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

FAQs

Why are my roast potatoes never crispy? ›

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.

Also, be mindful of the oil. Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy. Try placing oil in a spray bottle or using an aerosol to apply the oil to the potatoes. Lastly, ensure that the potatoes are dry before you add the oil.

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.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees, spread potatoes on a sheet pan and cover them in tin foil. Re-roast them until they're warm all the way through, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the cover for another five to add crispiness.

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.

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.

Vegetable oil is the ideal choice for those who like a subtle, or blander flavour from their roast potatoes, because it cooks best at a medium heat and so the potatoes won't take on too much flavour from the oil. This also means the potatoes won't overpower other dishes.

Sprinkle your parboiled potatoes with flour. This gives potatoes extra crunch. A tablespoon is all you need! Throw in some whole, unpeeled garlic cloves or a handful of herbs (thyme, sage or rosemary all work well) with the potatoes when adding them to the hot roasting tin.

While many swear by duck or goose fat for the crispiest roast potatoes, olive oil is a fantastic plant-based alternative that offers a different but equally tempting flavour profile. Different olive oils have unique flavour profiles to experiment with.

To have a truly marvellous roast potato, one must simply let the potato dry completely after parboiling, before roasting in extremely hot fat.

Why are my roasted potatoes gummy? ›

Using Foil -

Foil traps the moisture in the potato causing the skin to be wet and the inside flavorless or gummy. Potatoes are made up of about 80% water, so sealing it up in foil does not allow enough water to escape, making it soggy.

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.

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).

Do I have to boil potatoes before roasting? Not necessary but this can help get the perfect consistency and crispiness. Make sure you boil them but leave them a bit al dente and they will crisp up perfectly in the oven.

Arrange cooked potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer (if desired, line with parchment paper). Cover pan with aluminum foil and place in hot oven. Cook for 20 minutes, and then remove foil and let them go for another 5-10 minutes or until they are the crispy potatoes you are looking for.

Size and Cut: The size and cut of the potato pieces can also affect their cooking time. Smaller pieces will cook faster and become softer than larger ones. If the potato cubes were too large or unevenly cut, this might result in some pieces remaining crunchy.

Top Tip: 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.

The sweet spot is between 400°F and 425°F. Go any higher, and the outside of your veggies will start to burn before the inside has a chance to cook through. Any lower? They'll still cook through (eventually), but the oven won't be hot enough to get your veggies golden, crispy, and caramelized.

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.