There are few things in the culinary world that bring as much pure, unadulterated joy as a truly perfect roasted potato. I’m not talking about the pale, slightly soft cubes that often pass for roasties. I mean those magnificent, craggy-edged nuggets of gold with a shatteringly crisp crust that gives way to an incredibly light, fluffy interior. The kind you can hear crunching from across the table. This is that recipe. It’s the result of years of testing, tweaking, and listening to the sage advice passed down from my nan. It’s the method I always come back to for consistently brilliant results.

This recipe for Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes isn’t about complicated techniques or a long list of fancy ingredients. It’s about a few key steps, done correctly, that transform the humble potato into something utterly sublime. I make this at least once a week – it’s become a family favourite, whether served alongside a traditional Sunday roast or with a simple grilled chicken breast for a mid-week dinner. The beauty of these oven potatoes lies in that delightful contrast of textures; the deep, savoury flavour from the hot fat and the fluffy, almost mashed-potato-like centre.

This is the definitive guide to achieving the kind of roasted potatoes that people talk about long after the meal is over. It’s a foundational recipe that every home cook should have in their repertoire. Works wonderfully for family gatherings, special occasions, or just when you need a little bit of starchy, golden-brown happiness in your life.

Recipe Overview

This recipe focuses on a two-stage cooking process—parboiling and high-temperature roasting—to achieve the ultimate textural contrast. The flavour is rich and deeply savoury, with a clean potato taste that’s enhanced by simple seasoning. After testing countless fats over the years, I’ve found that goose fat renders the most luxurious flavour and golden colour, but a high-quality rapeseed oil is a fantastic vegetarian alternative that still produces an excellent crunch.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 55-65 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes – 1 hour 20 minutes
• Servings: 4-6 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

• The Ultimate Texture: This method guarantees an unbelievably crispy, craggy, golden-brown shell that gives way to a centre that’s as light and fluffy as a cloud. It’s the contrast that makes them so addictive.
• Ready in Just Over an Hour: From peeling the spuds to pulling the sizzling tray from the oven, these glorious roasted potatoes are on your table in about 75 minutes, with most of that being hands-off time.
• Wonderfully Adaptable: While magnificent with just salt and pepper, you can easily adapt them. Toss in a few lightly crushed garlic cloves or some woody rosemary sprigs for the final 20 minutes of roasting for an aromatic twist.
• Ideal for a Sunday Roast: These are the cornerstone of any great British roast dinner. They sit beautifully alongside a roasted chicken, a joint of beef, or even my Meatloaf With Stove Top Stuffing Recipe for a comforting meal.
• Family Tested and Approved: My kids absolutely devour this every time I make it, often picking the crispiest bits straight from the tin before they even reach the table! It’s one of those dishes that always gets compliments.

Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

⏱️ 15 min prep  •  🍳 75 min cook  •  👥 6 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

The key to fantastic roasted potatoes is using the right type of potato. You’re looking for a ‘floury’ or starchy variety. In the UK, Maris Piper or King Edward are the undisputed champions for this job. Their high starch content breaks down to create that essential fluffy interior. For the salt, I love using Maldon sea salt flakes for finishing; their texture adds a final, delightful little crunch.

• 1.5 kg Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes
• 100g goose fat (or duck fat, or 120ml rapeseed oil)
• 2 tsp fine sea salt, for the water
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt, for finishing
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: 4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme
• Optional: 3-4 whole garlic cloves, skin on

Kira’s Tip: Don’t be tempted to use waxy potatoes like Charlotte or Jersey Royals for this recipe. They hold their shape too well and won’t give you that all-important fluffy, roughed-up texture that is crucial for creating a super crispy crust.

How to Make Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

The process is straightforward, but each step plays a vital role. The most important parts are preheating the fat properly and roughing up the parboiled potatoes to create a huge surface area for crisping up in the oven. Follow these steps, and you won’t go wrong.

1. Preheat the Oven and Fat: Place your chosen fat (goose fat, duck fat, or oil) into a large, sturdy roasting tin. Pop it into the oven and preheat to 200°C (180°C Fan, Gas Mark 6). Getting the fat screaming hot is essential.
2. Prepare the Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and chop them into evenly-sized pieces, roughly the size of a golf ball. Don’t worry about perfect shapes; irregular edges are your friend here. Rinse them under cold water to remove some of the excess starch.
3. Parboil the Potatoes: Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the 2 teaspoons of fine sea salt. Bring to the boil and let them bubble away for 10-12 minutes, or until the outside is soft but the centre still has a definite bite. You should be able to pierce the edge with a fork easily.
4. Drain and Steam Dry: Drain the potatoes carefully in a colander. Leave them to sit in the colander for 2-3 minutes to steam dry. This step helps remove surface moisture, which is the enemy of crispiness.
5. Rough Them Up: This is the secret to a craggy crust! With the potatoes still in the colander, give them a good, firm shake (put the lid on the pan and shake them in there if your colander feels flimsy). The aim is to scuff up the edges and create a rough, starchy paste on the outside of each potato.
6. Get Roasting: Carefully remove the hot roasting tin from the oven. The fat should be shimmering. I find that using a long-handled metal spoon to gently lower the potatoes into the hot fat one by one is the safest way to avoid splashes. Gently turn each potato to coat it in the hot fat.
7. First Roast: Place the tin back in the hot oven and roast for 25-30 minutes. By this point, they should be starting to turn a light golden colour.
8. Turn and Finish Roasting: Remove the tin from the oven. Use tongs to turn each potato over. If you’re adding rosemary, thyme, or garlic, now is the time to toss them in. Return the tin to the oven and roast for another 25-35 minutes, or until they are a deep golden-brown, wonderfully crisp, and audibly crunchy.
9. Serve Immediately: Remove the potatoes from the tin and drain them for a moment on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Sprinkle generously with the flaky sea salt and black pepper, and serve straight away while they’re piping hot.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature is Key: A properly hot oven is non-negotiable for crispy oven potatoes. If your oven runs cool, you might need to increase the temperature slightly. The initial sizzle when the potatoes hit the hot fat is the sound of success.
• The Steam-Dry Secret: I learned that letting the parboiled potatoes steam dry for a few minutes after draining is just as important as roughing them up. This brief pause allows excess water to evaporate, ensuring the potatoes roast rather than steam in the oven.
• Make-Ahead Method: You can get ahead of the game for a big meal. Parboil, drain, and rough up the potatoes in the morning. Let them cool completely, then cover and store them in the fridge. You can then roast them from chilled, adding about 10 minutes to the total cooking time.
• Storing and Reheating: These crispy roasted potatoes are undoubtedly best enjoyed fresh from the oven. However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. To bring them back to life, reheat them on a baking tray in a hot oven (200°C) for 10-15 minutes, or until hot and crisp again. An air fryer also works brilliantly for this.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcrowding the Pan: This is the most common mistake. If the potatoes are crammed together, they will steam instead of roast, resulting in pale, soggy spuds. Give them plenty of space in a single layer. If you need to, use two roasting tins rather than one crowded one.
• The Wrong Temperature: Roasting at too low a temperature will leave you with greasy, unappealing potatoes. You need that initial blast of high heat to start forming the crust immediately. Make sure your oven is fully preheated before you even think about putting the tin in.
• Not Preheating the Fat: Adding potatoes to cold or lukewarm fat is a guaranteed way to get a disappointing result. The fat must be shimmering and almost smoking hot. This sears the outside of the potato instantly, which is the first step to a crispy exterior.

What to Serve With Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

These magnificent oven potatoes are incredibly versatile. They are the quintessential partner for any roast dinner, but they work beautifully with so many other dishes too.

• A Classic Roast: Serve alongside a succulent roast chicken, a leg of lamb, or a slow-roasted pork belly for the ultimate Sunday lunch. Don’t forget the gravy!
• Steak Dinner: They make a fantastic alternative to chips when served with a perfectly cooked steak. Try them with my Steak Bites With Garlic Butter Recipe.
• Fish Dishes: A lovely piece of baked cod or my Grilled Salmon With Lemon Butter Sauce Recipe with a side of these potatoes and some steamed green beans makes for a truly satisfying meal.
• Drink Pairing: A robust red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Malbec stands up well to the richness of the potatoes. For beer lovers, a classic British bitter or a crisp lager is a great match.

Frequently Asked Questions

Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Achieve perfectly fluffy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside roast potatoes with this foolproof method, a perfect side for any roast dinner.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: British

Calories: 345

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1.5 kg Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes
• 100 g goose fat or duck fat, or 120ml rapeseed oil
• 2 tsp fine sea salt for the water
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt for finishing
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: 4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme
• Optional: 3-4 whole garlic cloves skin on

Method

 

1. Preheat the Oven and Fat: Place your chosen fat (goose fat, duck fat, or oil) into a large, sturdy roasting tin. Pop it into the oven and preheat to 200°C (180°C Fan, Gas Mark 6). Getting the fat screaming hot is essential.
2. Prepare the Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and chop them into evenly-sized pieces, roughly the size of a golf ball. Don't worry about perfect shapes; irregular edges are your friend here. Rinse them under cold water to remove some of the excess starch.
3. Parboil the Potatoes: Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the 2 teaspoons of fine sea salt. Bring to the boil and let them bubble away for 10-12 minutes, or until the outside is soft but the centre still has a definite bite. You should be able to pierce the edge with a fork easily.
4. Drain and Steam Dry: Drain the potatoes carefully in a colander. Leave them to sit in the colander for 2-3 minutes to steam dry. This step helps remove surface moisture, which is the enemy of crispiness.
5. Rough Them Up: This is the secret to a craggy crust! With the potatoes still in the colander, give them a good, firm shake (put the lid on the pan and shake them in there if your colander feels flimsy). The aim is to scuff up the edges and create a rough, starchy paste on the outside of each potato.
6. Get Roasting: Carefully remove the hot roasting tin from the oven. The fat should be shimmering. I find that using a long-handled metal spoon to gently lower the potatoes into the hot fat one by one is the safest way to avoid splashes. Gently turn each potato to coat it in the hot fat.
7. First Roast: Place the tin back in the hot oven and roast for 25-30 minutes. By this point, they should be starting to turn a light golden colour.
8. Turn and Finish Roasting: Remove the tin from the oven. Use tongs to turn each potato over. If you're adding rosemary, thyme, or garlic, now is the time to toss them in. Return the tin to the oven and roast for another 25-35 minutes, or until they are a deep golden-brown, wonderfully crisp, and audibly crunchy.
9. Serve Immediately: Remove the potatoes from the tin and drain them for a moment on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Sprinkle generously with the flaky sea salt and black pepper, and serve straight away while they're piping hot.

Notes

For the best results, serve immediately while piping hot. Leftovers can be reheated in a hot oven or an air fryer to regain their crispiness.

I truly hope these Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes become a staple in your home, just as they are in mine. There’s something so rewarding about pulling a tray of these perfectly golden, sizzling potatoes from the oven. Give this method a try for your next Sunday lunch or family dinner, and let me know how you get on in the comments below. I love hearing about your kitchen successes!