The Best Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Name: The Best Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 5 cups diced (about ½ inch) red skin potatoes ( (about 1 ½ lbs.)); 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper ((more or less to taste))

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Learn how to make crispy roasted potatoes – it’s SO easy and they’re irresistibly delicious. Roasted potatoes go well with everything and are an easy 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

Close up of a large bowl of crispy roasted potatoes.

Creamy red skin potatoes, cubed and roasted simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper, are delightfully crispy and so, so tasty. They are easy to make in your oven and are a classic side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Crispy roasted potatoes vs. soggy roasted potatoes: one is a clear winner and one just isn’t worth the calories. You could liken it to a fight between good and evil but that’s probably a bit overdramatic.

I might even venture to say oven roasted potatoes are better than fries (!) especially with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh chives or a drizzle of healthy ranch dressing. I also love them with tzatziki! I could eat an entire sheet pan of these in one sitting. You’ll get what I’m talking about when you try these potatoes.

Close up of roasted potatoes on a sheet pan.

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).

About Crispy Roasted Potatoes

This recipe is a basic how-to technique. Once you learn the easy steps, crispy roasted potatoes will be a side dish that you’ll turn to again and again. These potatoes go with nearly everything and are “fancy” enough to serve to company. Pretty much everyone I’ve ever met likes these potatoes.

Serve them for breakfast. Consider making oven roasted potatoes for 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.

Roasted potatoes are great on a salad or a meal bowl. 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 homemade red wine vinaigrette or honey mustard dressing. So good!

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

Ingredient Notes

Red Skin Potatoes: You’ll need about a pound and a half of these tender skinned potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes are another variety that works really well or those really cool purple potatoes. Try a colorful mixture! There’s no need to peel the potatoes first. Just give them a light scrubbing. Size isn’t really important as long as you cut them into evenly sized cubes.
Olive Oil: A little oil is necessary to crisp the potatoes up. This heart-healthy oil adds a good flavor to the potatoes, too.
Kosher Salt: Coarse salt is great for roasting because it gives nice little pops of flavor. Fine salt is okay but you’ll want to use a bit less.
Coarse Ground Black Pepper: Same as the salt, coarse pepper gives you a nice bite of flavor. Visually, it’s a bit more attractive.

How To Make The Crispiest Potatoes

I have four important tips for achieving the best crispy roasted potatoes. You don’t want soggy loners left on the pan. These tips are completely doable, actually pretty much fail-proof.

SOAK your potato chunks in cold water. This removes some of the starch and helps get them super duper crispy. Soak them at least one hour.
Preheat the oven with your pan in the oven. That way the pan is 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. I 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. DON’T DO IT. If you do, they’ll steam instead of getting crispy. How many times have I said “crispy?” Crispy. Crispy. Crispy.

So there you have it. Easy steps to take but they yield a huge result. You’ll be happy you went the extra mile!

Four steps to making crispy roasted potatoes.

Sheet Pan Basics

A sheet pan is a kitchen work horse. I use mine 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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FAQs

Is it necessary to boil potatoes before roasting?

Some cooks like to parboil the potatoes first. The potatoes are partially cooked (soft on the outside, raw on the inside) so that they roast more quickly. Parboiling is great if you are roasting whole potatoes or large chunks. Since the potatoes in this recipe are cut quite small, there’s no need to parboil them.

Should potatoes be soaked before roasting?

Yes! Soak the potatoes in cold water to remove the excess starch from the outside of the potato. There are a few reasons why you want to remove that starch (it makes the potatoes burn, it keeps them from crisping up, it turns to sugar) but all you really need to remember is to soak them at least one hour.

Which oil is best for roasting?

Most oils are fine. Choose an oil with a fairly high smoke point but that adds flavor, like extra virgin olive oil or ghee (butter with milk solids removed). Don’t choose an oil with a low smoke point such as flaxseed, walnut, or wheat germ oil. Those are best used in salad dressings.

How do you get crispy roasted potatoes?

There are four essential steps to attain crispy roasted potatoes: soak, dry, preheat, don’t overcrowd. Follow the directions on the recipe card below!

Roasted potatoes on a plate with ketchup.

Possible Recipe Variations

Try different varieties of potatoes. Really any type of potato will work. Thin skinned potatoes like red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes taste great and you don’t have to peel them. Russet potatoes usually have thicker skins so you may want to peel those.
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 my air fryer potato wedges recipe.
Add onions. These potatoes are really good but potatoes and onions are always awesome too. Cut the onion into fairly large pieces. Small pieces tend to burn.
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.
Add seasoning. Some good choices are garlic powder or onion powder, paprika, dried rosemary or thyme, or even chili powder. Try my all-purpose seasoning or seasoned salt (omit salt and pepper).
Easier cleanup: Line the pan with parchment paper. However, and I’m sorry to have to break it to you because we all love easier cleanups, your potatoes won’t brown as nicely or get as crispy.
Convection bake them. 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.

Cooked potatoes in large white serving bowl.

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.

Storage & Reheating Tips

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). Single portions can be heated in the microwave but they tend to become soggy and just aren’t as tasty.

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