Serves: 4–6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Soaking time: 20–30 minutes (optional, but recommended)
Cooking time: 40–50 minutes
Total: about 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Best potatoes to use

For the appearance in your picture, use small Yukon Gold, baby gold, red potatoes, or other small waxy/all-purpose potatoes.

If they’re larger, cut them into 2–3-inch chunks. Try to keep the pieces similar in size so they finish cooking together.

👩‍🍳 Detailed Method

1. Prepare the potatoes

Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Don’t peel them if the skins are thin and clean—the skin helps give you that rustic, crispy appearance.

Cut larger potatoes in half or quarters.

Put them in cold water for 20–30 minutes.

This optional soaking step helps remove some surface starch and can contribute to better browning.

Drain very well.

Important: Pat the potatoes thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel. Wet potatoes tend to steam rather than roast.

2. Heat the oven

Preheat your oven to:

220°C / 425°F conventional

or

200°C / 400°F fan/convection.

Put a large, heavy baking tray in the oven while it preheats.

A hot tray gives the potatoes an immediate sear when they hit the pan.

3. Make the seasoning

In a large bowl combine:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• minced garlic
• oregano
• rosemary
• thyme
• paprika
• black pepper
• about 1 tsp salt

Mix well.

Tip: If you want extremely crispy potatoes, don’t add too much garlic at this stage. Fresh minced garlic can burn during a long roast. You can add some of the garlic during the final 10 minutes instead.

4. Coat the potatoes

Add the completely dry potatoes to the bowl.

Toss thoroughly until every piece has a thin coating of oil and seasoning.

Don’t drown them in oil. A coating is enough.

5. Arrange on the tray

Carefully remove the hot tray.

Spread the potatoes over it in one layer.

Leave space between the pieces.

For the crispiest result, place the potatoes cut-side down wherever possible.

Don’t overcrowd the pan. If necessary, use two trays.

6. Roast

Place the tray in the oven.

Roast for approximately:

20–25 minutes → flip
another 20–25 minutes → finish

Total cooking time will generally be 40–50 minutes, depending on potato size.

You want the outside to become deep golden-brown and crisp, similar to the potatoes in your photograph.

For extra browning, increase the oven to 230°C / 450°F for the final 5–8 minutes.

Keep an eye on them because garlic and herbs can burn.

7. Optional Parmesan finish

During the final 5–8 minutes, sprinkle over:

2–3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan.

Return to the oven until the cheese becomes golden and crisp.

This isn’t essential, but it gives the potatoes a delicious savory crust.

8. Finish

Remove the potatoes and immediately taste one.

Add a little more salt if needed.

Finish with:

• fresh parsley
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• freshly ground black pepper

Toss gently and serve hot.

🔥 How to Get Potatoes as Crispy as the Picture

The biggest secrets are:

1. Don’t overcrowd the tray.
2. Dry the potatoes extremely well.
3. Use a preheated baking tray.
4. Use enough oil to coat, but don’t soak them.
5. Put the cut side against the hot pan.
6. Don’t keep opening the oven.
7. Roast at high temperature.
8. Give them enough time to develop a dark crust.

For an even more dramatic crust, you can parboil the potatoes for 7–8 minutes, drain them, then shake them vigorously in the pot. The roughened surface becomes wonderfully crispy during roasting.

🥔 Extra-Crispy Parboiled Version

If your priority is maximum crispiness, I’d actually recommend this method for the potatoes in your photo.

Step 1

Cut potatoes into large chunks.

Step 2

Put them into salted boiling water.

Step 3

Boil for 7–9 minutes.

They should be partially cooked but not falling apart.

Step 4

Drain.

Let them sit in the colander for 2–3 minutes so excess moisture evaporates.

Step 5

Shake the colander/pot vigorously.

The outside should become slightly rough and fluffy.

Step 6

Toss with the oil and seasonings.

Step 7

Put onto a very hot baking tray.

Step 8

Roast at 220°C / 425°F for about 35–45 minutes, turning once.

Those rough potato edges become the crunchy bits you can see in your photograph.

🌿 Seasoning Variations

Garlic & Herb

• Garlic
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Black pepper

Spicy

Add:

• ½–1 tsp chili flakes
• ½ tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

Mediterranean

Add:

• Oregano
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Parsley
• Parmesan or feta after roasting

Indian-style

Replace the herbs with:

• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½–1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Fresh coriander

Cheesy

Add Parmesan during the last 5–8 minutes and finish with parsley.

🥗 Nutrition Information

The exact nutrition depends heavily on the potato variety and especially the amount of oil used.

As a useful reference, a USDA roasted-potato recipe lists 76 calories, 16 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber, and 1 g fat per 80 g serving.