Name: Simple Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 lb yukon gold potatoes, (cut into 2 inch cubes); 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 tsp table salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 1/2 tsp garlic powder

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Simple Crispy Roasted Potatoes in a bowl and on a pan, photographed with raw potatoes and salt.

No matter what your comfort level in the kitchen, there is one recipe you should know how to make and it is simple crispy roasted potatoes. Do your kids only want french fries? Make them these potatoes. Do you only want french fries? Make these potatoes. I like to call roasted potatoes the bridge vegetable. Why? Because it is a great way to get comfortable roasting vegetables (the most flavorful and easy way to cook any vegetable, in my opinion) and to introduce a real, homemade, delicious vegetable to any eater. Potatoes are familiar, so they aren’t scary even for the pickiest eater. Start with potatoes and then you can branch into broccoli, zucchini, sweet potatoes, eggplant, brussel sprouts, the list goes on. In fact, I would say 9 times out of 10 that someone tells me they don’t like vegetables, it’s that their idea of vegetables comes in a can or is cooked for an eternity with little seasoning. It doesn’t have to be that way and together, we are going to make better vegetables. Ok?

Pick your potatoes

The first step to making crispy roasted potatoes is choosing your potatoes. For roasted potatoes, yukon gold are my prefered potatoes. They hold together well, the inside becomes soft and fluffy and the exterior crisps up nicely. I really love this little baby yukon golds, but the full size will work well too. You could also use russet potatoes, as their high starch content helps them crisp up nicely. Whatever your potato choice, you will want to cut them into uniform pieces. If you are using large potatoes, cut them into 2-inch cubes. If you are using baby or small potatoes, you can leave the really small ones whole. For the larger ones, slice them in half or thirds, using the first knuckle of your pointer finger as a guide to make sure they are uniform thickness.

Potatoes on a baking sheet with oil and seasoning.

Seasoning is key

We are going to keep our roasted potatoes spices very simple. You can really add almost any seasoning you like potatoes and they will be delicious, but for the potatoes that I make no less than twice a week, having a simple spice mix that I know I always have in my pantry is helpful. If you haven’t caught on by now, good food doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple can also be delicious, sometimes it’s just a matter of knowing how to use what you’ve got. For these potatoes all you need is salt, pepper, garlic powder and olive oil. That’s it. Nothing fancy. Our goal is to make roasted potatoes easy enough that you don’t even have to think about it. What’s for dinner? Roasted potatoes. Bam. Question answered. Do I have everything to make them? Yes, always. Let me tell you the secret to making dinner easy. Always have the ingredients for a few simple things. In my house, I always have what I need for these potatoes and a quick salad. I can grab a rotisserie chicken on my way home or pop some chicken breasts in the oven following the super simple Best Baked Chicken recipe. 10 minutes of prep, everything goes in the oven, and I can fold laundry, take a shower, clean the kitchen, read a book, or scroll social media for the 1000th time. 45 minutes later and dinner is done. Just toss the potatoes in olive oil, and the seasoning and arrange the potatoes flat side down in a single layer on a baking sheet. I dump everything on my baking sheet and toss directly on the baking sheet to save some dishes and grease it, too. That way, no sticking.

How long should roasted potatoes be cooked?

This is the most important part, ok? Listen closely. To get crispy potatoes, you must cook them at a high temperature and it is going to take a minute. Closer to 30, really. Take the time to preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Do this first and by the time your potatoes are ready to go in the oven, it will be hot. Please, do not put your potatoes in a cold oven. Once your oven is hot, put your potatoes on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes. Pull them out, making sure to close the oven door. We don’t want our heat to escape. Give them a toss, making sure to flip all the potatoes 180 degrees. If you really want your potatoes to be crispy, don’t skip this step. Place your potatoes back in the oven for 5-10 minutes until golden brown. For roasted potatoes in a convection oven or convection setting, drop your temperature by 25 degrees F. The last few minutes of baking, you may want to keep a close eye on your potatoes. Depending on their size they may cook more quickly or need a little extra time. That’s it. Your potatoes are now hot and ready, perfect for a dinner-time side dish or topped with a fried egg for breakfast. To reheat leftovers, just heat a skillet over medium heat and toss in your potatoes, turning often. 5 minutes and they are hot and crispy again!

to make these simple crispy roasted potatoes, here is what you need…