Restaurant Style Roasted Potatoes

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Learn how to make the perfect Restaurant Style Roasted Potatoes. These are crispy on the outside, creamy, and tender on the inside, every single time! This is a secret I learned from a chef in Spain, and this method never fails to make the most delicious side dish for any family meal. Perfect with our favorite grilled steak recipes or side to perfectly Smoked Whole Chicken.

Perfect Roasted Potatoes on a sheet pan with a sprig of rosemary.
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This foolproof method will be your go-to recipe for crispy roasted potatoes. I first learned this technique from a restaurant chef in Spain, and it has been reiterated by chefs I’ve met throughout the world. And the secret is consistent. For another steakhouse classic try our easy Horseradish Mashed Potato recipe.

There’s a question we get a lot here on the blog. “What’s the recipe you use for those potatoes we see in so many of your pictures?” And the answer is – these roasted potatoes! It’s the number one BBQ side dish recipe made on our website.

The reason? It’s foolproof and delicious. And everyone loves crispy potatoes.


Ingredients + Substitutions For Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients for roasted potatoes on a cutting board overlayed with text descriptions of each ingredient.

This recipe is gluten-free and vegan and is easy to scale up.

  • Potatoes – The best potatoes to use for these roasted potatoes are Yukon Gold or other yellow potatoes, followed by red potatoes. If you have sweet potatoes, we recommend following our Grilled Sweet Potato recipe.
  • Salt – Use lots of kosher salt for the water when par boiling. We use 1/4 cup so the water tastes salty.
  • Olive Oil – Tossing the potatoes in olive oil helps them crisp up from the fat. You can use any of your favorite oils like vegetable oil, or hazelnut oil. We like the flavor of olive oil.
  • Seasoning – This recipe keeps it simple with kosher salt, coarse black pepper, and chopped fresh rosemary. You can add any herbs you want. Or for more savory flavors consider adding our herb Beef Seasoning or Chicken Seasoning. Avoid any seasoning with sugar.
  • Garnish – If you want a garnish consider freshly chopped parsley after roasting or chives.

Which Potatoes Work Best for Roasted Potatoes?

For this method, we’ve found the following potatoes work best. Avoid using russet potatoes. Those are better as a smoked baked potato, potato wedges, or grilled potato with a higher starch content.

  • Yellow Potatoes – Yukon Gold potatoes are our favorite, and part of the yellow potato family. Any yellow potato is rich and creamy. We also love yellow potatoes when we make our Smashed Potatoes Recipe.
  • Red Potatoes – Red potatoes are similar to yellow and are a good option in a pinch.
  • Fingerling Potatoes – Fingerling potatoes will work with this method, although they are often not the same uniform size. If you use fingerling we recommend you roast them whole.

Variations

Consider some of the following ideas for variations on roasted potatoes.

  • Onions and Garlic – If you want to add additional flavor, cut up onions and diced garlic and toss with the potatoes and olive oil.
  • Herbed Potatoes – We like to add dried thyme or fresh rosemary with onions and garlic for a play on herbed potatoes. We like to add herbs to our breakfast potatoes.
  • Cheesy Roasted Potatoes – Consider adding freshly grated parmesan cheese when the potatoes first come out of the oven like our duck fat potatoes.
  • Gratin – Want to go big? Add layers of cream and cheese for a Grilled Hasselback Potato Au Gratin.

Preparation

Cut potatoes into similar-sized quarters. Typically we quarter smaller potatoes and cut up larger ones into equal-sized bites.

Now on to the secret of how to roast perfect potatoes.


Step One: Par Boil the Potatoes

  1. Place the cut potatoes in a medium to large pot (depending on how many potatoes you are cooking), THEN add cold water – enough to cover the top of the potatoes. Add 1/4 cup kosher salt.
  2. Turn your burner on high. This is where you start your timer. Set a timer for 15 minutes. The pot will come to a boil around the 8-minute mark. Once it’s boiling bring it down to a simmer, and continue cooking until the 15 minutes is up. 
  3. DO NOT start your 15 minutes after the water starts to boil. Start it the minute you put it on the pot and it begins to boil. This allows the potatoes to slowly heat up along with the water.

Step Two: Season

Drain the water then add the drained potatoes into a large bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (preferred) or aluminum foil then add the potatoes in a single layer. If the potatoes are bunched up they will steam. To get the crispy exterior you want them in a single layer versus laying on top of each other.

Scaling Up: If you scale up the recipe be sure you use multiple baking sheets.

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Step Three: Roasting Potatoes in the Oven

Place in a preheated 425 degree oven on convection. This is important. The convection will keep the air moving and help crisp up these taters! Cook 15 minutes. Then toss. Cook an additional 15 minutes.

Voila — the perfect oven roasted potatoes!

If your potatoes are a little thicker then you may need to adjust cooking temps by 5 more minutes. Just take one out and test it with a fork or knife. It should have a nice crispiness on the outside, and soft on the inside.

Don’t have a convection oven? That’s OK too. The convection simply rotates the air around the oven. With a traditional oven, use the same temperature, but stir up the potatoes every 10 minutes for about 50 minutes or you like the crispiness.

Roasted potatoes on a sheet pan.

The perfect side dish for any dinner entrée.

Chef’s Tip

Do not crowd the sheet pan or the potatoes will steam versus roast. Use more pans if you are scaling up.

Make Ahead and Storage

If making ahead you can par boil the potatoes first, drain, and then wait to season and roast until the next day. I would not recommend prepping longer than one day ahead.

Store any leftover potatoes in an airtight container for up to five days in the refrigerator, three if you add cheese. To reheat add olive oil to a large skillet. Add potatoes and stir until they are crispy and warm.


Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to soak potatoes before roasting?

If you are par boiling – which we recommend – you do not need to soak potatoes before roasting.

What is the best temperature for baking ROASTED potatoes?

On convection 425 degrees F (and non-convection 450 degrees F).

What To Pair With Roasted Potatoes

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Perfect Roasted Potatoes on a sheetpan with a sprig of rosemary
4.73 from 11 votes

Restaurant Style Roasted Potatoes

Learn the secret to restaurant-quality roasted potatoes – from selecting the best potatoes to use to how to parboil them to get them creamy and finish in a hot oven; these are our all-time favorite side dish for any dinner. 
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Par Boil: 15 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, (yellow potatoes are preferred but you can also use red or fingerling)
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt (for par-boiling potatoes)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, (we prefer Diamond Crystal)
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Instructions 

  • Preparation: Set oven to 425 degrees F on convection. See notes if you don't have convection. Cut your potatoes in quarters or halves (depending on the size), or if using Yukon Golds cut into sixths.
  • Par Boil: Place the potatoes in a medium to large pot and cover with water and a generous palm full of kosher salt. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Place pot on the stove and bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. Continue cooking at a simmer until your 15-minute timer goes off. Check at 13 minutes if you are nervous about over cooking.
  • Roast: Drain water, then transfer potatoes to a sheet pan. Toss well with olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place in oven and cook for 15 minutes. Toss and return to oven for 15-20 more minutes, until the potatoes look crispy and browned, and creamy on the inside. 

Notes

*The use of rosemary is optional. We love it when cooking the potatoes for brunch or as a side for steak. The flavors work great with those options. If you don’t like rosemary, or it wouldn’t compliment the flavors of your entrée, leave it out. We use rosemary about 1/2 the time we make these potatoes. 
If you do not have a convection oven, that is fine. Roast at 450 degrees F and stir the potatoes every 10 minutes to expose them to the heat. It may take 50 minutes in total.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 595mg | Potassium: 962mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Par Boil: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Brunch/Breakfast, dinner, side dish
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 238
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Vindulge

About Mary


I'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, founder of Vindulge, and author of Fire + Wine cookbook. Thanks for stopping by!

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