5 Tricks for Crispy Roasted Potatoes (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.

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.

Fire up the oven to reheat roasted potatoes

To get those potatoes crisp again, Consumer Reports recommends reheating in a 400-degree oven, covering your potatoes with tin foil until warm, and then removing the cover for a final few minutes to allow the skin to crisp back up.

Soaking your sliced potatoes in the ice water before roasting them in the oven can draw out extra starch, allowing the spuds to cook up extra crunchy on the outside. As you slice up your potatoes into bite-sized cuts, simply toss each piece into the cold bowl. Then, allow them to rest and chill.

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.

When a small amount of vinegar is added to the soaking water before frying, it can help impart a tangy flavor to the fries without making them taste overly vinegary. The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying.

Baking Soda: Do not skip the step of boiling your potatoes with baking soda. Baking soda will help your potatoes get crispy in the oven. This is the trick!

Give each potato enough space to ensure it cooks evenly. Overcrowding the tray can cause the potatoes to steam rather than roast, resulting in a soft and soggy texture rather than crispy. Season your potatoes and put them back in the oven.

If roasted potatoes lack their crunchy sheen, overcrowding is usually the culprit. Just as overcrowding bacon or mushrooms in a saucepan causes disappointingly mushy results, placing potatoes too close to each other on a baking sheet will prevent them from crisping while they roast.

The boiling and roughing-up steps are the real keys. They create a thin slurry of mashed potato that clings to the surface of the potato chunks, which ends up crisping beautifully in the oven as the potatoes roast.

How to make crispy roast potatoes Mary Berry? ›

Add the potatoes to the fat, spooning the fat over the potatoes to coat completely, and shake the tin to prevent sticking. Continue to roast for about an hour, depending on size, turning the potatoes from time to time until golden and crisp. Sprinkle the roast potatoes with salt just before serving.

Parboil the Potatoes First

Parboiling helps soften the potato insides before the roasting begins, so you won't be tempted to burn the outsides in exchange for less undercooked insides. Boil the potato chunks for eight to 10 minutes—they won't be fully cooked, but they'll be ready for the next step.

The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air. Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color.

The larger the potato pieces, the longer they'll last in water. If you're prepping with smaller pieces, don't soak for more than 12 hours. This trick is handy, but it'll only work for about 24 hours — so don't prep too far in advance.

If the potato cubes were too large or unevenly cut, this might result in some pieces remaining crunchy. Crockpot Temperature: Crockpots can cook at varying temperatures, even on the same setting. If your crockpot is not heating evenly or maintaining a consistent temperature, it might have resulted in uneven cooking.

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'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.