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How to Make Crispy Roast Potatoes

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Want to know how to make perfectly crispy roast potatoes? I’ve crammed this post full of tips, pictures, video and anything else I could think of to help you conquer the golden crispy roast potato! Whether it’s for your Sunday roast or Christmas dinner, these exquisite golden delights are sure to compliment anything you put next to them.

If you’re really trying to impress, I highly recommend pairing these crispy roast potatoes with my vegetarian mince and onion pie, steamed broccoli, no fail easy Yorkshire puddings and ultimate pigs in blankets. Your guests will be so happy they’ll be begging you for seconds!

golden crispy roast potatoes in a dish scattered with parsley

Now, sadly I can’t fully take credit for this recipe. There’s this awesome person who taught me virtually everything I’d ever need to know about making perfectly golden crispy roast potatoes. That person is my Dad!

Of all the varieties I’ve ever tried, my Dad’s are always at the top of my list. They’re guaranteed to be super crispy on the outside, fluffy and creamy on the inside and have a totally wonderful flavour. 

I even used the same technique to perfect my air fryer roast potatoes! So thanks Dad! You’ve given me more than I could have ever hoped for in life but, I have to say… your roast potatoes are one of the best!

crispy roast potatoes with parsley scattered on top

What potato type makes the best crispy roast potatoes?

The best kind of potatoes to use are what we call ‘floury’ potatoes. Here in the UK that means varieties such as Maris Piper, King Edward and Desiree.

Floury potatoes are perfect for mashing and roasting but there is one teeny catch… they tend to fall apart when boiled. So make sure you don’t over cook your potatoes when par-boiling in this recipe or you’ll get into a mushy mess!

golden crispy roast potatoes in a dish scattered with parsley

What goes well with crispy roast potatoes?

I’ll be honest, just about everything goes well with beautifully golden crispy potatoes but here are a few suggestions of my own to consider!

And you can’t forget my easy vegetable wellington. Yes, I know it’s not a side but it IS insanely delicious! Perfect for a vegetarian/vegan Christmas dinner alternative.

 

golden crispy roast potatoes in a dish scattered with parsley

Crispy roast potatoes recipe tips

Making perfect golden crispy roast potatoes can be a tricky business so I’ve compiled a few tips to help you on your way.

  • Cut all your potatoes to roughly the same size. This makes sure they cook evenly.
  • The smaller the potatoes, the faster they will cook. The larger the potatoes, the longer they will take to cook.
  • Once you’ve cut your potatoes, give them a good rinse until the water runs clear and isn’t cloudy anymore. (This is important for achieving super crispy potatoes!)
  • Short on time? Use boiling water to par boil your potatoes instead of starting with cold. You only have to stick the kettle on!
  • Make sure you don’t forget to salt the water when boiling the potatoes. This will really help to crisp up those potatoes.
  • Heat the oil in the roasting tray before you add the par-boiled potatoes. This helps them to crisp up/fry as opposed to soaking up all the oil.
golden crispy roast potatoes in a dish scattered with parsley

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes – Step by Step Picture Recipe

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Here is what you will need to serve 4-6 as a side.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg (2 lb 2 oz) Floury Potatoes *
  • Salt
  • Olive Oil
  • Approx 20 x Bay Leaves

Essential Equipment

  • Large Saucepan
  • Large Roasting Tray

*I used King Edward variety

Par boil instructions

First thing’s first. Peel your potatoes (1 kg | 2 lb 2 oz) and cut them into 4 cm/1.5″ size pieces. Try and keep them all roughly the same size as this will ensure they cook evenly.

peeled potatoes on a chopping board
peeled and chopped potatoes on a chopping board

Next, throw your potatoes into a large saucepan and rinse them thoroughly with cold water. I mean, give them a really good mix around and change the water once or twice kind of thoroughly. We want that water to be nice and clear, not cloudy. This helps to get rid of any excess starch which helps them to get as crispy as humanly possible! So it’s worth it I promise.

prepared potatoes in a saucepan

If you’re always short on time like me, fill the kettle up and switch it on. (If you’re not in a hurry, you can just use cold water instead.) Pour the boiling (or cold) water over the potatoes, which are still in the saucepan, and place over a high heat. Add a generous amount of salt and mix it round.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 190°C. Pour in just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the roasting dish and place it into the oven to heat while the potatoes are boiling.

prepared potatoes in a saucepan of water on the hob

Bring it to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for around 7-9 minutes. Remember, and this is important, do not over boil them at this point or they will begin to fall apart.

potatoes boiling in a saucepan on the hob

Just keep a very close an eye on them. To test, you want to be able to just get a sharp knife through a potato. If you can do that, you’re done!

The next job is to drain the potatoes then rough them up a little bit. My saucepans actually have a built in colander (which is awesome!) so I just gently shake them around in the pan. However, a traditional colander is actually best for this job as it roughs the edges up more evenly. Just don’t be too vigorous as they will likely fall apart.

drained boiled potatoes in a saucepan

Roasting instructions

Take the hot roasting dish out the oven and carefully tip in the potatoes.

boiled potatoes in a roasting dish

Now quickly drizzle over a little extra olive oil, season with salt and position the bay leaves between all the potatoes.

boiled potatoes in a roasting dish drizzled in olive oil and bay leaves

Your work here is done! Time for the oven to do it’s thing. Place them into the oven for around 40-45 minutes until crispy, golden and perfect. Turn them over once, about half way through the cooking time, to ensure an even colour and crispness.

golden crispy roast potatoes in a roasting dish with bay leaves

Tadah! Look at those golden beauties! Make sure you discard those bay leaves then you can either serve up your crispy roast potatoes directly onto plates, or pop them all in a warmed dish ready to place in the centre of your table. If you’re feeling a little fancy, scatter over some chopped parsley for that final finish.

golden crispy roast potatoes in a dish scattered with parsley

Want to add a little more flare to your potatoes? How about cutting them in shapes like in my roast potatoes hearts recipe. I think Christmas tree crispy roast potatoes would be fabulous!

golden crispy roast potatoes in a dish scattered with parsley

Have you made this recipe?

I LOVE it when you share what you’ve made! You can get in touch by leaving a comment below, tagging me on social media or sending me an email. I don’t mind how, I just love hearing from you!

Love this recipe? Pin it!

crispy roast potatoes with parsley scattered on top
golden crispy roast potatoes in a dish scattered with parsley
crispy roast potatoes with parsley scattered on top

How to Make Crispy Roast Potatoes - Printable Recipe

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Make the crispiest, tastiest, golden roast potatoes in all the land!

Ingredients

  • 1 kg Floury Potatoes
  • Salt
  • Olive Oil
  • 20 Bay Leaves, (Approx)

Essential Equipment

  • Large Saucepan
  • Large Roasting Tray

Instructions

  1. Peel and chop potatoes to roughly 4 cm/1.5" then rinse them well in cold water to remove excess starch.
  2. Preheat oven to 200°C/Fan 190°C and pour enough olive oil into the roasting tray to coat the bottom and place it into the oven to heat up.
  3. Place washed potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 7-9 mins until just starting to soften. (Do NOT over boil!)
  4. Drain the par-boiled potatoes and rough up the edges by shaking them gently in a colander. Carefully tip the potatoes into the hot oil/roasting dish.
  5. Drizzle over some more olive oil, season with salt and evenly slot the bay leaves between the potatoes. 
  6. Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins until crisp and golden. Turn once halfway through cooking.

Notes

I used Kind Edward potatoes but maris piper, desiree or any floury variety would also work great.

Serve scattered with a little chopped parsley.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 114mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment on the blog or tag me on Instagram.

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Rita

Monday 3rd of December 2018

nicely explained

Miss KitchenMason

Monday 3rd of December 2018

Thank you Rita :) Emma x

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