← All recipes

Sides · British

Crispy Roast Potatoes

Fluffy inside, craggy and golden outside: the potato's finest hour (and a bit).

Hands-on
35 min
Hands-off
1 h 15 min
Total
1 h 50 min
Makes
6 servings
Serves
6

The oven heats while you peel. About 20 minutes on the hob (bringing the water to the boil, 7 min parboil, 3 min steaming), then 30 + 40-45 minutes roasting with a 5-minute squash in between. The usual quoted total is 1 hr 40 min; we count the longer end of the roasting time.

Oven 190 °C · 170 °C fan (375 °F)

Pan large roasting tray, potatoes in one layer (US: large roasting pan or rimmed sheet pan, potatoes in one layer)

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • vegan
  • gluten-free
  • sunday-roast
  • christmas
  • thanksgiving
  • make-ahead

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Crispy Roast Potatoes
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: vegetable peeler and knife · large saucepan · colander · large roasting tray (big enough for one layer) · potato masher · small bowl · kitchen paper · oven mitts

Contains: none of the 9 major allergens in the listed ingredients

Method

  1. Heat the oven

    Turn the oven on to 190°C (170°C fan, 375°F, gas 5).

    Ready when: The oven has fully reached temperature before the potatoes go in.

  2. Peel and cut evenly

    Peel the 1.5 kg potatoes and cut the big ones so every piece is roughly the same size (about twice the size of a squash ball). Rinse them in cold water to wash off some of the surface starch.

    Otto tried this firstOtto leaves some potatoes whole and cuts others tiny. The tiny ones burn while the whole ones are still hard. Even pieces cook evenly.

  3. Parboil

    Put the potatoes in a large pan, cover with cold salted water and bring to the boil. Boil for 7 minutes.

    Ready when: The outside edges are just starting to soften while the middle is still firm when you poke a knife in. They are not cooked through yet.

  4. Steam-dry and rough up

    Drain in a colander and leave them to steam dry for 3 minutes. Then shake the colander a few times so the edges get fluffy and scuffed; those rough bits turn crunchy in the oven.

    Ready when: The surface looks dry and the edges are fluffy and roughed up.

  5. Oil, season and first roast

    Spread the potatoes in a single layer in the roasting tray, add 3 tbsp olive oil, season well with sea salt and black pepper and toss until every piece is coated. Roast for 30 minutes.

    Ready when: Lightly golden and about three-quarters cooked: a knife goes in with only a little resistance.

  6. Squash and flavour

    While they roast, put a splash of olive oil in a small bowl, tear in the rosemary leaves, add the unpeeled garlic cloves and a splash of red wine vinegar, and scrunch it together. Take the tray out, gently press each potato with a masher so more of it touches the tray, then add the herb mix and shake the tray.

    Ready when: Each potato is gently cracked open, not mashed, and coated in the oily herb mix after a good shake.

    Otto tried this firstOtto smashes the potatoes into mash. A gentle press that just cracks them open is all you need.

  7. Final roast

    Roast for another 40 to 45 minutes. Lift onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off extra oil, then serve. Fish out the garlic cloves and squeeze the soft garlic out of its skin if you like.

    Ready when: Golden all over, crisp at the edges and fluffy inside when you break one open. Aim for golden, not dark brown or charred (see safety).

Swaps

  • Instead of olive oil: a mild oil such as vegetable, canola (rapeseed) or grapeseed, same amount
  • Instead of Maris Piper: King Edward, or another floury potato
  • Instead of olive oil (3 tbsp) and rosemary: 2 tbsp goose fat, with a bunch of thyme and 2 bay leaves instead of rosemary A richer flavour option; the dish is then no longer vegetarian.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
You can parboil, oil and do the first 30-minute roast the day before. Cool, cover and refrigerate, then squash, add the herb mix and do the final roast on the day.

If something goes wrong

  • Potatoes aren't crispy Why: Smooth surfaces, too little oil or a crowded tray.
    Shake them in the colander after draining so the outsides go fluffy, make sure every piece is coated in hot oil, and keep them in one layer.
  • Some pieces burnt, others still hard Why: Pieces cut to different sizes.
    Cut everything to about the same size before parboiling.

Good to know

  • Give the tray a good shake when the herb mix goes in, so every potato gets a coating of oil and flavour.
  • Raw potatoes can be stored in the fridge or in a cool, dark place.

Safety

  • Roast to golden, not dark brown or burnt. Food-safety guidance is to aim for a golden yellow colour or lighter when roasting starchy foods such as potatoes, to keep acrylamide down.
  • The tray and oil are very hot when you squash and shake the potatoes. Pull the tray out onto a heatproof surface with oven mitts and keep kids back; an adult should handle the hot tray.
  • Draining a big pot of boiling water is a burn risk: pour away from you into a colander in the sink.