Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Oven Roasted Potatoes Recipe
• Ingredients for Perfectly Roasted Potatoes
• How to Make Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes
• Expert Tips for the Best Roasted Potatoes
• What to Serve With Golden Roasted Potatoes
• Storing and Reheating Leftovers
• More Delicious Potato Recipes
• Oven Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Oven Roasted Potatoes Recipe

• Achieve Unbeatable Crispiness: The hallmark of truly great roasted potatoes is their crispy, golden exterior complemented by a soft, creamy interior. This recipe delivers exactly that. By utilizing a hot oven and the right amount of oil, we create the perfect environment for the potatoes to develop a beautiful crust that crackles with every bite, ensuring a delightful texture contrast.
• Effortless Preparation: Don’t let the impressive results fool you – this recipe is incredibly easy to follow. The process is simple: wash, chop, season, and bake! The magic happens with a few key principles, primarily a high oven temperature and sufficient oil. We’ll guide you through each step, making sure even novice cooks can master perfectly roasted potatoes.
• Incredibly Versatile: This oven roasting method is exceptionally flexible, serving more as a foundational guide for achieving perfectly cooked potatoes. The real fun lies in customizing the seasonings to match your taste or meal. Feel free to swap garlic powder for freshly minced garlic, add a zest of lemon juice for brightness, or experiment with different spice blends. It’s incredibly easy to adapt these roasted potatoes to suit your personal preferences, making them a dish you’ll never tire of.

Ingredients for Perfectly Roasted Potatoes

The fundamental components for exceptional roasted potatoes are quite simple: quality potatoes, a good cooking oil, salt, and pepper. Beyond these essentials, the seasonings offer a canvas for your culinary creativity. While I’ve provided a fantastic base seasoning below, don’t hesitate to explore other flavor combinations. Here are some detailed notes on the ingredients. The comprehensive recipe with exact printable measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

• Potatoes: For roasting, Russet potatoes are my top recommendation. Their high starch content and fluffy texture once cooked, combined with a thicker skin that crisps beautifully, make them ideal for achieving that coveted contrast between crispy exterior and creamy interior. Yukon Gold potatoes are another excellent choice, offering a slightly waxier texture but still crisping up wonderfully.
• Olive Oil: A good quality olive oil is crucial for achieving that golden crispness. It acts as a heat conductor, helping the potatoes brown evenly and preventing them from sticking to the baking sheet. If olive oil isn’t preferred, alternatives like avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil work equally well. The key is to use enough oil to lightly coat all potato surfaces without making them greasy.
• Seasonings: Our go-to blend includes garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. This combination provides a savory, aromatic foundation that enhances the natural potato flavor. Garlic powder offers a mellow garlic taste, while Italian seasoning adds a medley of herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme.
• Parmesan Cheese: While optional, freshly grated Parmesan cheese introduces a delightful nutty, salty, and savory layer of flavor that melts slightly and crisps up beautifully during roasting. Always opt for freshly grated for the best flavor and texture; pre-grated varieties often contain anti-caking agents that can hinder melting and crisping.

Which Potato Varieties Are Best for Roasting?

For the crispiest and creamiest roasted potatoes, Russet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes are superior choices. Russets are known for their high starch content, which leads to a light, fluffy interior and a super crispy exterior. Yukon Golds offer a rich, buttery flavor and a creamy texture that holds up well, developing a lovely golden crust. It’s best to save waxy varieties, such as baby red potatoes or new potatoes, for dishes like potato salad, as they tend to steam rather than crisp when roasted, resulting in a less desirable texture.

Can I Use the Air Fryer for Roasted Potatoes?

Absolutely! The air fryer is an excellent alternative for achieving super crispy roasted potatoes with less oil and in less time. To adapt this recipe for the air fryer, I recommend seasoning your potatoes exactly as directed in the recipe card. Then, follow the cooking directions for my air fryer potato wedges, which typically involve cooking at a high temperature (around 375-400°F) in batches to avoid overcrowding, shaking the basket frequently. You may need to adjust the cooking times slightly depending on the specific model of your air fryer and the size of your potato pieces, but the principle of high heat and good circulation remains the same for maximum crispness.

Expert Tips for the Best Roasted Potatoes

• Cut Potatoes into Same-Size Pieces: This is arguably the most crucial tip for uniform cooking. Potatoes cut into similar sizes will roast at the same rate, ensuring that all pieces are perfectly cooked, golden, and crispy. Irregularly sized pieces will result in some undercooked and some overcooked, compromising the overall texture.
• Preheat Oven to a High Temperature: A hot oven, ideally between 400-425ºF (200-220ºC), is essential for achieving that desirable golden-brown crust. Lower temperatures will cause the potatoes to cook slowly and steam rather than roast, resulting in a softer, less crispy texture. The high heat initiates the Maillard reaction, which is responsible for the rich flavors and browning.
• To Peel, or Not to Peel? This is a matter of personal preference. I generally don’t peel my potatoes before roasting as I enjoy the added texture, rustic appearance, and nutritional benefits that the skin provides. If you choose to leave the skin on, ensure you give the potatoes a thorough scrub and rinse. If you prefer a smoother texture, peeling is perfectly fine!
• Don’t Skimp on the Cooking Oil: While you don’t want to drown your potatoes in oil and make them greasy, using a sufficient amount is vital. Fat, like olive oil, is the key ingredient that helps the potatoes crisp up and brown beautifully. It also contributes to the flavor and helps the seasonings adhere. Ensure every potato piece has a light, even coating.
• Avoid Overcrowding the Baking Sheet: This is a common mistake that leads to soggy potatoes. When potatoes are packed too tightly, they release moisture, which gets trapped and creates steam, preventing crisping. Spread your potatoes in a single layer with a little space between each piece. If you have a large batch, use two baking sheets and rotate them halfway through.
• Experiment with Different Seasonings: While our basic blend is fantastic, feel free to unleash your creativity! Introduce fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme for an earthy aroma. For a spicy kick, toss your potatoes in Cajun seasoning or blackened seasoning. For a Tex-Mex twist, try fajita seasoning. Onion powder, smoked paprika, or a touch of cayenne pepper can also add wonderful depth.
• Optional Soaking Step: For ultimate crispiness, some chefs recommend soaking chopped potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes to an hour before roasting. This draws out excess starch, which can hinder browning. If you do this, make sure to thoroughly dry the potatoes afterward, as any residual moisture will prevent them from crisping.

What to Serve With Golden Roasted Potatoes

Crispy oven roasted potatoes are incredibly versatile and pair beautifully with an array of main courses. I particularly enjoy serving them alongside hearty meals like savory French dip sandwiches or juicy, classic hamburgers. For dipping, traditional ketchup is always a hit, but you can elevate the experience with flavorful condiments such as a zesty Cajun sauce. They also make an excellent appetizer when dunked into creamy homemade garlic aioli or a rich Big Mac sauce, adding a gourmet touch to any gathering.

Beyond dinner, these roasted potatoes, especially when cut into cubes, transform into fantastic breakfast potatoes. They’re a perfect accompaniment to fluffy scrambled eggs, a satisfying breakfast sandwich, or even as part of a breakfast hash. Their savory crispness provides a wonderful counterpoint to morning favorites, making them a great way to start your day.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Don’t worry if you have any leftover roasted potatoes – they’re still delicious and can be easily stored and reheated for another meal. While they won’t be quite as crispy as when fresh, there are methods to revive some of their delightful texture.

• Refrigerate: Allow any leftover roasted potatoes to cool completely to room temperature before storing. Transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Cooked potatoes are very versatile; I love repurposing leftovers by tossing them with caramelized onions and crumbled bacon to create a delicious roasted potato salad.
• Reheat for Crispness: To bring back some of that coveted crispiness, the best method for reheating is in the oven or an air fryer. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet and warm them in a preheated oven at 350ºF (175ºC) for about 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and starting to crisp again. An air fryer can achieve similar results even faster, typically around 5-8 minutes at 375°F (190°C). While you can reheat them in the microwave for speed, be aware they will likely be softer rather than crispy.

More Delicious Potato Recipes

If you love potatoes as much as we do, you’re in for a treat! Here are more fantastic potato recipes from our collection to inspire your next meal:

• Air Fryer Baked Potato
• Scalloped Potato Recipe
• Air Fryer Potato Skins
• Smoked Potatoes
• Grilled Potato Packs
• Slow Cooker Potatoes