Best Garlic Roasted Potatoes

These delicious garlic roasted potatoes are oven baked, super quick and simple to make, with a crispy outside, and light, fluffy insides. They are the ultimate side for big family dinners, and make  make a great quick and filling snack.

How to Make the Best Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Yes, you can get perfect roast potatoes without boiling them first. And yes, you can do it without drowning them in oil. Here are my top tips:

• Leave the skins on. This gives them that extra crunch, and shields the insides from drying out too much.
• Generously coat them in olive oil. A bit of oil is actually necessary to make those skins crunchy, but not nearly as much as most restaurants would use. One tablespoon of olive oil should be more than enough or a pound of potatoes.
• Bake them at a high temperature. I bake my potatoes at 400°F, which prevents them from drying out by dragging the baking process on for too long.
• Serve roast potatoes right away. The longer they sit on a plate, the softer the outside will get.

Step 1

Cut small potatoes into quarters or halves (if they’re really small), and coat them in olive oil. Spread them out evenly onto a baking sheet, making sure they’re not touching. Leaving plenty of room between individual pieces allows air to circulate, which results in crispier roast potatoes.

Step 2

Bake at a high temperature for 30 to 40 minutes. Flip at least twice during baking to ensure the potatoes don’t stick, and cook evenly from all sides. You know they’re done when you can easily pierce them with a fork.

Step 3

When still piping hot, coat the roasted potatoes in herbs and spices of choice. You can add a bit more salt, chopped parsley, rosemary and thyme.

Which Potatoes Are Best for Roasting?

Roasting potatoes should be thin-skinned, perfectly textured, and evenly sized. Starchier potatoes, such as russets, are great for frying or roasting, while waxier potatoes, such as fingerlings, are better for mashing. Let’s look at some of the most basic potato types:

Russet Potatoes: these oval, light to medium russet-brown potatoes are easily recognised by their hearty skin and dry, fluffy texture. Their high starch content makes them perfect for baking, frying and roasting.

Red Potatoes: waxy, moist and smooth, with thin red skin and white flesh, red potatoes are best for mashing, in salads, soups and stews.

White Potatoes: starchy, slightly creamy, with thin and delicate skin, white potatoes are perfect for frying and roasting, but can also be used for mashing and steaming.

Yellow Potatoes: probably one of the most widely used kind of potato, the yellow potato in known for its slightly waxy texture, and rich, buttery flavour. They are suitable for grilling, roasting, mashing, and work even in salads.

Fingerling Potatoes: waxy and very firm, these finger-shaped potatoes are most suitable for mashing, soups and stews.

Yukon Gold: available only since 1980, Yukon Gold is one of the most versatile types of potato. It’s just as good for roasting and baking as it is for mashing.