Dinner / Recipe

Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe

The most easy Crispy Roasted Potatoes Recipe you’ll ever make for your Sunday dinner! Learn the secret to the best crispiest roasted potatoes! You only need a few basic ingredients and a hot oven. Here, I used duck fat for the ultimate crunchy roast potatoes, but you can certainly use almost any kind of fat you prefer.

Crispy roasted potatoes

Crispy roasted potatoes remind me of that casual yet sophisticatedly dressed man you get a quick glimpse of in a busy subway car during rush hour. There is method and madness behind his sartorial elegance. Despite the rolled jeans, unshaven face, and messy hair, his carefully chosen outfit just works for him. Even the shoes. These crispy roast potatoes are like him. They’re like these waffles.

Perfectly made crispy roasted potatoes are unparalleled. They are beautifully bronzed, as if they’d been on a beach-side vacation. And most importantly, they’re crisp-coated and fluffy-bellied. When you bite down you get that nice “cronch” sound.

When it comes to crispy roasted potatoes, needs must be met. They must satisfy a hankering for thick (and crispy!) deeply golden wedges that conjure memories of autumn and winter roasts, and plates smudged with ketchup.

Peeling Potatoes
Cutting potatoes
The most fool-proof crispy roasted potatoes recipe you'll ever make. All you need is a few basic ingredients and an oven.
Cutting potatoes

Crispy Roasted Potatoes Ingredients

My crispy roasted potatoes recipe is an indispensable starting point. The method is quite basic, and you can flavor them as you’d like. It’s perfect for any lunch or dinner occasion, or your Sunday roast!

The Secret Ingredients for The Best Roasted Potatoes:

  • Russet Potatoes or Yukon Gold Potatoes– these are obviously the basis for this recipe. It’s important to use the right kind of potato for this, as all potatoes are not made equal. Some are waxier than others. Some are more firm than others when cooked. I find Russet potatoes to be a good all-purpose potato for making the most crispy roasted potatoes. However, Yukon Gold potatoes work well here too. If you’re in the United Kingdom: Maris Piper potatoes or Charlotte Potatoes will do the trick.
  • Duck Fat or Oil– I like to make my roasted potatoes with duck fat. Duck fat is indulgent and it adds a beautiful savory flavor that using oil can’t recreate. However, I know not all of us have this expensive pantry ingredient on hand. Please feel free to use any oil you’d normally use for roasting vegetables (I like to use Sunflower Oil or Safflower Oil). Steer clear of extra-virgin olive oil or plain olive oil– you might want to use an olive oil blend, as you’ll be heating the fat to a high temperature. Goose fat or chicken fat would work wonderfully here too.
  • All-Purpose Flour– along with the starchy bits that you get from the beat-up potatoes (more on this in the method for the recipe), all purpose flour helps achieve and maintain a crispy roasted outside on the potatoes. This is where you get some of your crunch factor from. Feel free to season your flour with some dried spices or simply add in some salt and pepper before dredging the potatoes.
Potatoes on cutting board

How to Make The Best Crispy Roasted Potatoes

This crispy roasted potatoes recipe all starts off with a bit of fat, which is heated in a roasting pan in a preheating oven until it’s searing. I’ve used duck fat here, but I most often make it with sunflower oil or olive oil. Whether you’re using duck fat or goose fat, or simply a cooking oil with a high smoke point is up to you. Safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, canola, or olive oil– they should all work well here. Just avoid extra-virgin olive oil, which is best left for dressing salads (you don’t want that for this crispy roast potatoes recipe)

Cut and peeled potatoes

Now I know, not everyone is accustomed to cooking with duck fat. It’s definitely an indulgent (and admittedly bourgeois ingredient), to say the least, and perfect for a holiday roast. Duck fat, like goose fat or chicken fat, is an ingredient that transforms anything it touches– especially crispy roasted potatoes–into a gilded masterpiece.

Duck fat for roasted potatoes

Duck fat provides unbeatable richness and savory flavor that can’t be recreated by butter or oil, or a combination thereof. It can be used to make the flakiest biscuits, the most incredible pie or tart dough, a fantastic fried egg, the most luxurious grilled cheese sandwich, and in this case– the most crispy roast potatoes you will ever have.

Duck fat roasted potatoes

Heating up the duck fat whilst the oven is preheating allows for searing temperatures that will immediately crisp up the exterior of each potato as soon as it hits the pan. This is one of the crucial steps in creating unparalleled crispy roast potatoes.

Cut potatoes in water, boiling
Boiling potatoes

While the fat is heating up for these crispy roast potatoes, large potato wedges are put in some hot water with some salt, and allowed to boil for exactly five minutes (you’ll want to set your timer). Boiling the potatoes allows them to have unbelievably fluffy interiors after they’ve had their time in the oven.

Draining boiled potatoes

Once they’ve been boiled, the potatoes are strained of any water and shaken about until their sharply cut edges are frilled. The frilled edges and bits of pulverized potato are what turn into a crisp coat on the roasted potatoes once they’re out of the oven (this step helps make for the ultimate crispy roast potatoes)

Potatoes coated in flour

The frilled potatoes are then dredged in a little bit of flour. This is where you can go ahead and season the flour with a bit of salt and pepper or use your favorite spice combination, or completely hold off until your crispy roast potatoes are out of the oven… Whatever floats your boat.

How to make crispy oven roasted potatoes

After the potatoes are dredged– this is where a bit of precaution should be taken– the pan of hot duck fat is removed from the oven and the potatoes are carefully tossed around in the liquid gold. Now, this is where the magic happens in this crispy roasted potatoes tale… The bubbling duck fat will hiss the moment the coated potatoes hit the pan, and they’ll get a bit of color; it’s a gloriously magical moment, but there’s more magic to come.

Crispy roasted potatoes recipe

The pan is placed back into the hot oven. A couple times into roasting, the potatoes are casually tossed about, and they’re left to crisp until deeply golden– almost like toast that’s been left a couple seconds too long in the toaster.

How to make roasted potatoes in duck fat

How to Serve Roasted Potatoes

Traditionally, these would be perfect for a Sunday Roast or any kind of roast dinner– literally so perfect with my Lemon and Herb Roasted Chicken.

No matter how you decide to serve these, out of the oven, the roasted potatoes should be crisp and crackly on the outside. Some with deeply caramelized edges, and the inside of each potato will be fluffy. All of these traits are the markings of fantastically crispy roasted potatoes– one of mankind’s greatest creations, if you ask me. A little Maldon sea salt on top, and everything is complete.

Other Delicious Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

Yield: Serves 4

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

The secret to crispy roasted potatoes is good potatoes, plenty of hot fat, and a bit of love. Despite the very few ingredients called for in this crispy roast potatoes recipe– this recipe does need some loving in terms of setting a timer the moment the water begins to boil for the potatoes, and tossing the potatoes a couple times when they’re in the oven.

I’ve used duck fat here– it adds a nice savory and indulgent flavor that oil can’t recreate, but feel free to use any oil you’d normally use for roasting vegetables. Goose fat or chicken fat would work wonderfully here too.

I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes here (British friends, I’ve provided alternatives in the ingredients list)– they make for nice fluffy insides and crispy outsides, but for even crispier potatoes, stick with good ol’ Russet potatoes.

If you want more flavor, aside from just salt and pepper, add your favorite seasoning combination to the flour before dredging the potatoes– I find this works best.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs / 1 kg Russet Potatoes (Brits: Maris Piper or Charlotte Potatoes work as well)
  • 1/2 cup / 112 g duck fat, or an oil of your choice (I like sunflower oil)
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • Sea salt, for seasoning
  • Pepper, for seasoning, optional

Instructions

  1. Pour the duck fat or oil into a large roasting pan or large cast-iron skillet (one that allows for all of the potatoes to sit in a single layer). Place the pan in the middle rack of the oven, and preheat the oven to 425ºF / 210ºC.
  2. While the oven is preheating, peel the potatoes and cut them into large wedges (about 4 pieces if they’re medium-sized, and 3 pieces if they’re small).
  3. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan (preferably one that has a lid), and fill with enough hot water to barely cover them. Add a few healthy pinches of salt, and wait for the water to boil.
  4. Once the water starts boiling, allow the potatoes to boil, uncovered for exactly 5 minutes. Once 5 minutes is up, drain the potatoes in a colander, and place back in the saucepan. Place the lid on the saucepan, and rattle the pan for a couple seconds. If you haven’t a lid for the pan, shake the pan from side-to-side until you see that the edges of the potatoes are frilled.
  5. After the potatoes have been roughed-up, sprinkle the flour over the top of the potatoes, and stir to evenly coat the potatoes in the flour.
  6. Now, carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and place the potatoes inside the hot duck fat (or oil).The fat will hiss and the potatoes will immediately get a tiny bit of color. Turn the potatoes in the hot fat, and place the pan into the hot oven.
  7. Roast the potatoes in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove them from the oven and casually toss them with a spatula. Return the potatoes to the oven for another 15 minutes, and toss them again. After this, return the potatoes to the oven for another 15- 20 minutes until they’re deeply bronzed around the edges and audibly crispy on the outside.
  8. Season with sea salt and a bit of pepper, and serve right away, allowing any excess fat to drip off the potatoes back into the pan.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

10 pieces

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 525Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 370mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 7g

24 Comments

  • Deidra
    December 6, 2016 at 1:10 am

    Kam, you crack me up. Only you could compare hot people on the subway to beautiful roast potatoes and do it so well! I’ve never used duck fat before, but I’ll look for it and try it out. Do you think chicken fat has the same outcome?

    Reply
    • Kamran Siddiqi
      December 6, 2016 at 1:18 am

      Hi Deidra- Hahaha, thank you! I can’t help it lately. Chicken fat would definitely work just as well here. I think kids and most adults who aren’t accustomed to the flavor of duck fat (like my mom and best friend!) might actually prefer the flavor of chicken fat, so go with that if you have some schmaltz on hand!

      Reply
  • Ron Serdiuk
    December 6, 2016 at 2:02 am

    Hey Kamran!
    So pleased youre back and blogging!!
    Saw a reference to your Hand Made Baking book on another blog somewhere a couple of months ago – and ordered myself a copy…
    I have LOTS of cookbooks – and browse thru them and all the latest foodie magazines all the time – great to distract from the stresses of day-to-day life – and every so often I get around to actually making something…
    To say I love your book is an understatement – the hardest thing is to pick out which are my favourites!
    I’m thinking he Autumn Harvest Apple Loaf is probably my default cake now – made it half a dozen times & keep going back to it. There’s always apples in the fruit bowl that need using – and the cake is so simple to make – yet turns out to be so complex in flavour and texture – love it!
    And the ciocolate cake you said you’d like most for your birthday has now become the cake I make for friends’ birthdays – and everyone thinks it’s great and that I’m some baking genius or something – which I’m certainly not! – the secret lies with your simple, easy to follow & execute recipe…
    Now I’ve discovered you and your blog – please, please, please keep writing! You are ridiculously talented at what you do and have the gift to both delight and inspire… more power to you!
    (But no pressure or anything… lol!)
    Ron
    Brisbane, Australia

    Reply
    • Kamran Siddiqi
      December 6, 2016 at 2:37 am

      Hiya Ron- Thank you so much for the support all the way from Australia! Isn’t that Apple Loaf cake fab? We have the same situation here; always too many apples in the fruit bowl, so I find myself making that a lot this time of the year. And please don’t get me started on that chocolate cake– I’ve to share it here :)

      Gosh, your message made my day. Thank you so much! I’ve three recipes lined up at the moment, so you’ll be getting quite a few more posts from me this week and next. Cheers!

      Reply
  • katie
    December 6, 2016 at 2:14 am

    Wow this seems really similar to the recipe Kenji Lopez Alt just posted a few days ago

    Reply
    • Kamran Siddiqi
      December 6, 2016 at 2:30 am

      I just checked his post out– his is fantastic, though his post is quite different from this one ;) He’s using a similar method to the one I’ve seen from America’s Test Kitchen a long while back; baking soda is in the water the potatoes are boiled in… The technique I use here is quite basic and a bit different than Kenji’s (though I’m sure his is utterly delicious, as well).

      Reply
  • Laurence
    December 6, 2016 at 3:42 am

    Hi Kamran,
    Do you think Potato flour would work in place of the regular flour?

    Reply
    • Kamran Siddiqi
      December 6, 2016 at 11:50 am

      Hi Laurence- Potato starch would definitely work. In fact it would make an even crispier potato!

      Reply
  • Naomi
    December 6, 2016 at 6:43 pm

    I just finished cooking dinner and I’m already hungry again because of your post!!! I love potatoes in any form but I really truly love them when they’re crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I actually have a bunch of leftover turkey fat from thanksgiving… I have a problem with waste lol. I’m going to try your recipe this weekend. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kamran Siddiqi
      December 6, 2016 at 10:10 pm

      Naomi- This is a judgement free zone– turkey fat for this sounds absolutely phenomenal. Do let me know how it goes for you!

      Reply
  • Kristina F.
    December 7, 2016 at 10:42 am

    Kam I just saw your newsletter and I came running! These are beautiful. Only you can make such a basic thing look so good. Keep on with more posts please!

    Reply
  • Remy Bernard
    January 1, 2017 at 8:06 pm

    These look INCREDIBLE. Crispy potatoes really take on the “can’t stop eating” flavor. Much more so than any other potato preparation. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  • plasterer bristol
    January 11, 2017 at 9:17 am

    these sound amazing. Thanks for putting up this recipe. Simon

    Reply
  • thebestcook
    April 8, 2018 at 2:52 pm

    Just made these with turkey fat. FANTASTIC. I also used corn starch for the celiac hubby. Came out nice and crispy.

    Reply
  • Holly
    July 29, 2018 at 4:56 pm

    These were SOOOO good!!! I don’t eat grains, so I didn’t even add the flour and they still turned out amazing. Kinda reminiscent of crispy deli jojos. YUM.

    Reply
  • Terry
    April 4, 2020 at 11:04 pm

    New to your site. These look great!! With whats happening right now, I’m excited to try these with my partner tomorrow. Made your bagels and those were marv. I do hope you post more because your recipes are awesome!

    Reply
  • Natasha
    May 26, 2020 at 8:57 pm

    These were the absolute best roast potatoes I’ve ever made! Light and fluffy inside, perfectly golden crispy on the outside. I think they will be a staple for us here on out.

    Reply
  • Angus
    December 10, 2020 at 4:51 pm

    I also leave a few potato peelings in the pan during the boil to add another, subtle, level of flavour. Then, during the ‘roughening’ up of the surface, I add a teaspoon of English Mustard.

    Reply
  • Nora
    December 26, 2020 at 3:20 am

    After our delicious success with your bagel recipe, we made this one tonight. Truffle fries were already on our Christmas dinner menu and the husband wanted thick cut. This recipe absolutely did the trick. I did pre-soak for a couple of hours and used corn starch in place of flour and avocado oil for the oven fry – so excellent.
    Sea salt and truffle oil sprinkled on afterward.
    They were a huge hit – super crispy on the outside and almost like mashed potatoes on the inside.
    Thank you, Kamran. Honestly, I am not sure how I stumbled upon your blog. I was not even looking for a bagel recipe. But there it was and our holidays were made more special by you. And more special is needed right now during this year of so much loss.
    Happy Holidays to you and many blessings.

    Reply
    • Kamran Siddiqi
      December 26, 2020 at 4:08 pm

      Nora- thank you so much for the lovely comments and for trusting me to provide two recipes for your holiday celebration- I’m so glad both recipes were enjoyed by you and your loved ones! Happy Holidays to you and yours, as well!

      Reply
  • Lori FM
    March 24, 2021 at 10:09 pm

    Any idea how these would reheat? I need to cook potatoes in advance of our Passover Seder. (In other words, maybe I should save this for another time.)

    Reply
    • Kamran Siddiqi
      March 25, 2021 at 3:46 pm

      Lori, they reheat decently well, but they might not be as crispy like they are when they’re fresh out of the oven.

      It all depends on your reheating methods– oven, air fryer, or even microwave…

      If you did have a little time to play with, I would prepare the potatoes ahead of time (so, steps 2-4), then revisit step 1–heating the pan in the oven. Another method that might work well would be to simply par-roast them (30 minutes), remove the potatoes from the hot pan (fat and all) into a heatproof container and let them cool to room temperature before refrigerating. The next day, let the pan sit in your oven while the oven preheats to temperature, then add the potatoes into the pan and bake for the remaining 15-20 mins.

      If you have an air fryer, you can par-roast the potatoes for 30 minutes, cool them as previously mentioned, then toss them into the air fryer for about 10 minutes, the next day. If they’re not done at that point, add on more time to the air fryer– 5 minute intervals should work. I hope that helps, and I hope you have a lovely Passover Seder! :)

      Reply
  • Lori FM
    March 28, 2021 at 12:18 am

    Thanks. I did them right before our Seder, and they would have been fine except I accidentally left them in the oven while I preheated the oven for our salmon – they turned quite extra crispy! Still edible, though, and even still tender in the middle. My only comment is not to stint on the yummy fat too much – I used less that half (of delicious onion-y shmaltz) which seemed like a lot, but the flavor didn’t come through. (…tasting from Before I extra-crisped them.) I can’t wait to make them again!

    Reply
  • Blitzo
    June 14, 2022 at 9:58 pm

    Awesome! After I read this recipes I immediately cook it to prepare for my family and I’m so happy because they like them.

    Reply

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