilled Sausages | The crispy potatoes complement the savory, juicy sausages beautifully. |
3 Responses
Hi R.G.–just discovered you. What temp do you pre-heat oven for these taters?
Hi Bill, thank you for bringing this to my attention. When I asked my wife, she said sometimes 400°F, sometimes 425°F and sometimes 450°F depending on how many she is roasting, the size of the potatoes and how fast she needs to get them done. It will also depend on your oven because there can be variations between oven models. The best way to test is with a fork or wooden skewer. I suggest in the recipe to roast at 425°F.
Oh my, you are missing two main ingredients: Rosemary and a little lemon juice.Cheers!