Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe (2024)

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Roasted Potatoes

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

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Updated March 10, 2022

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Why It Works

Parboiling the potatoes with a hint of vinegar builds strong pectin bonds and a starchy outer layer of potato.
Tossing the parboiled potatoes in a bowl with a metal spoon creates microscopic nooks and crannies that make for an extra-crunchy exterior.
Roasting in animal fat adds extra crispness and rich flavor.

How often do you get roasted potatoes that look like they're going to be awesomely crisp, only to find that rather than crispness, all you've got is a papery (or, worse, leathery) skin on the exterior? Getting truly crisp potatoes is harder than it seems. Simply tossing them in a bit of oil and roasting them just doesn't work.

The problem is that with simple roasting, they'll crisp up, all right, but the layer of crispness will be very, very thin. Within moments, steam from the interior of the spud will cause the crisp bits to soften.

So what is it that makes a potato crisp?

Well, as I found out when exploring French fries last year, it's a dehydrated layer of gelatinized starch that does it. The thicker the layer of gelatinized starch you can build up, the crisper the potato. You accomplish this by parboiling the cubed potatoes, and, just as with making French fries, adding a touch of acid to the boiling water acts as insurance against accidentally over-boiling them—the pectin that holds potato cells together is strong in slightly acidic environments.

Want to know the secret to even crisper roast potatoes? Increase surface area. The more surface area a potato has for a given volume, the more bits there are to crisp up, and the crunchier it'll become. The potatoes above have been parboiled, then tossed roughly in a bowl with a metal spoon until their surfaces were roughed and scratched up. All those microscopic nooks and crannies will make for an extra-crunchy surface.

Potato Variety

You can use any type of potatoes you like for this, but there's a tradeoff:

Starchy russet potatoes will produce the crispest crust because of their high starch content, with fluffy, powdery interiors.
Yukon gold potatoes (what I've used here) will produce crusts that are still very crisp, but not quite as crisp as that of a russet. They'll also have interiors that are more creamy than fluffy. Some people like this contrast of textures. I'm on the fence, so I usually alternate between the two varieties.
Red waxy potatoes will have the creamiest texture of all, but will lack a very strong, crisp crust. I don't recommend them for this purpose.

Fat

Next question: What's the best fat to use?

Well, if you can get your hands on it, this:

People often tout the awesomeness of duck fat with potatoes, and for good reason: It tastes awesome. Duck fat has a distinct richness and aroma that get absorbed very easily into the surface of a spud. On top of that, it's got plenty of saturated fat and a high smoke point, which makes it an ideal medium for crisping up fried or roasted foods. (In general, the higher the saturated fat content of an oil, the more efficiently it'll crisp foods.) Can't get duck fat? Well, turkey fat or chicken fat collected from roasted birds will do just fine.

Bacon fat and rendered lard are also fine choices, as is just about any sort of animal-derived fat.

If you must use it, extra-virgin olive oil will certainly do admirably well, though you won't get quite the same level of crispness you'd get out of an animal fat.

Once your potatoes are tossed in fat and seasoned well, all you've got to do is roast them in an extremely hot oven until they crisp up. (I do this while my turkey is resting.)

I roast mine directly on a heavy rimmed baking sheet—they have a tendency to stick to foil. The key is to make sure you let the underside crisp up completely before you even attempt to lift or flip them. If the potatoes don't come off relatively easily, you run the risk of breaking off the tops, leaving the crisp bottom cemented to the bottom of the pan. This is not an ideal situation.

Moral: Your potatoes will release themselves from the pan when they're good and ready. Don't force them.

Finally, make way more than you think you'll need. Not only do these potatoes lose a great deal of volume as they roast, it also appears that dinner guests suddenly gain a great deal of volume in their stomachs when the potatoes hit the table.

November 04, 2011

Recipe Details

Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe

Prep5 mins

Cook50 mins

Active30 mins

Total55 mins

Serves8to 10 servings

Ingredients

4 1/2 pounds (2kg) russet potatoes (see note), rinsed, peeled if desired, and cut into 2-inch chunks
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon (15ml) white vinegar
1/4 cup (60ml) duck fat (see note)
Freshly ground black pepper
12 sprigs thyme

Directions

Adjust oven racks to lower and upper positions and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Place potatoes in a large saucepot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add 2 tablespoons (28g) salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until exteriors are tender, about 5 minutes. Potatoes should show slight resistance when poked with a paring knife or a cake tester. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl.
Add fat to bowl with potatoes. Season with pepper and more salt to taste, then toss with a large metal spoon until exteriors are slightly bashed up and coated in a thin layer of potato/fat paste. Divide potatoes evenly between 2 heavy rimmed baking sheets. Spread thyme sprigs over potatoes.
Transfer baking sheets to oven and roast until bottoms of potatoes are crisp and golden brown, about 20 minutes total, swapping trays top for bottom and rotating them once halfway through roasting. Using a thin metal spatula, flip potatoes and roast until second side is golden brown, another 15 to 20 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and serve.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheets

Notes

For creamier potatoes with a slightly less crisp crust, substitute Yukon gold potatoes. Duck fat, turkey fat, or chicken fat will give the best results, but bacon fat or olive oil will also work well.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
245	Calories
5g	Fat
44g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8to 10
Amount per serving
Calories	245
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g	7%
Saturated Fat 2g	9%
Cholesterol 5mg	2%
Sodium 343mg	15%
Total Carbohydrate 44g	16%
Dietary Fiber 5g	17%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 18mg	92%
Calcium 42mg	3%
Iron 2mg	13%
Potassium 1132mg	24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best roast potatoes? ›

In a video online, Gordon explained: “For crispy roast potatoes, you can depend on them, my tip is to parboil them, leave them to steam dry, then sprinkle them with semolina or flour, and then give them a good roughing up.”

Discover More ›

Should you boil potatoes before roasting? ›

Boil chunks of potato until they're just tender, toss them none-too-gently with fat (ideally beef drippings) to rough up their surface, then roast them until they're crisp and crackling. The boiling and roughing-up steps are the real keys.

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Why can't i get my roast potatoes crispy? ›

Here's a few ideas you could try:

make sure they're completely dry.
use more oil.
open the oven door so that the moisture leaves the oven.
use more heat, sometimes it's necessary (you could read it up in your oven's manual)
use potatoes that have less flour / starch. Use waxy potato types such as anya or russett.

Mar 11, 2021

Explore More ›

What happens if you don't 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.

What kind of oil does Gordon Ramsay use for roast potatoes? ›

CHOOSE THE RIGHT FAT

Most of our chefs choose duck fat or beef dripping for roasties - at Bread Street Kitchen, they even render their own. Duck fat is superior not just for its flavour but for the colour it gives the roasties.

Learn More Now ›

What is the best oil or fat for roast potatoes? ›

Goose fat is one of the first choices for roast potatoes because first of all – it tastes nice! It has a really rich flavour compared to your more common vegetable oils. It's a bit like how cooking your roast potatoes in dripping from your turkey can add more flavour to your spuds too – they're both animal fats.

Learn More Now ›

Why put flour on roast potatoes? ›

Roast for 1hr until golden and crisp, and don't forget to turn them occasionally to ensure they cook evenly. Here's a few tricks to try to make them even more delicious. Sprinkle your parboiled potatoes with flour. This gives potatoes extra crunch.

Show Me More ›

What happens if you don't boil potatoes before roasting? ›

If the potatoes are raw, when you use a high temperature, the outside of the potatoes will burn before the inside cooks. That's why the parboiling is really important! Now these potatoes are my "basic" ones with my usual go-to seasoning.

Should I dry potatoes before roasting? ›

Make sure you let your potatoes sit in the colander for a bit to steam dry before putting them in the oven.

Why does vinegar make potatoes crispy? ›

The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying. Additionally, the vinegar can contribute to a golden-brown color on the exterior of the fries.

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Is it better to roast potatoes on parchment paper or aluminum foil? ›

Use parchment paper– non stick foil, or baking sheets will not do the trick. Parchment paper allows the potatoes to roast without sticking! Evenly spread out the potatoes – Don't stack them on top of one another – spread your potatoes out on the baking sheet and try not to overcrowd them.

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Should you soak potatoes in salt water before baking? ›

If there is one person who knows about crispy and indulgent potatoes, it has to be the king of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" Guy Fieri. To make the most flavorful baked spuds, the chef recommends soaking whole potatoes in brine, a solution of water, salt, and sometimes sugar and other seasonings, for up to six hours.

What happens if you don't rinse potatoes? ›

To help prevent foodborne illness caused by harmful residue, it's vital that you clean potatoes, even if you plan on peeling them. When leaving the skin on—like for a baked potato—it's important to properly clean potatoes even if you don't plan on eating the skin.

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What potatoes does Jamie Oliver use for roasting? ›

“When it comes to the perfect roasties, I always start with Maris Pipers.

How do you roast potatoes Bobby Flay? ›

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Toss the potatoes with the canola oil, garlic paste and salt and pepper to taste. Place on a sheet tray and roast until cooked through and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately fold in the herbs.

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How to make the best roast potatoes James Martin? ›

Melt the lard in a deep flameproof roasting tray on a high heat and fry the potatoes on each side until they begin to brown. Sprinkle with salt and roast for 30 minutes, or until starting to colour. Turn the potatoes and return to the oven for a further 20-30 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp.

Get More Info ›

What are the very best potatoes for roasting? ›

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Although Yukon Golds are the best potatoes for roasting, you can definitely use them in an array of recipes that call for waxy or starchy potatoes. Try Yukon Gold potatoes in Golden, Crispy Rosemary Roasted Potatoes or Dauphinoise Potatoes.

Tell Me More ›