Roasted Red Potatoes Recipe {Oven Baked with Crispy Skin} (2024)

FAQs

Why aren't my oven roasted potatoes 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.

Keep potatoes crisp in a warm oven if you're serving them in 1-2 hours. If there is a slight wait before everyone eats, don't cover the crispy potatoes—this traps steam which will make the potatoes soggy. Just keep them in the oven, but turn the temperature to the lowest setting.

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. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

You don't need to peel red potatoes since the skins are thin and tender, but they should be rinsed to remove dirt. Don't Crowd the Pan. This is the cardinal rule of Oven Roasted Vegetables. If you don't leave enough space around the potatoes for the air to circulate, they will steam instead of crisp.

The broil setting on your oven cooks food quickly with direct heat—typically at 550°F (289°C)—and produces a seared finish that's similar to grilling. Smaller or countertop ovens usually preheat to the broiling temp faster, so you can quickly finish baked or slow-roasted dishes with crisp browned edges.

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.

A: First let's talk about why cut potatoes need to be immersed in water to begin with. The reason is to prevent the potatoes exposure to air, which causes dehydration, oxidation, and discoloration. Immersing cut potatoes will also help rinse off excess starch.

Dunk the Potatoes in a Saltwater Solution

This step is extremely important because it seasons the skin and encourages it to dry and crisp in the oven. Lan tested longer brines, but who wants to add an hour to a simple side?

We tasted the potatoes and agreed that post-salting is better than pre-salting. Salting before or after clearly makes a difference. The outside of the post-salted potatoes is more crispy and has a nice bite to it, whereas the outside of the pre-salted potatoes is tough and leathery.

Red potatoes tend to be smaller and waxy. Their higher moisture and lower starch content are great for boiling or roasting, and they manage to hold their shape well. These properties tend to make them less desirable for a baked potato, which should be a little larger in size and easy to fluff up on the interior.

Should you wash red potatoes before roasting? ›

Yes! It's very important to wash potatoes before cooking with them because they're root vegetables. Since they grow underground, potatoes likely carry residual soil, bacteria, and pesticides when you buy them.

Red potatoes are great for roasting, cooking in soups, or boiling or steaming for potato salad. The waxy nature of the flesh means they'll maintain their shape, but it also means they will get gluey when overworked, so you'll want to choose a different potato for mashing.

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.

Roasted potatoes can become soggy if the water content in the potato isn't fully cooked. Different potatoes have different water content percentages. Also, be mindful of the oil. Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy.

Temperature calibration: Check if the oven temperature matches the set temperature. You can use an oven thermometer to verify if the temperature is accurate. If there's a significant difference, you may need to have the oven calibrated or adjusted by a professional.

Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as coconut oil, and use plenty of it. These are fried potatoes after all. If you don't use enough oil, they will not get good and crispy.