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The secrets to amazing roasted potatoes are simple: a decent amount of olive oil; high heat; and a nice sprinkle of kosher salt. Crispy, crunchy roasted potatoes go with just about anything, and couldn’t be easier to make. Make more than you think you’ll need, because if your family is anything like mine, potatoes will be snitched from the baking sheet and serving bowl before they hit the table.
Once you make these a few times,l you won;’t even need this recipe. My mom is a great, intuitive cook, so I know it pains her a little bit to have to call me for a refresher on how to make perfect roasted potatoes. But call she does, whenever she plans to make these. And every time I go over this with her on the phone she says, “Right, right, of course,” and then doesn’t bother to write it down because it’s so ridiculously simple.
Best Potatoes for Roasting
You can use whole waxy red or white or Yukon gold potatoes, and cut them into 1-inch chunks, or use baby potatoes, as I did here, and cut them in half.
Tips
Mix the potatoes with the oil and salt right on the baking sheet, sprayed first with nonstick spray, which saves washing a bowl.
Spread them out.
Drizzle them with olive oil.
Sprinkle them with salt, use your hands or a spoon to mix them up so that they are coated with the oil. Spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet.
If you are roasting more potatoes than can be spread out in a single layer, then use two baking sheets, and rotate them halfway during cooking so that each tray has a chance to be on top, and – as things would go – on the bottom, so they brown up evenly. You may have to tack on a few extra minutes of cooking time if you are roasting two trays at one time.
You can also cut these like thick steak fries, and in that case, if you are entertaining or just feeling ambitious, they make a nice appetizer.
How to Make Perfect Roasted Potatoes: Roasted potatoes go with just about anything, and couldn’t be easier to make.
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Variations of Roasted Potatoes
Spiced Potatoes
Before they go into the oven, you can also sprinkle them with a ½ teaspoon of paprika and/or ground cumin.
Rosemary Potatoes
Before they go into the oven, you can also sprinkle them with a ½ teaspoon of crushed dried or chopped fresh rosemary.
Garlicky Roasted Potatoes
About 20 minutes after the potatoes go into the oven, pull them out and toss them with 1 clove of minced garlic, then let them finish roasting.
Serve Roasted Potatoes with:
- Bourbon Brown Sugar Pork Loin
- Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Rib Eye Steaks with Thyme-Garlic Butter
- Baked Chicken Legs with Herbs and Lemon
- Dijon and Honey Crusted Pork Tenderloins
- Porchetta
Other Potato Recipes:
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Crispy Sauteed Potatoes
- The Best Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
- Dutch Oven Idaho Potatoes
- French Potato Salad
How to Make Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold new potatoes, or other waxy potatoes, peeled or washed, or baby potatoes
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Spray a rimmed baking sheet generously with nonstick cooking spray. Cut larger potatoes into 1 or 1 ½ inch chunks (bigger chunks=more creamy insides, smaller chunks=more crispy outsides), cut baby potatoes in half. Spread them out on the baking sheet drizzle the olive oil over, sprinkle the salt over, and toss with your hands to combine.
- Make sure they are in a single layer and roast for 40 to 50 minutes or so, tossing them once towards the end of cooking, and spreading them out again. If they are sticking to the baking sheet, just leave them be! After a little more time in the oven, they will crisp up on the bottom, and be easier to flip.
- Add a sprinkle of additional salt if needed, and serve, but warn people that they are HOT.
Notes
- No need to peel the potatoes! The skin adds even more crispiness to the exterior.
- Mix the potatoes with the oil and salt right on the baking sheet, sprayed first with nonstick spray, which saves washing a bowl.
- If you cut the potatoes into bigger chunks (2 to 3 inches), you’ll have more creamy insides. Smaller chunks (1 to 1 1/2 inches) result in more crispy outsides. There’s no wrong way to go! But keep the potatoes of a similar size so they cook evenly.
- If you are roasting more potatoes than can be spread out in a single layer, then use two baking sheets, and rotate them halfway during cooking so that each tray has a chance to be on top, and – as things would go – on the bottom, so they brown up evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan.
- You may have to tack on a few extra minutes of cooking time if you are roasting two trays at one time.
- If the potatoes are sticking to the baking sheet, just leave them be! After a little more time in the oven, they will crisp up on the bottom, and be easier to flip.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
