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My father had one rule about roast potatoes, and he repeated it every Sunday: a roast potato is only right if it crackles when you cut it. If the knife slid through quietly, he ate it, but he told my mother it was a baked potato with ideas. So she learned to make them crackle. Crispy roast potatoes have a thick, golden, glassy crust all the way around and a soft, fluffy inside like mashed potatoes in a shell. They are cooked twice: boiled until the outsides soften, shaken hard in the pot, then roasted in very hot oil.
The shaking is where the crust comes from. Those rough, fuzzy edges turn into crunchy crags in the oven. But the one thing that decides whether the potatoes crisp or stew is the oil. It must be in the pan and in the oven before the potatoes, so hot that they sizzle loudly the moment they touch it. Cold oil soaks in and the potatoes go greasy and pale. Here is how hot the oil has to be before the potatoes go in, and how to know when it is ready.
Why this crispy roast potatoes works
- Floury potatoes. Russets or Yukon Golds break up at the edges when shaken and roast with a fluffy middle.
- Parboiled in salted water. Boiling until the outsides soften seasons the potato all the way through and starts the inside cooking.
- Steamed dry. A few minutes in the colander lets the surface dry, and dry potatoes crisp instead of steaming.
- Shaken hard. Roughing up the edges creates a starchy, fuzzy layer that turns into the crackling crust.
- Smoking hot oil. Potatoes that sizzle as they hit the pan seal at once and crisp rather than absorbing oil.
Ingredients
Serves 6 as a side dish. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the potatoes
- 3 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (1.4kg)
- 1 tablespoon fine salt, for the water
- 1/2 cup vegetable, canola or light olive oil (120ml)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional, for the last minutes)
- Flaky salt and black pepper, to finish
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme (optional)
Use an oil that can take high heat, such as vegetable, canola or light olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil smokes too soon at this temperature. A sturdy metal roasting pan crisps better than glass.
How to make crispy roast potatoes
- Put a large metal roasting pan with the oil in the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees (220°C). Leave the pan in for at least 15 minutes while you boil the potatoes.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks, about 2 inches, so each has several flat sides.
- Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by an inch and add the tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the outsides are soft and a knife slides in at the edge but meets resistance in the middle.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them steam dry for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Tip the potatoes back into the empty pot, put the lid on and shake the pot hard for 10 seconds, until the edges are rough and fuzzy and some of the surface has turned to a starchy paste.
- Check the oil: it should shimmer and a small piece of potato dropped in should sizzle loudly at once. Carefully take the pan out and set it on the stovetop.
- Add the potatoes one by one with a large spoon, standing back from the spatter. Turn each in the oil so every side is coated. Leave space between them.
- Roast for 25 minutes. Turn the potatoes with a spatula and roast for 20 to 30 minutes more, turning once more, until deep golden and crisp all over.
- In the last 5 minutes add the butter and herbs if using. Lift the potatoes onto a warm dish with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with flaky salt and pepper, and serve at once.
Tips that make the difference
- Never crowd the pan. Potatoes touching each other steam instead of crisp. Use two pans if needed.
- Do not turn the potatoes too soon. Let the first side set into a crust before you move them.
- Cut big chunks. Small pieces dry out before the crust forms.
- Serve them straight from the oven. Roast potatoes lose their crackle if they sit covered.
Variations
- Garlic. Add a few unpeeled garlic cloves to the pan for the last 20 minutes and squeeze them over the potatoes.
- Parmesan. Scatter finely grated parmesan over the potatoes for the last 5 minutes.
- Paprika. Toss the shaken potatoes with a teaspoon of smoked paprika before roasting.
- Butter only. Use clarified butter in place of the oil for a richer flavor; it can take the heat.
Storage and make-ahead
Roast potatoes are best eaten as soon as they come out of the oven.
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat on a baking sheet in a 425 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes to bring back the crunch. The microwave makes them soft.
Frequently asked questions
Why boil potatoes before roasting?
Parboiling softens the outside so it can be roughed up, seasons the potato all the way through and gives the fluffy middle. The roughed-up surface is what turns into the crust.
How hot should the oil be?
Hot enough that a piece of potato sizzles loudly the moment it touches it. Heat the oil in the pan in a 425 degree oven for at least 15 minutes before the potatoes go in.
Why are my roast potatoes soggy?
Usually the oil was not hot enough, the potatoes were wet, or the pan was crowded. Steam dry them, heat the oil first and give them space.
Which potatoes are best?
Floury potatoes such as russets, or all-purpose Yukon Golds. Waxy red potatoes hold their shape too well to roughen up.
Bring the pan to the table hot, and listen for the crackle when the first knife goes in.
Crispy Roast Potatoes (Boiled First, Shaken in the Pot, Roasted in Hot Oil)
The crispiest roast potatoes: chunks of potato parboiled in salted water, shaken in the pot to rough up the edges, then roasted in smoking hot oil at 425 degrees until golden, crackling outside and fluffy inside.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 tablespoon fine salt, for the water
- 1/2 cup vegetable, canola or light olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Flaky salt and black pepper, to finish
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme
Instructions
- Put a large metal roasting pan with the oil in the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees (220°C). Leave the pan in for at least 15 minutes while you boil the potatoes.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks, about 2 inches, so each has several flat sides.
- Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by an inch and add the tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the outsides are soft and a knife slides in at the edge but meets resistance in the middle.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them steam dry for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Tip the potatoes back into the empty pot, put the lid on and shake the pot hard for 10 seconds, until the edges are rough and fuzzy and some of the surface has turned to a starchy paste.
- Check the oil: it should shimmer and a small piece of potato dropped in should sizzle loudly at once. Carefully take the pan out and set it on the stovetop.
- Add the potatoes one by one with a large spoon, standing back from the spatter. Turn each in the oil so every side is coated. Leave space between them.
- Roast for 25 minutes. Turn the potatoes with a spatula and roast for 20 to 30 minutes more, turning once more, until deep golden and crisp all over.
- In the last 5 minutes add the butter and herbs if using. Lift the potatoes onto a warm dish with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with flaky salt and pepper, and serve at once.
