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These oven roasted potatoes are golden-crisp on the outside with perfectly creamy, soft centers – no boiling or soaking required. They’re an easy, classic side dish that pairs well with just about everything.
Quick Look: Oven Roasted Potatoes Recipe
- What It Is: Classic oven roasted baby potatoes with deeply golden, crispy outsides and soft, creamy centers.
- Why Make THIS Version? It delivers great browning and crisp edges with a simple, fuss-free method.
- Best Potato: Baby Yukon Gold and red potatoes, both with thin skins and naturally creamy centers.
- No Need To: Soak, parboil, peel, or use baking soda.
- Secret to Crispy Edges: Dry the potatoes well, give them plenty of room, and roast them cut-side down against the baking sheet.
- Cook Time: About 30-35 minutes at 425°F, depending on the size of the potatoes.
My family loves potatoes – like, LOVES them – while I tend to favor sweet potatoes. Naturally, this has turned making truly irresistible roasted potatoes into a bit of a personal mission.
Before going too far, you should know a little more about my potato roasting expectations. Tender, creamy potato centers are a must, but that isn’t where the real flavor comes from. For that, we want deeply golden, caramelized sides, crisp edges, and plenty of salty, savory flavor.
After making roasted potatoes more times than I can count, I’ve landed on this recipe for simple yet truly outstanding oven roasted potatoes. A lot of recipes rely on soaking, parboiling, baking soda, or other extra steps. Those methods absolutely have their place, but they aren’t necessary here. For these potatoes, all you need are simple seasonings, well-dried potatoes, plenty of room on the baking sheet, and a hot oven. Let’s make ’em!
Table of Contents
Best Potatoes for Roasting
For this recipe, I typically use a mix of baby Yukon Gold and red potatoes. Both have thin skins that crisp nicely in the oven and creamy centers that stay tender as they roast. Using both gives you a nice combination of colors without changing the cooking method. Fingerling potatoes and other small, thin-skinned potatoes are also great options.
Want to learn more? Check out my complete guide to the different types of potatoes and the best ways to use each one.
I do not recommend Russet potatoes for this particular recipe. Their skin is considerably thicker and their higher starch content gives them a drier, fluffier interior, which makes them better suited for things like twice baked potatoes and French fries.
How to Roast Potatoes
The difference between just-okay roasted potatoes and really great ones comes down to a few small details.
Start by drying the potatoes really well after washing them. Any moisture left on the surface has to evaporate before the potatoes can begin to brown, so the drier they are going into the oven, the better.
Try to keep the pieces close to the same size so they finish cooking at about the same time. Since I’m using baby potatoes here, I usually just cut them in half, although larger ones may need to be quartered.
Once they’re seasoned, give them plenty of room on the baking sheet and place the cut sides down against the pan. That direct contact with the hot surface is what creates deeply caramelized and super flavorful sides. If the potatoes are crowded together, they’ll release moisture and steam instead of roast.
From there, roast the potatoes at 425°F until the centers are fork-tender and the outsides are deeply golden.
Tip: Even if the centers are fork-tender, the potatoes will have more flavor and taste better once the outsides are deeply browned and caramelized.
How Long Does It Take to Roast Potatoes?
At 425°F, these roasted baby potatoes take about 30 to 35 minutes to cook until the centers are tender and the outsides are crisp and golden. The exact cooking time will vary, and depends mostly on the size of your potatoes (smaller pieces will cook faster).
Rather than relying on the clock alone, look for visual cues. The potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork, with crisp edges and well-browned, caramelized sides. If they’re tender but still looking pale, give them a little more time in the oven.
What to Serve with Crispy Roasted Potatoes?
Oven-roasted potatoes are an easy side dish for just about ANY dinner, from quick weeknight dinners to special-occasion meals. Here are some pairing ideas to get you started:
- Quick weeknight dinner: Garlic Butter Pork Chops with Sauteéd Zucchini
- Easy steakhouse-style meal: Garlic Butter steak bites with Classic Wedge Salad
- Seafood dinner: Baked Cod with Roasted Asparagus
- Cozy slow-cooked dinner: Crockpot Beef Short Ribs with Roasted Carrots
- Special-occasion dinner: Roast Beef Tenderloin with cheesy Baked Asparagus gratin
- Sunday dinner: Braised Pork Shoulder with Air Fryer Green Beans
Roasted Potato Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, 425°F is best. Roasting at 350°F will cook the potatoes, but they won’t brown or crisp as quickly, and 400°F works well but generally takes a little longer. I prefer 425°F because the higher heat gives the potatoes those deeply golden, caramelized edges that taste so dang delicious.
The secret is getting as much browning as possible without overcomplicating the process. Dry the potatoes really well, coat them evenly with oil, give them plenty of room on the baking sheet, and roast them cut-side down at 425°F. Then let them get deeply golden and caramelized before pulling them from the oven.
No. For this recipe, there is no need to soak or parboil the potatoes first.
Yes, but don’t crowd twice as many potatoes onto the same baking sheet. Divide them between two large sheet pans so each piece still has enough room to brown and crisp properly.
Yes, but fresh minced garlic will likely to burn at 425°F before the potatoes are finished roasting. I prefer garlic powder for this recipe because it coats the potatoes evenly and adds flavor without scorching. If you want a more garlic-forward version, try my garlic roasted potatoes recipe.
More Roasted Potato Recipes
Looking for more? Browse all of my potato recipes, including my favorite creamy mashed potatoes recipe and the best ever fried potatoes and onions, plus soups, casseroles, fries, and more.
These Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes are golden, flavorful, and easy enough to make with just about any meal. I hope they become a go-to side dish in your kitchen, too! If you try them, please leave a rating and review in the comments below. Your feedback helps other readers discover and enjoy the recipe too. Thank you so much! 💛
Oven Roasted Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby Yukon Gold and red potatoes, halved
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly coat the pan with olive oil.
- Scrub the potatoes well under running water, then dry them thoroughly. Slice the baby potatoes in half. If any are noticeably larger than the others, cut them into quarters so all of the pieces are similar in size.2 pounds baby Yukon Gold and red potatoes
- Transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper, then toss until the potatoes are evenly coated on all sides.3 tablespoons olive oil, 1½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Spread the seasoned potatoes in a single layer, leaving a little room between each piece. Position as many potatoes as possible with the cut side directly against the baking sheet.
- Roast for 20 minutes, undisturbed, to give the cut surfaces time to brown and caramelize.
- Carefully turn the potatoes over and return them to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until they are fork-tender with deeply golden, crisp edges. Smaller potatoes may finish a little sooner.
- Garnish and serve. Remove the potatoes from the oven and immediately sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot.2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- Cut evenly: Halve small baby potatoes and quarter larger ones so the pieces are approximately the same size and finish roasting at the same time.
- For the crispiest sides: Place the potatoes cut-side down against the baking sheet. That direct contact with the hot pan creates the deepest browning.
- Storage: Store leftover roasted potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the oven or air fryer for the best chance of restoring their crisp edges; microwaving will make them softer.
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Nutrition
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