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.

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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?

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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
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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.
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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.

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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.

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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:

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

Recipe

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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.

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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

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

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

FAQs

What kind 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.

What potatoes does Gordon Ramsay use for roasting? ›

Ingredients
  • 1.2kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward.
  • 100g goose or duck fat (or olive oil)
  • 2 tbsp semolina.
  • 2 garlic cloves.
  • Few rosemary sprigs.
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Nov 21, 2023

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

Which French potatoes are best for roasting? ›

l'Alcmaria from the île de Ré. Equivalents out of France: Marfona, Orla, Triplo. Best for gratins, boiled potatoes, roasted.

Can you use any potatoes for roasting? ›

Potatoes – Use any small potatoes that can be cooked with the skin on. Baby potatoes, cocktail potatoes, new potatoes, red potatoes, creamer potatoes! My ideal potato size is ~ 4cm/1.6″ which is a nice (big) bite size once cut in half.

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 potatoes does Jamie Oliver use for roasting? ›

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

How does Gordon Ramsay make roast potatoes crispy? ›

The key to crunchy roasties is getting a fluffy exterior before they go in the oven. Drain the potatoes well and give them a moment to steam and dry out further. Then don't be afraid to shake the colander or pan vigorously to rough up the edges before you add the oil.

How do you roast potatoes Bobby Flay? ›

Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. 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.
  3. Remove from the oven and immediately fold in the herbs.

How do you keep roasted 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.

Is it better to boil potatoes before roasting? ›

You don't NEED to, though if you want nice crispy potatoes with fluffy insides, par-boil cut potatoes for ten mins or so, drain in a colander and then shake well to break up the surface. Put into very hot oil and roast until cooked.

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. If you have two ovens you can cook them separately to your roast at a different temperature.

Is goose fat or duck fat better for roast potatoes? ›

Roast potatoes verdict

Goose fat is the traditional choice, and a roast potato favourite because its high smoke point makes for a crispy coating. Goose fat is especially good for a Christmas dinner because it is rich and silky and adds to the decadence of the meal.

What are the all rounder potatoes for roasting? ›

Good all-rounders

Estima make great potato wedges and jacket potatoes and are good for mashing and boiling. Kerr's Pink are good for mashing, roasting. King Edward make delicious chips and jacket potatoes and are great for roasting and mashing. Marfona make great potato wedges and jacket potatoes are good for boiling.

Are queens potatoes good for roasting? ›

Queens – New season, second earlies

They have white skin and flesh and a notably floury texture. Recommended for: steaming, boiling, roasting and chipping.

Which potatoes are best for roasting yellow or white? ›

Choosing Potatoes

Yukon gold and other yellow potatoes are low- to medium-starch potatoes, and are well suited to roasting, mashing, baked dishes, and soups and chowders. Round red and round white potatoes have less starch and more moisture, making them best for boiling, but they can also be roasted or fried.

Is yellow potato same as Yukon Gold? ›

The bottom line: Potato labels refer to the color of a potatoes' flesh; potatoes labeled “gold” or “yellow” are not Yukon Gold potatoes, but they can be used in place of Yukon Gold potatoes in recipes.

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.

Why are my roast potatoes tough? ›

If you roast them at too high a temperature, you risk browning the outsides before the insides are cooked through. Cook them for too long at a lower temp, though, and they may dry out (telltale signs: leathery, tough) on their way to Tender Town.

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