Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (2024)

Roasted potatoes are a delicious side dish perfect for just about any meal. These perfect roasted potatoes are easy to make — plus, they take on your desired flavor profile, making them super versatile.

We like trying out different herbs and spices or adding other root veggies and bacon for an even more flavorful dish.

Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (1)

Want to save this recipe or page?

Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

What are the benefits of Roasting Potatoes?

Potatoes are loaded with vitamin C, potassium, and complex carbohydrates (providing plenty of fiber). Roasting potatoes also offers the added benefit of using high-quality fats, like ghee or grass-fed butter. We’ve got tips for making your next batch perfectly crispy and flavorful and a recipe for our favorite roasted potato dish. But first… which potato should you choose?

Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (2)

We Have A Cookbook!

The Real Food Table features over 100 delicious mostly gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free recipes for everyday. Now available in paperback at a lower price!

Our Cookbook

Best Potatoes for Roasting

Our favorite potatoes for roasting are red potatoes. We like this variety because the thinner skin lets them cook faster; plus, that red skin is nutrient-dense. It provides iron and B vitamins and is packed with more potassium than a banana!

Potatoes good for roasting should have the following characteristics:

  • Firm texture
  • Higher starch content
  • Uniform shape and size (you can achieve this when you cut the potatoes)
  • Thinner skin
Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (3)

Frequently Asked Questions

Are russet or white potatoes better for roasting?

Russet potatoes are starchy and have a lower moisture content, making them better for roasting than white potatoes. White potatoes can be roasted, but with a higher moisture content, they are much better suited for creamy mashed potatoes.

Are yellow or white potatoes better for roasting?

Yellow potatoes, like Yukon Gold potatoes, are considered one of the best types of potatoes for roasting. They land right in the middle when it comes to starchiness and waxiness, allowing them to hold their shape and get crispy on the outside while staying nice and buttery on the inside.

If you’ve got yellow potatoes on hand, be sure to try these Crispy Parmesan Crusted Potatoes. They are simply amazing!

Are russet or red potatoes better for roasting?

Russet and red potatoes are equally suitable for roasting — it really comes down to your personal preference on taste and texture.

How to Roast Potatoes

The hotter you cook the potatoes, the faster the moisture becomes steam inside. The steam escapes quicker, making the potato pieces crisp to a perfect golden brown.

When should you put the potatoes in the oven? Potatoes should be placed in the oven once it’s preheated to between 400F – 475F.

Through countless hours of testing how to make the best roasted potatoes, we’ve found that a few simple tips will make a huge difference for getting your potatoes super crispy:

  • Spend the extra prep time! Cut your potatoes into similar-sized pieces and place them in a single layer to cook evenly.
  • Parboiling potatoes helps them cook faster in the oven. Make sure to start with cold water. If you drop potatoes into boiling water, the outside will cook faster than the inside.
  • You can soak potatoes in cold water to remove excess starch, making your potatoes super crispy.
  • French fry fiend? You can coat your cut potatoes in cornstarch or flour for a crunch without needing a deep fryer.
  • Use a pan or baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (4)

Ingredients To Add To Crispy Roasted Potatoes

The wonderful thing about potatoes is that you can season them with almost anything! You can stick to something simple like garlic powder, sea salt or kosher salt, and black pepper. Or you can get adventurous, adding fresh rosemary, thyme, chives, and maybe a dash of paprika.

Our yummiest go-to is ranch-roasted potatoes. We make crispy roasted red potatoes tossed in a homemade garlic ranch seasoning made of dill, parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder.You can easily save the leftovers – if there are any – to reheat on a grill, pan, or in the air fryer. Reheated oven-roasted potatoes are great to serve in an egg scramble, hash, or egg bake.

Tip!

Save Big on Pantry Essentials

Our team at The Real Food Dietitians uses Thrive Market to easily and quickly stock up on pantry essentials like spices, flours, baking soda, oils, and more. We save 10% to 30% each time we stock up on quality products.

Sign up for Thrive Market today and get $60 in free groceries!

Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (5)

Other Delicious Roasted Recipes

Potatoes aren’t the only food that tastes amazing when roasted! There are so many different vegetables that can be roasted — try out these roasted vegetable recipes:

Looking for more Whole30 potato recipes? Try our Tex-Mex Sweet Potato Hash or Bacon Chive Potato Salad.

The Best Roasted Potato Recipe: Crispy Garlic Ranch Roasted Potatoes

You can’t beat crispy, garlicky potatoes roasted to absolute perfection in a 30-minute cook time. We’ve turned a humble root vegetable into something spectacular with these crispy garlic ranch roasted potatoes.

They’re easy to make and guaranteed to become a family favorite. Remember, these are roasted, not baked potatoes. You want that oven hot before you stick the spuds inside!

They make for the perfect side dish you can enjoy all year round, because potatoes are always in season! For a nicely balanced and tasty meal, serve them up with grilled or baked chicken, steak, salmon, pork, etc., and an in-season veggie of your choice.

The side of ranch is totally optional but sure is tasty. We recommend our Homemade Paleo Ranch or Primal Kitchen Ranch dressing.

Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (10)

What To Serve With Roasted Potatoes

There’s not much that doesn’t fit in perfectly with a side of crispy potatoes. Here are some of our favorite entrees to pair with them:

Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (15)

The Best Meal Planning App

…for your busy life! Real Plans let’s you create fully customizable meal plans with grocery lists in just minutes. Get over 400 of our recipes loaded into your recipe box and start meal planning like a pro today.

Try Real Plans

Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (16)

Recipe

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 25 reviews

Crispy Garlic Ranch Roasted Potatoes

The best potatoes for roasting are red potatoes. They have thin, nutrient-dense skin that crisps up beautifully and a firm texture that will hold its integrity during the roasting process. Check out our favorite crispy roasted potatoes recipe with ranch and garlic!

Prep: 15 minsCook: 30 minsTotal: 45 mins

Servings: Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾2 lbs. small baby red potatoes, halved (may sub yukon gold potatoes)
  • 3 tablespoon ghee, melted (or butter)
  • 2 teaspoons dried dill
  • 1 teaspoondried parsley or chives
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoononion powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Optional Ranch for dipping

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a small bowl mix together the ghee or butter, dill, parsley or chives, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
  3. Pour the seasoned ghee into a9×13-inch baking dish so that it coversthe entire bottom of the dish.
  4. Place the potato halves in the baking dish.
  5. Using your hands or a large spoon, toss or brush the potatoes to coat them in the ghee or butter and herb mixture.
  6. Turn all of the potatoes cut side down then sprinkle with a bit more salt.
  7. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the potatoes reach the desired degree of crispiness. The bottoms should be nice and golden brown and crisp and the insides soft.
  8. Serve with ranch for dipping if desired.

Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive so we can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.

Notes

For Dairy-Free, replace the ghee or butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
  • Calories: 116
  • Fat: 5 g
  • (Sat Fat: 3 g)
  • Sodium: 131 mg
  • Carbohydrate: 17 g
  • (Fiber: 3 g
  • Sugar: 1 g)
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 9 mg

Dietary

© The Real Food Dietitians

Pin now To make later!

Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (17)

Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter

For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

Best Potatoes for Roasting + Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What type of potato is best for roasting? ›

Yukon Golds fall right in the middle of the spectrum.

This is the real beauty of the Yukon Gold, what makes them the best potatoes for roasting. The crisp. The creaminess. The texture.

How does Gordon Ramsay make roast potatoes crispy? ›

Once the potatoes have been partially boiled after six minutes, drain them using a colander and shake them while in the colander to fluff the edges up. Next, sprinkle the semolina and shake the potatoes again to make sure they are evenly coated. Then allow the the potatoes to steam dry for five minutes.

Why won't my roast potatoes stay crispy? ›

You always should preheat the oven and get that fat nice and hot. Crispy on outside and lovely and fluffy on the inside. You don't roast them long enough. You have to get them to evaporate most of the water before they will brown.

What potatoes does Jamie Oliver use for roasting? ›

Maris Piper potatoes are our favourite for roasting to get that fluffy centre and crispy outer layer, but King Edwards also work well.

Why are red potatoes better for roasting? ›

Red potatoes are great for roasting, cooking in soups, or boiling or steaming for potato salad. The waxy nature of the flesh means they'll maintain their shape, but it also means they will get gluey when overworked, so you'll want to choose a different potato for mashing.

What are the best potatoes for roasting and chips? ›

Wilja are best for chips, masking, roasting, boiling and jacket potatoes. Fianna make great chips, jacket potatoes and are good for roasting and mashing. Golden wonder are ideal for boiling and roasting. Vivaldi make great jacket potatoes, are good for boiling, roasting and mashing and go well in salads.

How do you keep crispy potatoes crispy? ›

Keep potatoes crisp in a warm oven if you're serving them in 1-2 hours. If there is a slight wait before everyone eats, don't cover the crispy potatoes—this traps steam which will make the potatoes soggy. Just keep them in the oven, but turn the temperature to the lowest setting.

Why won't my potatoes get crispy in oil? ›

A: This sure sounds a lot like potatoes that have been stored too long, in too cold of an environment before cooking. When potatoes are held below 41°F for too long a period, the starches convert to sugar and it changes the cooking chemistry.

Why do you soak potatoes before roasting? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Is it better to boil potatoes before roasting? ›

In most potato recipes, I recommend starting potatoes in cold water and bringing them up to a boil. This helps ensure that the exteriors don't turn to mush before the insides have a chance to cook through.

Should I dry potatoes before roasting? ›

To have a truly marvellous roast potato, one must simply let the potato dry completely after parboiling, before roasting in extremely hot fat.

Why put flour on roast potatoes? ›

Sprinkle your parboiled potatoes with flour. This gives potatoes extra crunch. A tablespoon is all you need! Throw in some whole, unpeeled garlic cloves or a handful of herbs (thyme, sage or rosemary all work well) with the potatoes when adding them to the hot roasting tin.

What is the best oil for roasting potatoes? ›

Any oil with a high smoke point is perfect for roasting potatoes. Think avocado oil, almond oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, sesame oil and sunflower oil; they'll all work great!

What are the all rounder potatoes for roasting? ›

Maris Piper

They're famous as the original all rounder potato as their texture lends itself to a range of cooking methods. From frying to boiling and roasting – they're great for chips, wedges, mash and roast potatoes.

Can you prep potatoes ahead of time for roasting? ›

Tips for the best result

You can cut the potatoes the day before for easy roast potatoes, but ensure you aren't cutting them more than 12 hours ahead of time. Otherwise, they'll turn brown.

Are white potatoes good for roast potatoes? ›

WHAT KIND OF POTATOES ARE BEST FOR ROAST POTATOES? You can use ANY kind of potato for roasting! You can use white potatoes, red potatoes, baby potatoes, russets, Yukon gold, brushed, or even roasted sweet potatoes… they're all delicious!

What is the difference between roasting potatoes and baking potatoes? ›

The phrase “baked potato” typically refers to a whole potato being cooked in the oven with the intent of being cut open and stuffed (commonly with butter, sour cream, cheese, etc.). Roasted potatoes, on the other hand, are cut into smaller pieces and cooked in the oven until they're perfectly crispy on the outside.

Is yellow potato the same as Yukon gold? ›

Yukon Gold

Their smooth, yellow skin often gets them confused with regular yellow potatoes, BUT they are not the same. Yukon golds are a hybrid of white potatoes and yellow potatoes. This means they have qualities of all-purpose and waxy potatoes. This makes them another super versatile potato for cooking.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Duncan Muller

Last Updated:

Views: 6085

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (59 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Duncan Muller

Birthday: 1997-01-13

Address: Apt. 505 914 Phillip Crossroad, O'Konborough, NV 62411

Phone: +8555305800947

Job: Construction Agent

Hobby: Shopping, Table tennis, Snowboarding, Rafting, Motor sports, Homebrewing, Taxidermy

Introduction: My name is Duncan Muller, I am a enchanting, good, gentle, modern, tasty, nice, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.