This baked potato recipe is crispy and seasoned to perfection! Red potatoes and fresh herbs make a classic pairing.
Why mash potatoes when you can roast them golden brown? We’ve always loved potatoes that are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. For us, muddy stuff just doesn’t compare. (Though these Roasted Garlic Purees come close!) We’ll show you how to make our favorite Roasted potatoes, oven-roasted red potatoes cooked until crispy with garlic powder and then drizzled with fresh herbs. It’s easy and you hardly need to think about it. Ready to start?
Best variety for fried potatoes
What is the best potato for fried potatoes? It turns out there is an answer to that. The best choice is one waxy potato, a potato with a thin, shiny skin and creamy flesh. Since they contain little starch, they keep their shape when fried. We like roasted red potatoes best, but you can use any waxy potato. Here are our top picks for the type of potato to use for these oven roasted potatoes:
- Small red potatoes: Our favorites are the small red potatoes: they have the best creamy flavor and taste great
- new potatoes: This potato variety is small, brown and looks like long thin fingers. It also has fabulous flavor and works well here
- Red potatoes (chopped): If you can’t find small red potatoes, use any type of red potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- New potatoes: Technically, new potatoes are not a variety, they are simply freshly harvested potatoes. Usually, new potatoes are small, waxy potatoes. Sometimes you can find a variety of colors (brown, yellow, red and purple). Also see: these mini fried potatoes.
Ingredients for baked potatoes
Roasted potatoes are the perfect side dish as they only require a handful of ingredients! Once you have your potatoes, here’s what you’ll need for the rest of the recipe:
- waxy potatoes like small red potatoes (see above)
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- Fresh thyme or other fresh herbs like oregano, chives or rosemary
Would you like a different variant? Try these Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.
How long to roast potatoes
You hardly need a roast potato recipe! All you need to know is the oven temperature and cooking time of the potatoes… and of course the approximate amount of oil and salt! Go to the full recipe below or check out these tips. How long to roast potatoes?
- Roast 1/2 inch chopped potatoes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes. The timing depends on the exact size of the potatoes.
- You don’t have to stir. Place them cut-side down for a crisp, golden color.
- How to season fried potatoes? Allow 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon kosher salt per pound. Then you can treat yourself to other flavors: read on…
Flavor variations for roasted red potatoes
Our basic baked potato recipe includes garlic powder on the potatoes during cooking. This is important: don’t try to put fresh garlic in the oven! At such a high temperature, fresh garlic will burn. When the roast potatoes are golden brown and crispy, sprinkle with fresh thyme. It’s an age-old flavor combo that’s effortlessly simple. But I want to take that too further away? Here are a few ideas:
- Fresh Garlic: Fresh garlic burns in the oven, but you can add it afterwards! Use a small clove of garlic and rub it on the hot potatoes. Add a drizzle of olive oil, stir and mix the clumps with your fingers.
- lemon juice: Do you like potatoes with a dash of lemon? After cooking, add a few squeezes of lemon wedges.
- Parmesan cheese: Go even further with Parmesan! Add ½ cup grated cheese 15 minutes after cooking. It is so intensely crunchy and flavorful that you will become addicted to it. (We took inspiration from our Parmesan Potato Wedges.)
Lighter fried sides
Do you like roasting vegetables? They’re the perfect easy side dish, perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special meal (like Thanksgiving or Christmas). Here are all of our master methods for preparing roasted vegetables:
This roast potato recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
The description
This baked potato recipe is crispy and seasoned to perfection! Red potatoes and fresh herbs make a classic pairing.
- 2 Pound small red potatoes (or chopped medium red potatoes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or lemon thyme
- Optional: 1 fresh garlic clove, lemon wedges, grated parmesan
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash the potatoes, then halve (for baby potatoes) or cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
- In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes, olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and some freshly ground black peppercorns.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the potatoes in an even layer on the cut sheet, making sure they are upside down. Roast without stirring for about 30 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces, until golden brown. (To intensify these potatoes, remove from the oven after 15 minutes and toss with ½ cup grated parmesan.)
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and mix with the fresh thyme. For a more pronounced garlic flavor, grate the fresh garlic into the pan with another drizzle of olive oil and mix gently with a spoon (separating any clumping grated garlic). You can also spritz lemon wedges for a tangy flavor.
- Category: garnish
- Method: roast meat
- Kitchen: American
- Diet: vegan
Keywords: Fried Potatoes, Fried Potatoes
More potato recipes
These Roasted Red Potatoes are at the top of our list of potato recipes! But here are a few others who are top contenders:
