How To Make Roast Potatoes That Everyone Will Love

When it comes to roasties, high standards should be emphasised. After all, they’re the best part of any Sunday roast — and if they’re not perfect, they’re going to disappoint. There’s nothing worse than a pale, soggy roast potato. Read on to make sure that roast potatoes come out just right every single time.

How to make the best roast potatoes

There are a few secrets to making the perfect roast potatoes. Firstly, you’ll need to parboil them before cooking them. Secondly, make sure that the oil is nice and hot before you tip them into the roasting tin. This will give you exactly what you’re craving: a crisp, crunchy exterior surrounding a soft, fluffy interior. 

• Peel the potatoes and chop them into quarters. Put them into a large saucepan of water and bring it to a boil. Let them boil for around 10 minutes.
• While you’re parboiling them, add oil to the roasting tin and put it in the oven at 200°C.
• Remove the potatoes from the water. Drain them into a colander and give it a good shake. This should make the outside of the potatoes look slightly rough.
• Remove the tin from the oven and put potatoes inside it in a single layer. The oil will sizzle when you add the potatoes, so be careful!
• Roast for around 1 hour, taking them out of the oven and turning them every 20 minutes.

How to make roast potatoes in the air fryer

It’ll only take about 15 minutes to cook roast potatoes in the air fryer. Follow the tips above, making sure to parboil them first. Air fryers are usually smaller than ovens, so you may need to cook the potatoes in two or three batches. Don’t crowd the basket, or they won’t crisp up properly.

How to make roast potatoes in the oven

Just follow the steps outlined in the recipe above. If you’re making a Sunday roast, you may need to adjust the oven temperature, depending on what else you’re cooking. Just make sure to give the potatoes a blast of heat at the end. About 20 minutes will be enough to give them a nice golden colour.

Tips on how to make roast potatoes crispy

To make sure you have nice, crispy roast potatoes, parboil them before roasting them. After draining them, put them in a colander and shake it a couple of times. After that, tip the potatoes into hot oil rather than cold. The hot oil will hit the rough exterior of the potatoes, turning the outside crunchy. If you follow these steps carefully, you should have perfectly crisp potatoes. Turn them a couple of times while cooking to make them crunchy all over.

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What to serve with roast potatoes

Many people love roast potatoes as part of a traditional British dinner. They go perfectly with any kind of roast meat — beef, pork, lamb or chicken. Naturally, they’re also a great pair with turkey for a Christmas dinner.

For a more sophisticated take on roast potatoes, try adding a few sprigs of rosemary to the cooking oil. You may also want to toss a few cloves of garlic into the roasting tin. There’s no need to peel the garlic. As it roasts, it will become sweet and gooey.

Best roast potatoes recipes

There are so many ways to enjoy roast potatoes! Of course, they pair well with roast meats, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You can experiment with this unusual summer salad if you want to try something a little different. This special take on Panzanella, the Italian classic, mixes roast potatoes with crunchy croutons, serrano ham, tomatoes and fig jam for the ultimate explosion of flavour and texture.

Roast potatoes are traditionally served with meat, but there’s no need for vegetarians to be left out. This aubergine parmigiana traybake is ideal for meat-free Mondays. Stacks of soft aubergine slices mingle with crunchy potatoes for a meal that’s delightfully unusual and will convert even hardened carnivores.

FAQs

Is it necessary to boil potatoes before roasting?

Yes. You can roast potatoes without parboiling them, but you’ll struggle to get a crispy exterior. Parboiling them is the perfect way to bring some crunch.

How long do you parboil potatoes?

This will depend on how big the roasties are. Most will need about 10 minutes of parboiling, but smaller potatoes —new potatoes, for example— can be ready in just 5 minutes.

Should potatoes be salted before roasting?

That’s up to the cook. Some people like to salt their potatoes before roasting them, while others wait until afterwards. If you want to use crunchy flakes of sea salt, add it after the potatoes are cooked.

Why do you soak potatoes before roasting?

Some people like to soak potatoes to remove any excess starch before roasting them. If you’re using floury potatoes, this isn’t necessary. However, you might want to take this extra step if you’re using waxy potatoes.

Why don’t my roast potatoes go crispy?

Make sure to follow the three steps you need for crispy potatoes: first, parboil them. Then, drain them and shake them in a colander to rough up the edges. Finally, heat the oil in the roasting tin before adding the potatoes.