No-Fail (3 Ingredient) Roasted Potatoes - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

FAQs

Why can't I get my roast potatoes crispy? ›

Preheat the fat. While the potatoes parboil, add the oil or butter to the roasting pan, transfer it to the warm oven, and heat it for about 5 minutes before adding the potatoes. This allows the outside of the potatoes to crisp up nicely and not just absorb the cold fat when you put them in the oven.

Roasted potatoes can become soggy if the water content in the potato isn't fully cooked. Different potatoes have different water content percentages. Also, be mindful of the oil. Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy.

If you want to make this roast potatoes day before recipe and keep the potatoes crispy, ensure you put them in hot oil before baking them. This will help the potatoes stay crispy. If you're preparing roast potatoes in advance and find they have gone soggy in the fridge.

Use a Spatula to Turn

Halfway through the roasting process, use a spatula to gently turn the potatoes. This step ensures even browning on all sides and prevents sticking. If you notice any potatoes starting to stick, gently release them from the pan using the spatula.

This sure sounds a lot like potatoes that have been stored too long, in too cold of an environment before cooking. When potatoes are held below 41°F for too long a period, the starches convert to sugar and it changes the cooking chemistry.

Neutral, low-cost oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc., work well for roasting. These oils have a high smoke point, allowing the potatoes to get very hot to achieve maximum crispiness.

The best fats and oils for roast potatoes are: Goose fat. Vegetable oil. Sesame oil.

Roasting your potatoes in butter rather than oil adds extra crunch and sweetness.

'Drain the boiled potatoes really well and leave them for a good long while afterwards to sit and cool. If you want to get ahead, why not boil them in advance, then toss in a little oil and store in the fridge until you're ready to roast them.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Why do my roast potatoes fall apart? ›

Dry matter – the non-water part of the potato – also varies. Too much and the potatoes will fall apart when they are cooked, too little and they will be soggy. So what exactly is the secret to the perfect roast potatoes?

If the potato can't shed that moisture it will absorb some of it and over a period of time will end up with lower solids.

Where glass insulates heat, metal is a well-known heat conductor. Consequently, metal baking sheets are optimal for high-heat recipes like roasted potatoes because they will effectively and efficiently transfer the high heat evenly, resulting in those desirably crispy-edged potatoes.

Parboiling the potatoes is a good start, but if they're not getting crispy during roasting your temperature isn't high enough or there's too much moisture.

Roasting potatoes:

(Note: parchment paper is better to prevent sticking and aluminum foil yields crispier results but it does need to be lightly greased and may still stick.) Roast potatoes for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of larger potato pieces.

If you oil them up early, the skins may not turn crispy. The salt, too, can run off the potatoes in the heat. Instead, do a quick oil baste after the potatoes reach 205°F: Remove the pan from the oven. Brush with olive oil (or bacon grease if you have it) and a hefty sprinkle of kosher salt.

Some potatoes are naturally firmer than others. It's possible that the variety of potatoes you used may have a firmer texture, even when fully cooked. For soups, it's generally recommended to use russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, as they tend to break down and become softer when cooked.

Soaking the sliced potatoes in water helps to draw out some of the starch from the middle of the potato, resulting in a sturdier, crispier French fry.

The difference lies in their starch content and structure. Waxy potatoes are amazing for boiling as they keep their shape, but floury potatoes fry up crisper. Use a floury (also called mealy) potato such as Russet or Shepody for your chips and you'll have better success.