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By Sarah Rossi
on Nov 28, 2022, Updated Mar 11, 2024
5 from 59 votes
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Everyone needs a go-to Easy Roast Potatoes recipe. This is the ultimate guide to getting the best results from our beloved roasties, which is simply crispy on the outside, fluffy and creamy on the inside, and lots of flavour.
Our most treasured side dish can also be made ahead of time for extra convenience. All of the tips are here!
Oh the roasted potatoes pressure, WILL THEY BE CRISP AND GOLDEN AND DELICIOUS?!
I am here to reassure you that easy Roast Potatoes are simple and fuss-free when you know how.
This guide will take you through the whole process – which potato variety to choose, how to par boil them, how much oil to use and how to get that subtle but oh-so delicious seasoning.
When it comes to perfect roast potatoes, less is more. We’re adding just 3 staple ingredients to ours – sunflower oil, onion powder and sea salt – for the most classic and delicious side dish that goes with everything.
And one more thing… getting crispy roast potatoes is easy but it’s not quick.
It takes about 1 hour 15 minutes in total so make sure to leave yourself time. This is also why using my make-ahead hack works so well if you’ve got a special meal coming up.
Once you’ve perfected these little delicacies, you’ll be roasting them up with your eyes closed next time!
Why you’ll love this Easy Roast Potatoes recipe
⭐️ Ideal for getting prepared for a big dinner
⭐️ Crispy, fluffy and delicious
⭐️ Simple, inexpensive produce
Sarah’s Notes on the Recipe:
Fun fact: I worked out recently that I have probably roasted over 1,000 batches of potatoes in my lifetime. (I know, what an achievement..)
This definitely makes me qualified to share my top tips and advice!
Top 3 pieces of roasted potato advice I can give you:
⭐️ Cook them in oil that’s very hot
⭐️ Use the right type of potatoes (see below!)
⭐️ Part bake them the day before if you’re worried about oven space on the day of a big meal (Christmas Dinner I’m looking at you!)
If you want to Make in advance…
If you didn’t know you could prepare roast potatoes ahead of time, I am here to tell you that not only is it 100% possible, it’s a vital shortcut when it comes to taking away the stress of cooking a big dinner all at once!
The recipe at the bottom of the page outlines exactly how to make easy Roast Potatoes ahead of time, with a few different preferred options. You can either:
- Prepare the roasties the night before by part-roasting them (this means all you have to do is finish them off in the oven before you serve them up).
- Prepare them the night before WITHOUT part-roasting them (this means getting them to the point where you could put them in the oven, pop them in the fridge instead, then all you have to do is roast when you’re ready to).
- Prepare them further in advance and freeze them (you can get them to the point where they’re ready to roast, but freeze them instead, until it’s time and then you can defrost them and cook as normal.
*Details for each method are below.
Easy Roast Potatoes Ingredients Notes
- Potatoes – Go for the kind that when roasted are soft and fluffy on the inside but crispy on the outside, like floury Maris Piper, King Edward or Rooster
- Sunflower oil – For that classic flavour that isn’t overpowered, this is my choice of oil (yes, even at Christmas). However, if you’d rather something with more flavour, you could try duck or goose fat or beef dripping. (Don’t use olive oil as it doesn’t work well at a very high heat)
- Onion powder – This adds a subtle but delicious flavour
- Sea salt – You’ll need a good sprinkling of this to season effectively
How to make Roast Potatoes
1. Peel and chop the potatoes, then boil them for about 10 minutes. Drain and allow to dry and cool.
2. In the pan, add more oil, onion powder and salt to the potatoes. Shake with the lid on.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C and heat a tray of oil until it’s very hot. Pour the potatoes into hot oil quickly and coat with oil.
4. Cook until golden and crispy (approx 1hr 15 mins in total). OR part-roast (like above) them if you’re making ahead.
Hint: Don’t parboil for too long or they will fall apart. When they’re a little cooked but still have some resistance when a knife goes through is good.
POTATOES!
Choosing the variety of potato for your roasties will make ALL the difference to the end result.
Go for the kind that when roasted are soft and fluffy on the inside but crispy on the outside, like floury Maris Piper, King Edward or Rooster. Salad or boiling potatoes won’t work well because they tend to dry out.
Find out more about which kind of potato is good for what on the Love Potatoes website.
Top tips
Shape
I like to cut the potatoes lengthways as I feel this gives one lovely flat crispy side as there’s more surface area to touch the pan.
Timings
If you are cooking a whole roast dinner and are in and out of the oven you may find your roasties take a little longer.
Keep an eye on your potatoes when they’re boiling as if they are cut a bit smaller they may take less than 10 minutes boiling time – they shouldn’t start to fall apart.
Disposable foil trays
I wouldn’t usually advocate using single use items but if you want to make these for a big day or event, disposable foil trays are so handy to save on washing up and also transporting food from place to place!
More potato recipes…
Side Dishes
Boulangère Potatoes
Side Dishes
Easiest Ever Homemade Oven Chips
Collections
Parmentier Potatoes {with Garlic and Herbs}
Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Jacket Potatoes {Easiest Ever Recipe!}
FAQs
What type of oil is best for roast potatoes?
There is always lots of talk about using duck fat or goose fat for roasties but, controversially, I personally find these too strong in flavour.
I feel that roast potatoes should be a supporting act, and not over power every flavour on the plate. So for that reason, I like to use sunflower oil as it’s fairly flavourless and perfect for heating to a very high heat.
What should I serve with Roast Potatoes?
The world’s your oyster here. Obviously all roast dinners, and specifically my Slow Cooker Roast Beef, Slow Cooker Roast Gammon, Slow Cooker Roast Chicken and Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole too. Anything British and traditional!
Do Roast Potatoes freeze well?
If you’re planning to freeze them for another day, I would recommend getting them to the point where they’re ready to roast, but then freezing them, and later you can defrost them and cook as normal.
This method would have better results than, say, if you cook them first or if you have leftovers you don’t want to throw away.
That said, I would never let them go to waste if they’re cooked. Freeze them and reheat them (covered) on another day. They may be a little drier but will still be delicious.
Alternatively, bash them up a bit and fry in oil for a ‘Bubble and Squeak’ style feast.
Is it really necessary to boil the potatoes before roasting?
Definitely! This way we get the right texture of soft in the middle and crispy on the edges.
They would take ages if we didn’t take this step, and the results would most likely be a tough, overdone outer edge and a dry inside.
It’s certainly worth the extra 10 minutes of cooking to get that fluffiness:crunch ratio!
Are roast potatoes gluten free?
Yes, potatoes are naturally gluten free, as are the other ingredients in this recipe.
Do I need to line the tin?
This is one recipe where it’s best to work with the heat from the tin to get the best colourful and crispy results!
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
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5 from 59 votes
Roast Potatoes {Best Ever Easy Recipe!}
By Sarah Rossi
If you’re all about simple perfection, follow this recipe perfect Roast Potatoes, which gives tips and tricks to getting the ultimate results from our beloved roasties. Here’s how to make them ahead too for extra convenience.
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 kg Potatoes, Peeled and cut in half of thirds (size dependent)
- 100 ml Sunflower oil
- 2 tsp Onion powder
- Sea salt
Instructions
HOW TO MAKE IN REAL TIME:
Preheat your oven to 200C.
Peel and chop the potatoes lengthways.
Put potatoes into a pan of cold water, pop on the lid and bring to the boil, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile pour 60ml (approx 4 tbsp) of oil Into a tray and place into the oven to heat up.
Drain the potatoes and put back into the hot pan to dry.
Add the remaining oil to the potatoes, along with the onion powder and sea salt. Put the lid back on the pan and give them a really good shake.
Pour the potatoes into the hot oil – it should be so hot that when you drop the first potato in you can hear it bubbling.
Toss until they are well coated (the key here is to do this really quickly so the oil doesn't have time to cool).
Cook until they are golden and crispy all over, this should be around 1 hour, but I always allow at least 1 hour 15 minutes.
OPTIONS IF YOU’RE MAKING AHEAD…
The day before (WITH part-baking)
Follow the method above, but only bake for 45 minutes to an hour. They should be almost done but not quite crispy enough to serve.
Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
To finish them off the following day, heat more oil in a tray and cook for about 15-30 minutes until golden and crispy (should be closer to 15 but sometimes this can take a while as the potatoes will be cold from the fridge).
The day before (WITHOUT part-baking)
Follow the method above until step 6.
Cover and place in the fridge until you’re ready to roast.
Heat some oil in a tray and follow the method again from step 7.
Making ahead TO FREEZE (no part-bake)
Follow the method above until step 6.
Put your potatoes onto a tray lined with baking paper and freeze uncovered, making sure the potatoes are not touching for at least 1 hour.
Once they have hardened you can transfer them into a freezer container. (This extra step might seem annoying but it’s to stop the potatoes sticking together.)
You can keep them frozen for up to 1 month.
When you’re ready, defrost them overnight in the fridge, heat some oil in a tray and follow the original method from step 7.
Notes
Cooking time:
- If you’re cooking the potatoes after they’ve been in the fridge, the cooking time may be a little longer than normal as the potatoes will be cold.
- If you are cooking a whole roast dinner and are in and out of the oven you may find your roasties take a little longer.
- Keep an eye on your potatoes when they’re boiling as if they are cut a bit smaller they may take less than 10 minutes boiling time – they shouldn’t start to fall apart.
Shape:I like to cut the potatoes lengthways as I feel this gives one lovely flat crispy side as there’s more surface area to touch the pan.
Servings:This recipe would feed roughly 4 people, depending on how many people have each and whether some are children.
Nutrition
Calories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 5gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gSodium: 16mgPotassium: 1062mgFiber: 6gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Family Food
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Batch Cook, Christmas Recipes, Collections, Comfort Food, Recipes, Side Dishes
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Hi, I'm Sarah. I help busy people decide 'What's for Dinner?' Find hundreds of recipes here, and also in my bestselling recipe book. Hope my recipes make your life easier ❤️
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6 Comments
Amazing roast potatoes and a complete game changer for Xmas day being able to do most of the work the day before!Reply
The best roast potatoes my husband (the expert) has ever had! Fool proof 🙌🏻Reply
Absolutely perfect roast potatoes. I wouldn’t do them any other way now, so thank you for sharing. Family and friends love them 💚Reply
24th December 2023!
What a fabulous site! So clearly explained and full of inspiration…thank you.
I’m doing the roasties today for tomorrow’s Christmas meal. I live in France now so ‘good’ roasting potatoes are hard to find. Fingers crossedReply
Are your temps always for fan oven Sarah?Reply
Excellent roasties. ThanksReply
