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.

Tip!

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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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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 type of potatoes are best for roasting? ›

Russet potatoes will produce crisper crusts and fluffier centers. Yukon Golds will be slightly less crisp and have creamier centers, with a darker color and deeper flavor. You can also use a mix of the two. The potatoes should be cut into very large chunks, at least 2 to 3 inches or so.

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

Preheat the fat. While the potatoes parboil, add the oil or butter to the roasting pan, transfer it to the warm oven, and heat it for about 5 minutes before adding the potatoes. This allows the outside of the potatoes to crisp up nicely and not just absorb the cold fat when you put them in the oven.

What potatoes does Gordon Ramsay use for roasting? ›

Good popular choices include Maris Piper, Desiree and King Edward but availability varies with the time of year – as does size. For proper traditional roasties you only need to make sure you don't buy small waxy salad potatoes. Ideally the potatoes you start with should be roughly the same size.

Should you boil potatoes first before roasting? ›

Do I have to boil potatoes before roasting? Not necessary but this can help get the perfect consistency and crispiness. Make sure you boil them but leave them a bit al dente and they will crisp up perfectly in the oven.

What is the best fat to use 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 best early potatoes for roasting? ›

Carolus is an attractive early main crop with a pretty red flesh over a pale yellow skin. It has very high dry matter so is perfect for baking, mashing and roast potatoes.

Are all potatoes good for roasting? ›

Starchy potatoes crisp up nicely on the outside, but can lose their shape when roasted, creating a fluffed up center rather than a creamy, flavorful one. Waxy potatoes on the other hand, hold their shape well when roasted, but they don't crisp up as easily and their firm flesh takes longer to cook.

How to keep roast potatoes crispy? ›

If you want to make this roast potatoes day before recipe and keep the potatoes crispy, ensure you put them in hot oil before baking them. This will help the potatoes stay crispy. If you're preparing roast potatoes in advance and find they have gone soggy in the fridge.

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.

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

Boiling your potatoes for a little bit before roasting helps make sure that you get that beautiful crisp crust on the outside. If you don't parboil your spuds, the outside skin will remain quite tough, meaning that whatever fat you use will not be able to get inside the cracks.

Are Yukon Gold and Yellow potatoes the same? ›

The Yukon Gold potato, though yellow fleshed, is a cross between a yellow and a white potato and is usually labeled as such. A “yellow” or “gold” potato is not a Yukon Gold potato, but all three potatoes have similar starch contents and flavors and can be used interchangeably in recipes.

Are baking potatoes good for roasting? ›

As long as they're a more floury potato, any average baking potato would be fine for roasting. Most baking potatoes are usually russets which are quite nice and starchy and fluffy, so ideal for making roast potatoes. But check on the label to see what variety it is if you can first!

Which potato is the best baking potato? ›

The ideal potato for baking is low in moisture with a high starch content. These qualities allow a potato to bake up with a delightfully fluffy center and crispy skin. Because it has all of these features, Russet potatoes are the ideal potato for baking and the most commonly used choice.

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