Ultimate Crispy Roasted Potatoes

I mean no disrespect to mashed potatoes but, outside of a traditional Thanksgiving menu, I’d pick these ultimate crispy roasted potatoes instead every single time.

It took an amount of recipe testing you could either call “excessive” or “fueled by a passion for potatoes,” but the result is my method for fool-proof crispy roasted potato perfection: glorious mouthfuls of creamy, buttery goodness encased in a thick, crunchy, golden-roasted crust.

I cooked 50 lbs of potatoes so you don’t have to

Sometimes, I nail a recipe right on the first-ish try. But more often than not, the recipe development process is a trial-and-error-filled labor of love.

Fifty pounds of roasted potatoes later, I can safely say that this recipe falls into the latter category 😅

I started by testing four very popular roasted potato recipes from major food publications not once, but twice: America’s Test Kitchen, Serious Eats (Kenji Alt-Lopez), Bon Appetit (Claire Saffitz), and Epicurious (Frank Proto).

After that, I tested and tweaked this recipe…nine times.

But friends—it was so worth it. This deep dive helped me develop a method that guarantees the textural triumph I was going for: a potato with serious crunch that gives way to a melt-in-your-mouth interior. And of course, excellent flavor.

I tried the top Roasted Potatoes recipes. This is the best one.

Looking for more crowd-pleasing potato recipes? Try my creamy, fluffy vegan mashed potatoes, crispy smashed potatoes (with ginger tahini dressing), or these indulgent vegan scalloped potatoes!

Three secrets for swoon-worthy spuds

After the weeks (months?) I spent testing and tweaking this recipe, I could write a dissertation on “Achieving Optimal Textural Contrast in Roasted Potatoes.”

But for your sake, I’ve distilled my “research” into three key strategies for perfect crispy potatoes:

1. Use Yukon Golds… plus one Russet

Ahhh, the Yukon Gold vs. Russet debate: Yukon Golds have a superior flavor (rich, buttery) and a creamy texture when baked, but Russets, being a high-starch potato, get much crispier when roasted.

How do you get the best qualities of both potatoes? Well…use both potatoes. This recipe calls for slicing one Russet potato super thin so it breaks down in the parboil and essentially becomes a fluffy jacket around the hunks of creamy, flavorful Yukon Gold.

Rich, buttery flavor with a starchy crisp shell ✅

2. Parboil before roasting

Parboiling = partially cooking the potatoes before roasting them by simmering them in a pot of salted water.

You can’t skip it.

Believe me, I tried—it led to potatoes that burned on the outside or turned leathery before the insides could fully cook.

3. Rough ‘em up

For maximum crispiness, you’ll want to “rough up” the surface of your potato chunks before the roast. More roughing up = more texture = more crunchy, roasty bits.

This is where the Russet potato comes into play—you’ll toss the parboiled Yukon Golds in the starchy, mashed up Russet before baking. This thick, starchy coating roasts into a delectably crunchy golden shell around the buttery Yukon Golds.

Close up photo of crispy roasted potatoes on a pan.

Ingredient notes

ingredients for making crispy roasted potatoes on a wooden cutting board.

Yukon Gold potatoes + 1 Russet: Read the section above for details on why this combo is critical. TLDR: Yukon Golds bring the flavor, and the high-starch Russet gets mashed and coats the Yukon Golds so they get extra crispy in the oven!

Extra virgin olive oil: In a recipe with minimal ingredients like this one, the flavor of each element matters—so use good-quality olive oil!

Kosher salt: Potatoes need salt…and a lot of it. You’ll salt the parboiling water (which helps flavor the potatoes from the inside out), then season the potatoes with more salt before the roast!

Can’t find these exact potato varieties or live outside the U.S.? Check out the FAQ section for substitutes.

Step-by-step instructions

Peel and slice the Yukon Gold potatoes into 1 ½ to 2” pieces (4 to 5 cm). For small to medium-sized potatoes, this means cutting in quarters.

Peel the Russet potato, then slice it lengthwise into quarters. From there, slice it as thinly as you can.

person slicing the potatoes into 1 1/2" inch pieces.

Add both potatoes to a large saucepan of salted boiling water.

Gently simmer for 8 minutes, or until Yukon Golds offer just a little resistance when pierced with a knife; the Russets should be very soft and falling apart.

person transferring yukon gold potatoes from a colander into a pot.

person adding russet potato into the pot with water and other potatoes.

person using a pairing knife to test the resistance of the cooked potato.

parboiled potatoes in a spider tool on a wooden cutting board.

Return the parboiled potatoes to the hot pan for a few minutes to evaporate remaining moisture.

Add the potatoes to a large bowl.

person returning parboiled potatoes to hot pan to dry out a bit.

person dumping potatoes into a large bowl.

Use a fork to mash the pieces of Russet potatoes that haven’t yet broken down (the Russet will be the small white pieces).

Now shake the bowl of potatoes vigorously for about 1 minute.

Once a starchy layer starts to coat the potatoes, pour in the olive oil, salt, and pepper.

person masing the russet potato in the bowl.

person shaking the potatoes in the bowl for a minute.

what the potatoes look like in the bowl after they've been shaken for a minute.

Toss the potatoes with a silicone spatula until a thick mashed potato layer has formed on the potatoes.

Transfer the potatoes to a preheated roasting pan or sheet pan. Spread the potatoes out as best you can. Use a small spatula to spread any excess mashed potato in the bowl onto the potatoes.

starchy tossed potatoes that are covered in oil, salt and pepper in bowl.

potatoes evenly spaced in preheating roasting pan.

Roast the potatoes at 450ºF/230ºC for 20 minutes. Use tongs to flip them over.

Roast for another 20 minutes, until golden brown on both sides.

half roasted potatoes in the pan after they've been flipped.

While the potatoes roast, make the rosemary oil: finely chop fresh rosemary, then mix in just enough olive oil to make a coarse paste.

person chopping rosemary on a cutting board.

person pouring olive oil over rosemary in small bowl.

After 40 minutes in the oven, spoon the rosemary paste on the potatoes and spread it on the potatoes with a pastry brush or your fingers.

crispy roasted potatoes with chunks of rosemary oil on them.

person brushing the rosemary oil over the potatoes.

Roast for another 7 minutes, or until potatoes are deeply golden brown.

potatoes after they've been cooked with the rosemary oil for 7 minutes.

Tips for making this recipe

Nailing the creamy interior : crunchy exterior ratio

The secret to this lies in how you cut the two types of potatoes.

Yukon Gold (medium-starch potato): Large chunks don’t get enough crunchy coating, while small pieces will overcrowd the roasting pan. Instead, slice these gold potatoes into small-to-medium pieces: 1 ½” wide, no larger than 2” (~4 to 5 cm).

You can fit 2 ½ pounds (~1.1 kg) of Yukon Gold potatoes of this size on a standard rimmed sheet pan (“half sheet pan”) or in a medium-sized roasting pan.

Russet (high-starch potato): You’ve got to slice this thinly because it needs to break down and soften a lot more than the gold potatoes do during the parboil. Slicing the Russet thinly helps it become almost a mash.

Salt Tips

Out of the four recipes I tested prior to developing this one, the only recipe that did not need salt at the end was from America’s Test Kitchen—and it’s likely not a coincidence that this was the only recipe that gave precise salt amounts for both the parboiling and the roasting stage.

It’s so important to sufficiently salt the water for the parboil, because this is the only stage of the process where the salt can penetrate the interior of the potato!

Important Notes: After the parboiled potatoes have been tossed with olive oil and salt, taste a small piece. It should taste a little salty. That saltiness will mellow during the roast, leaving you with a perfectly seasoned potato.

I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using sea salt or Morton’s kosher salt, use slightly more than half the salt listed in the recipe (1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt = ½ tsp + ⅛ tsp). If using table salt, use half the amount of salt listed in the recipe (1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt = ½ tsp).

The pan you use matters

A sheet pan will work—but in the tests where I used a roasting pan like this, I got superior potatoes. I suspect this is because the roasting pan is thicker (so it retains and distributes heat more evenly) and has higher sides (which help lock in moisture).

Tip: The potatoes on the edges of whatever pan you use will brown faster. To encourage even browning, after flipping the potatoes, swap some of the ones on the edges of the pan with the ones in the middle.

How to serve these crispy roasted potatoes

At your holiday dinner, with other killer sides like Mushroom Gravy and Vegan Mac & Cheese. And a main like this Vegan Wellington.
As a side for meaty mains like BBQ Tempeh or Grilled Tofu Skewers
Alongside a dipping sauce like this Vegan Aioli, Avocado Crema, or Vegan Ranch Dressing.

Crispy roasted potatoes with small rosemary sprigs and serving spoon on a tablecloth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make these potatoes ahead of time?

For the best results, enjoy these shortly after making them! This is the case with any roasted potato recipe, but especially a crispy roasted potato because they will be crispiest shortly after they’re done.

Okay, but what if I end up with leftovers? How do I reheat roasted potatoes?

Once cooled, store leftover roasted potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

For the best results, reheat the potatoes in a cast iron skillet:

1) Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until hot.

2) Add a glug of olive oil (a thin layer in the pan, you can spread it out with a paper towel).

3) Once shimmering, add the leftover roasted potatoes and toss to coat in the oil. Cover the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

4) Uncover and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until potatoes have crisped up a bit and are hot.

I live outside the U.S. What potato varieties should I use?

Instead of Yukon Golds, use a yellow-fleshed, medium-starch potato with a buttery flavor. In the U.K, this might be a Vivaldi or Rooster. In Australia, Nicola or Dutch Cream.

Instead of Russets, use a high-starch potato (floury and dry). In the U.K., look for King Edward potatoes (or Maris Piper). In Australia, try Sebago or Coliban.

Crispy roasted potatoes in a large bowl on stone table.

If you love these Crispy Roasted Potatoes, please be sure to leave a rating and review below! It’s always much appreciated 🙂

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