How to make the best roast potatoes

I've spent the last few years knee-deep in potatoes – creating countless recipes and videos, external.

From how to master mashed potato and Lyonnaise potatoes to simple hash browns. In doing so, I have amassed over 300 million views.

So trust me when I say I know what makes perfect crispy roast potatoes. Here are my secrets and some common questions answered…

I've tried my fair share of potato varieties in the quest to achieve the ultimate roasties. My go-to is Maris Piper. It's the perfect level of starchiness and sturdiness to nail gorgeous crunch and a fluffy interior.

Larger chunks make for better roast potatoes. That way, more potato's in contact with direct heat from the roasting tray to crunch it up. Cut them too small and they'll be too hard.

Many people swear by adding bicarbonate of soda to boiling potatoes for extra crispy roast potatoes, but in my experience a thorough boil should do the job on its own.

Start roast potatoes in cold, heavily salted water and bring them to the boil. A spud needs time to cook all of the way through as it's dense. The salted water adds flavour from the inside out.

After 15 minutes, prod a potato with a table knife and lift it out of the water. If the potato is still connected to the knife, they're not ready yet. If the potato falls off the knife, you're good to move on to the next step.

Potentially the most important step to achieving crispy roast potatoes, is the steam-dry.

Once you've finished boiling the potatoes, drain them, place the colander back over the pan you've boiled them in and immediately cover with a clean tea towel for 10-15 minutes.

This absorbs the steam, keeps the potatoes warm and gives them time to dry out. You could do this in advance if you're trying to get ahead (like Christmas) but it's not essential.

Use this time to heat your fat in a roasting tray – again, essential for crunch!

For a roast dinner I'd use vegetable oil, but for a special occasion, I might mix it up with beef dripping, goose fat or duck fat.

Whatever you use, add to the roasting tray and pop in a preheated 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 oven for 10 minutes before you add the potatoes. When the fat is hot, give the potatoes a quick shake in the colander, then tip into the roasting tray.

Give the tray a jiggle to get them moving but don't worry about coating them completely in the fat at this stage.

Roast your boiled and steam-dried potatoes for 40-50 minutes, turning once after 20 minutes, in a preheated 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 until golden and crunchy.

To herb or not to herb is down to taste, but garlic and rosemary burn quickly, so add any herbs toward the end of the roasting time or even after cooking, as a garnish. But, if you're asking me, the perfect roastie doesn't need any trimmings, just fat and seasoning.

You want the sides of your roast potatoes to have the maximum time touching the hot tray, for ultimate crunch, so you only need to turn them once.

Wait 20 minutes before turning, then put them back in to cook for another 20-30 minutes.

Don't try to juggle roasting potatoes around a large joint at a lower temperature either. Rest your joint for at least an hour after it's cooked, in which time you can blast the roasties.

And there you have it – the perfect roast potato tips from my years of testing roast potatoes at home and in professional kitchens. Pair them with lashings of gravy, delicious sides and our best roast centrepieces and you'll be living the dream.

Originally published October 2024. Updated February 2026.

Want more? Visit BBC Food on Instagram, external, Facebook, external and Pinterest, external or watch the latest Food TV programmes on BBC iPlayer.