These crispy roast potatoes with rosemary are a classic side dish for a Sunday roast or for special lunches or dinners over the holiday season. I love to serve them alongside my Roast Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary. This foolproof recipe is so simple but it does require two steps - first parboiling the potatoes, then roasting in a hot pan. I initially tried to resist the parboiling step. For years I’d seen chefs on my favourite cooking shows recommending to go the extra effort but I often wondered if it would actually make all that much difference and I certainly didn’t want yet another thing to wash up! Once I finally bit the bullet and tried parboiling I could never go back. The result is consistently crispy oven roasted potatoes every time.
Why you’ll love this recipe…
Easy to prepare. Perfect roast potatoes every time - crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside.
How do you make roast potatoes crispy?
I recommend two steps to make perfectly crispy roast potatoes every time. The first is to parboil the potatoes for 15 minutes, or just until they’ve started to soften. Then drain the potatoes in a colander and give them a good shake to fluff up the outsides. Next, pre-heat your oil in your roasting pan for 10 minutes before adding in the potatoes. You’ll need to be careful when you add your potatoes that you don’t splash hot oil everywhere, but this step really helps get that nice crunchy outside we all love!
Why do you boil potatoes before roasting?
In short, parboiling the potatoes prior to roasting helps to give them their extra crispiness. Some recipes suggest to boil your potatoes from cold, as this cooks the potato more evenly all the way through. I prefer to add the potatoes into boiling water as getting potatoes that are cooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside are this is the perfect recipe for ending up with gloriously crispy potatoes. Once I’ve boiled them for 15 minutes, I drain them and give them a good shake in the colander until their surfaces are roughed up. This is to maximise the nooks and crannies on the surface of the potato that will enable hot fat to collect and form into a crispy exterior.
What potatoes are best for roasting?
The best potatoes for roasting are starchy! Try Russet, Sebago or Creme Gold.
Ingredients
These crispy roast potatoes are perfect as is but I do like to sprinkle over fresh rosemary before they are placed in the oven to give them more flavour. If you don’t have fresh rosemary on hand, feel free to make them without! Full measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
Potatoes Olive Oil Fresh Rosemary Salt
How to Make Crispy Roast Potatoes - Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F. Peel potatoes and cut into half lengthways, then cut each piece in half again. If you have an extra large potato you may need to half again.
Bring a large saucepan filled with water to boil, then add a little salt and the potatoes and boil for 15 minutes, or until they start to soften. Drain the potatoes in a colander and give them a good shake to rough up the edges.
Meanwhile, pour oil into a roasting pan and place in the oven for 10 minutes to allow the oil to heat. Carefully add potatoes to the pan (be careful of splashing), gently toss the potatoes to coat in oil with some tongs, then spread the potatoes out. Sprinkle rosemary over the potatoes and place in the oven to roast for 50-55 minutes, flipping halfway. The potatoes are ready when they are golden brown and crisp.
Salt to taste and serve immediately.
Top Tips
Choose a good roasting potato - Russet, Sebago or Creme Gold are all good options. Parboil first, then give a good shake around the colander to rough up the edges. Heat your oil before adding potatoes to the pan, but be careful not to splash yourself with boiling hot oil when you add potatoes to the pan. Let the potatoes roast uninterrupted for at least 20 minutes. There’s no need to keep flipping them. You’ll simply flip halfway. Feel free to double or triple this recipe to feed a crowd. You may need to spread over two baking trays depending on how large your tray is. The potatoes shouldn’t be touching when roasting.
MORE POTATO RECIPES
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Tips for Making Crispy Roast Potatoes
Choose a good roasting potato - Russet, Sebago or Creme Gold are all good options. Parboil first, then give a good shake around the colander to rough up the edges.Heat your oil before adding potatoes to the pan, but be careful not to splash yourself with boiling hot oil when you add potatoes to the pan. Let the potatoes roast uninterrupted for at least 20 minutes. There’s no need to keep flipping them. You’ll simply flip halfway. Feel free to double or triple this recipe to feed a crowd. You may need to spread over two baking trays depending on how large your tray is. The potatoes shouldn’t be touching when roasting.
