Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe (2024)

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By

J. Kenji López-Alt

Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe (1)

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.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated March 10, 2022

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Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe (2)

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.

Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe (3)

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:

Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe (4)

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.

Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe (5)

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

    Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe (6)

  3. 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.

    Ultra-Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe (7)

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)
245Calories
5g Fat
44g Carbs
5g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8to 10
Amount per serving
Calories245
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g7%
Saturated Fat 2g9%
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 343mg15%
Total Carbohydrate 44g16%
Dietary Fiber 5g17%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 18mg92%
Calcium 42mg3%
Iron 2mg13%
Potassium 1132mg24%
*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 do I keep my roast 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 can't I get my roast potatoes crispy? ›

Parboiling the potatoes is a good start, but if they're not getting crispy during roasting your temperature isn't high enough or there's too much moisture.

What is the best oil to use for roast potatoes? ›

Neutral, low-cost oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc., work well for roasting. These oils have a high smoke point, allowing the potatoes to get very hot to achieve maximum crispiness.

Do you have to boil potatoes before roasting them? ›

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.

What makes potatoes crunchy? ›

Parboiling the potatoes in alkaline water breaks down their surfaces, creating tons of starchy slurry for added surface area and crunch. Offering you the choice of oil, duck fat, goose fat, or beef fat means you can get whichever flavor you want.

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.

What does cornstarch do to potatoes? ›

When the corn starch comes into contact with the hot oil, it forms a barrier that traps moisture within the potato while also developing a crunchy crust. This results in fries that are both tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, mimicking the texture of fries you might find in restaurants.

Can you use too much oil for roast potatoes? ›

Also, be mindful of the oil. Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy. Try placing oil in a spray bottle or using an aerosol to apply the oil to the potatoes. Lastly, ensure that the potatoes are dry before you add the oil.

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.

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.”

Is it better to roast potatoes in olive oil or vegetable oil? ›

Is there a better oil for roasting potatoes? While many swear by duck or goose fat for the crispiest roast potatoes, olive oil is a fantastic plant-based alternative that offers a different but equally tempting flavour profile. Different olive oils have unique flavour profiles to experiment with.

Should you coat potatoes in oil before baking? ›

Adding oil to potatoes before baking is perfectly fine, just a personal preference. Without oil the Idaho russet skin bakes up crispy, with oil the skin will carry a lot of the flavor of the oil so some people have a preference for using olive oil or peanut oil.

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 happens if you don't boil potatoes enough? ›

Raw or undercooked potatoes can contain solanine, a naturally occurring toxin that can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea if consumed in large amounts.

What happens if you don't parboil roast potatoes? ›

The potatoes aren't as crunchy if they aren't par boiled. There's lamb dish I cook with potatoes roasted with the lamb. These are not par-boiled and although they taste delicious because of the lamb fat they are not what I'd call a proper roast potato.

How do you keep roast potatoes from getting soft? ›

To keep roast potatoes crispy after cooking, consider a few tips:
  1. **Parboiling:** Before roasting, parboil the potatoes. ...
  2. **Dry Thoroughly:** After boiling, make sure to let the potatoes dry thoroughly. ...
  3. **Roughing Up the Surface:** Give the parboiled potatoes a gentle shake or toss to roughen up the surface.
May 23, 2022

How do you keep roast potatoes from getting mushy? ›

Try placing oil in a spray bottle or using an aerosol to apply the oil to the potatoes. Lastly, ensure that the potatoes are dry before you add the oil. Excess moisture will increase the cooking time of potatoes and may result in soggy spuds.

Why are my roasted potatoes not getting soft? ›

To ensure that your potatoes become soft and tender, consider using the right type of potatoes, ensuring even and appropriately sized cuts, providing sufficient liquid, and avoiding overly long cooking times.

Why put potatoes in cold water 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.

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