Crispy Roast Potatoes

Crispy roast potatoes are sliced thin and stacked with shallots, fresh rosemary, butter, and olive oil leaving you with a golden brown crust and a super tender interior.

Why this recipe works

These aren’t your everyday crispy roast potatoes, y’all. The thinly sliced potatoes stay tender and soft on the inside while the top browns into a golden crown that’s crispy and crunchy.

The cool part about this dish is that they aren’t cubed like classic roasted potatoes, but rather sliced and layered similar to au gratin or scalloped potatoes. This keeps the potatoes ultra tender and evenly baked. Plus, it’s just more fun to eat that way. Let’s be real, you can serve me a potato side dish in any shape you want… I’ll eat ’em.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

POTATOES – Russet potatoes are best for this dish because of their starchiness. This helps the potatoes stick together. We did not peel our potatoes for this dish. If you choose to do the same, be sure to wash and scrub the potatoes well. You can peel them if preferred!

BUTTER – Plain butter is great, but you can optionally mix in some garlic to add a little extra flavor.

How to Make Crispy Roast Potatoes

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, mix together melted butter and olive oil. Brush a small amount of the mixture on the bottom and sides of the baking dish.
2. Add garlic salt, and black pepper to the remaining butter/oil mixture. If you are using the red pepper flakes, you can either add some now or sprinkle it on at the end before the dish goes into the oven.
3. Wash the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. We do not peel them for this dish. Do not slice yet.
4. Cut shallots into 1/2-inch thick slices.
5. Cut the ends off of a potato. Using a mandoline, cut potatoes into very thin slices, about 1/8-inch. You don’t want them paper thin, but you don’t want them as thick as when you make potatoes au gratin.
6. Working with one potato at a time, place a stack of potato slices into the prepared baking dish. Once you have a couple potatoes in the dish it will become easier to stand them up. Keep stacking and tucking until the pan is full.
7. Tuck slices of shallot into different areas of the potatoes.
8. Brush melted butter mixture all over the potato slices until you have used it all.
9. Place baking dish onto a baking sheet. This is important to insulate the bottom of the baking dish and keep the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
10. Place in oven and bake for 70 minutes.
11. Sprinkle the rosemary on top of the potatoes and place back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Top will be brown and crispy and the potatoes inside will be tender. Use a fork or skewer to test for doneness.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Russet potatoes are ideal here thanks to their starchiness, though Yukon Gold will also work. Starchy potatoes are low in moisture and the perfect candidates for crispy results, which is why I prefer to use Russet. I would avoid waxy potatoes such as red potatoes, fingerlings, and white potatoes due to their higher moisture levels and denser texture.

Yes, you can partially prep this dish ahead of time if needed, though they are best if only parbaked or prepped before cooking to preserve the crispiness. To make ahead, slice the potatoes and prep as normal (slice and stack, through step 8). Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge up to 1 day in advance. Bake as normal, adding a couple of extra minutes if needed. The butter and oil mixture should help keep potato browning at bay. Otherwise, you can parbake the dish about 70% of the way through. Allow them to cool fully before covering with a lid or plastic wrap and storing in the fridge. Then, pop them back in the oven at 425F for the remainder of the time to crisp up the top.

Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 375F until warmed through.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your crispy roast potatoes warm from the oven while still crisp. They’re great alongside roasted chicken, tenderloin, pork chops, steak… You name it. Of course, they go well with holiday main courses too and are always welcome at the Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas table!

Optionally garnish with red pepper flakes, or top with grated parmesan cheese before popping them in the oven. Enjoy!

More Potato Side Dish Recipes

• Melting Potatoes
• Parmesan Potatoes
• Roasted Red Potatoes
• Bacon Three Cheese Potatoes

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This post was originally published on this blog on February 6, 2012.