How to make the perfect roast potatoes
This recipe makes the perfect roast potatoes! These roast potatoes, with fluffy middles and super crispy edges, are definitely the best ever.
Firstly, I apologise for the slightly arrogant title! Obviously everyone has their own idea of what makes perfect roast potatoes, but in my opinion, this is it. Soft and fluffy inside, super crispy on the outside – absolutely perfect.
Now, I definitely don’t make roast potatoes this way every time – they’re a bit more labour-intensive than my usual method. I usually roast my potatoes the quickest way possible – just cut up some unpeeled potatoes, then stick them in the oven. They’re still great when they’re cooked the lazy way (it’s very hard to make a roast potato anything short of delicious), but they don’t even come close to these perfect ones.
When I have a little more time on my hands, or I want to make something extra special, here’s how I make absolutely perfect roast potatoes:
How to make perfect roast potatoes
Making roast potatoes is really easy. There are a couple of steps, but none of it is remotely difficult.
Step 1: Wash and peel potatoes
Step 2: Boil potatoes until fluffy
Step 3: Roast potatoes in plenty of oil
That’s it! Very straightforward really.
Here’s a bit more detail!
What are the best potatoes for roasting?
Whichever variety of potato you use, you’re probably going to end up with a delicious roast potato. However, some varieties do work better than others.
Ideally, you want to use a type of fluffy potato, which will help your potatoes to fluff up around the edges. This means they get nice and crispy!
The best potatoes to use for roasting include:
- Rooster potatoes
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- Maris Piper potatoes
- King Edward potatoes
I generally use King Edward potatoes, which give a wonderfully fluffy centre. You can find out more about different varieties of potatoes here.
Should I peel my potatoes before roasting?
In short – yes.
As I said, I usually don’t bother peeling my potatoes. Potato skins actually contain a lot of nutrients, and it’s quicker not to peel them, which is always a plus for a lazy cook.
But – this isn’t a recipe for the most nutritious roast potatoes, or the laziest roast potatoes. It’s a recipe for the best tasting roast potatoes. So for these, you’re going to need to peel.
Peeling the potatoes allows the flesh to get nice and fluffy when boiled, which leads to the super crispy exterior when they roast (which we all know is the best bit). So peel away!
Should I boil my potatoes before roasting?
Again, when I’m in a rush / feeling lazy, I usually don’t bother boiling.
But, boiling the potatoes before putting them in the oven is what creates the crispy bits on the outside, so it’s a must if you’re aiming to make perfect roast potatoes.
If you boil them until they’re nice and soft, the flesh will start to break down (especially if you give them a quick shake in the pan!), and will make lots of crumbly edges to crisp up. In all honesty, I probably over-boiled mine a little (they were very, very soft), but in the end it was a blessing in disguise, because I ended up with a tray full of crispy bits!
If you’d prefer your roast potatoes to keep their shape a bit more, just boil them until they’re nice and soft, but still holding together.
How much oil should I use on my roast potatoes?
I’ll say again: this is not a recipe for healthy roast potatoes. In other words, the more oil, the better!
Okay, perhaps you don’t want to use an entire bottle, but don’t be too stingy – you need every single piece of potato to be well coated in oil to give those nice crispy edges.
(I’m getting hungry just thinking about those nice crispy edges…)
In my opinion, roast potatoes are almost always the best part of a Christmas dinner (or any other roast dinner really), and with these perfect roast potatoes, there will be absolutely no chance of any leftovers!
How to make the perfect roast potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes
- Cooking oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes, and cut them into chunks (depending on your preferred size).
- Place the potatoes in a large pan of water, and boil until just soft. Drain the potatoes, and return them to the pan. Holding the lid on tightly, shake the pan to fluff up the edges of the potatoes. If your potatoes are very soft, make sure you don't shake too hard or they'll break up into mash! If they're firmer, you can shake pretty hard.
- Transfer the potatoes to a baking tray, and toss in a generous amount of oil. Spread them out into a single layer if possible – use two trays if needed. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Roast at 200ยฐC (Gas Mark 6 / 400ยฐF) for around 25 minutes, then turn each piece of potato over. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1/4 of the recipe.
What is the portion size for this nutritional information? Or is that the nutritional information for the entire recipe as a whole?
It’s for 1/4 of the recipe :)
What kind of potatoes
Hi Julie, this is discussed in the blog post :) I used King Edward potatoes.
Super simple and the family loves them!! Had made several times.
That’s great, thanks so much Ashley!
These potatoes were delicious ๐. Made them at a family dinner everyone asked how I made them. Definitely using again.
Awesome! Thank you! :)
I found this recipe completely by accident today. I had made roasted potatoes before but using the traditional method, lots of oil, high heat etc. But I was never happy with them as even though they got crispy and nicely brown they started getting soft as soon as they came out of the oven ! So frustrating. Anyway I found this method on amuse-your-bouche and decided to give it a try this evening. My husband could NOT stop raving about these potatoes. And that’s not like him. Usually its all about the meat. He just went on and on about these potatoes, and oh geez I wish we had more ! He made me promise we’d have them again…SOON ! They were so easy to make, even the extra step of peeling, and pre boiling the potatoes didn’t seem so time consuming. They came out super crispy and brown and lovely soft inside, and best of all they stayed crispy through out dinner. Can’t go wrong with this method !! I’m a fan for life…
Amazing!!! That’s such a lovely comment, thank you so much Lee! :D You’ve made my day. I always make extra roasties, and I never have any left haha
I was taught how to make these by my mother in law and she would boil them then use a fork and score the sides (think tic tak toe) then we cook them in duck fat… THE BEST!!!
Do you think these could be prepared in an air fryer?
You can definitely make roast potatoes in an air fryer, but I’d recommend finding a specific air fryer recipe rather than using this one. These aren’t designed to be low fat!! Plus if you parboil them too much, the moving arm of the air fryer (assuming you’re talking about the same sort of design as I’m picturing!) might mash them to bits.
YUM YUM YUM! Crispy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside! Made mine with a little melted butter and Avocado oil. Simple and tasty
Yay! Glad you enjoyed them Amanda :)
I am wondering if cooking oil spray such as canola could be used to cut down on the amount of oil going into the potatoes or. . . maybe this is one of those recipes where you just forget about the ‘healthy’ factor. : )
I think the latter ;) They need a lot of oil to get super crispy and golden. You could definitely use some kind of oil spray, but they won’t end up nearly as tasty!
Hello :) I’m starting preparations now, one day ahead so can just pop them in the oven tomorrow. At what stage do you think is best to stop today and pick up again tomorrow for the last bit? Looking forward to these!!
Hi Colette, so sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner! I took some time off over Christmas. Hope you managed to make it work :)
These were SO good! I left the skins on and “mashed” them a little more than you said, and they turned out great! Thanks! โฅ
Yay, glad you enjoyed! They’re my favourite :D
Omg I always wanted to know how to cook potatoes this way! Thank you I can’t wait to make!
Enjoy! :)
These are the best roasted potatoes I’ve had in a long time, and so easy too. They are crispy on the outside….soft on the inside. Using olive oil instead of butter is a lot healthier too. Thanks for posting such a delicious and easy recipe.
Yay! Thanks Diane, I’m glad you like them as much as I do :)
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made these a couple of weeks ago and they were absolutely delicious. I’m in the US, so I couldn’t find the potatoes suggested and used Russet instead. I added some tumeric to the seasoning and served them with an Indian dish I made. They really were the perfect roasted potatoes! I’m making them again tonight, but will add some Old Bay Seasoning to the mix.
You’re welcome Kim! I’m glad they worked well for you :) They’re my faaavourite!
Can these be boiled ahead, and laid out on pan, then roasted a few hours later?
Sure I don’t see why not :)
Oof, Happy Easter. I shook too hard before noticing your admonition not to shake to hard. Mostly mashed. I going thru with it anyway, I can’t have plain ole mashers on a holiday.
Haha oh dear! It’s very hard to make bad roast potatoes though, I hope it was delicious anyway :)
Ooh I love roast potatoes too, but I never get super crispie ones as I can’t bear to peel them – the skin is the best bit if you’ve grown them yourself and they are organic. I just need someone else to do it for me, then I can’t see what is being thrown away ;-)
Hi just follow above but leave the skins on, this is how I make them & the skins get really crispy x
I leave the skin on and they do get very crispy.
I hate to not have the skin on.
Thank you for advices, I think the recipe is great and worth trying it. I only wonder how many degrees should I set, because I am using a multicooker (if I remember it right mine is Redmond m4502) and to save all vitamins the max temperature I can make is 180*C so I am not sure about time/degrees for this exact recipe. Anyone know ?
Hi Barbara, 180 degrees is fine, just cook them for 10 minutes longer or something. It’s not that much cooler so it shouldn’t make a huge difference :)
Thank you very much!
I could live on roast potatoes! I do mine the same way, but only par-boil for up to five mins, depending on variety – usually Maris Piper. They still go all beaten up on the outside after a good shake of the pan but l don’t risk ending up with a panful of mush! I dry the potatoes off over the heat before l shake the pan.
Happy Christmas!
Great blog :-) :-) :-)
I’m always looking for new ways to roast potatoes! Thanks for sharing this, I’ve printed out the recipe!
In a word – YUM!
I bloody love roast potatoes. They are the best food when I’m in a bad mood. I use rapeseed oil to crisp mine up and Maris Piper potatoes.
I haven’t eat roasted potatoes in a long time, thanks for giving me the idea for the following days :)
These do indeed look perfect! Lovely and crispy and definitely the best part of any meal!
Since I’m in the US I’ve never heard of the potatoes except Yukon Gold. Usually we’d use a russet. I will definitely try this recipe out. I sounds delicious.
Hubby (Leo) was beside me when I opened your recipie and agrees with you about King Edward Potatoes. He likes them but can only get them at certain times of the year in Northern Ireland. He is the Chief Potatoe Roaster at Christmas and uses Golden Wonder Potatoes. He follows the same system as you and also gets great results with no wastage. The show up lovely in your photograph.
Wishing you and yours a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas