# How do you get roast potatoes properly crispy? Canonical: https://zestasy.com/wiki/crispy-roast-potatoes/ Section: Zestasy Wiki > Food · Updated: 2026-10-13 · Publisher: Zestasy *Zestasy Wiki: our reference answers. Checked for facts and sources; less curated than the magazine.* Use a floury potato, parboil it until the edges are soft, then shake it in the colander until the outsides go fluffy and ragged. Tip it into fat that is already properly hot, give every piece room on the tray, and leave it alone until the undersides are deep gold before you turn anything. A crisp roast potato is not a matter of luck or a secret ingredient. It is a short chain of decisions, and every pale, leathery potato we have ever served can be traced back to one weak link in it. Here they are in order. ## Choose a floury potato Floury, starchy potatoes (the kind that fall apart when you boil them too long) are the ones that roast up crisp outside and soft inside. Waxy salad potatoes hold their shape beautifully, which is exactly the problem: there is no fluffy surface to turn into crunch. If the bag says "good for mash and roasting", believe it. If you only have waxy ones, they will still be good, just smoother and more like a roasted new potato than a proper roastie. Peel them, cut them into chunky, uneven pieces and keep the sizes roughly similar. Corners and flat faces are your friends: more edges, more crisp. ## Parboil until the edges give Start the potatoes in cold, well-salted water and bring them to a simmer. You want them cooked through at the edges but still firm in the middle: a knife slides into the outside easily and meets resistance at the centre. Undercook them here and the surface stays smooth and stubborn; overcook and they collapse on the tray. This is also your one chance to season the inside. Salty water now means you are not chasing flavour later. ## Rough them up Drain them, then let them sit in the colander for a minute or two so the steam carries off surface water. Then shake. Firmly. You want the outsides to go cloudy and ragged, almost like a coating of mash. That fluffed-up layer is what becomes the crust. A wet potato steams instead of roasting, so do not skip the steaming-off. If the potatoes look damp, give them another minute. ## Hot fat, and plenty of it While the potatoes boil, heat your fat in the roasting tin in a very hot oven. Olive oil, sunflower oil, or a mix with a knob of butter for flavour later on all work. The fat should be hot enough that the potatoes sizzle the moment they touch it. Tip them in carefully, turn each piece once so it is coated, and get the tin straight back in. Cold fat is the most common reason for potatoes that soak up oil and stay pale. If you hear nothing when they go in, wait. ## Give them space Crowd the tin and the potatoes steam in each other's moisture. Every piece should sit in a single layer with a little air around it. If you are feeding a lot of people, use two tins rather than one heap. (Our thoughts on the wider soggy-tray problem are in [why roast vegetables go soggy](https://zestasy.com/wiki/soggy-roast-vegetables/).) ## Leave them alone, then turn once Resist the urge to fiddle. Let the undersides go deep golden and release from the tin by themselves; if a potato sticks, it is not ready. Turn them once, then roast until they look glassy-crisp all over and sound hollow when you tap one with a spoon. Towards the end, a few unpeeled garlic cloves, some rosemary sprigs or a scatter of thyme can go in: added at the start, they burn. Season with flaky salt the moment they come out, while the surface is still glossy enough to hold it. ## What gets in the way - **A cold oven door that keeps opening.** Every peek lets heat out. - **Too little fat.** The potatoes should glisten, not sit in a puddle and not sit dry. - **Covering them.** Foil makes steam. Steam makes soft. - **Holding them warm.** Crisp potatoes wait badly. Time them to come out last. ## FAQ ### Can you get crisp roast potatoes without parboiling? You can get good roasted potatoes, especially with small or halved ones, but the ragged, crunchy shell really comes from that fluffy, parboiled surface. Skip the boil and you get something smoother and chewier, which is lovely in its own way. ### Does semolina or flour on the potatoes help? A light dusting of semolina or flour after roughing them up adds extra crunch for some cooks. We think a proper shake does most of the work, but it does no harm if you like the effect. ### Can we parboil them ahead? Yes. Parboil, rough up and let them cool, then keep them covered in the fridge. Roast them from cold in properly hot fat; they will want a little longer in the oven. ### Why do my potatoes stick to the tin? Usually the fat was not hot enough or they were turned too early. Wait until they release on their own. A heavy, well-oiled tin helps too. ## Related - [Why are my roasted vegetables soggy instead of crispy?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/soggy-roast-vegetables/) - [How do you know how much salt to use when cooking?](https://zestasy.com/food/how-much-salt/) - [Is a cast iron pan worth it for a home cook?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/is-cast-iron-worth-it/) - [Should you use the fan setting on your oven?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/oven-fan-setting/) - [How do you cook for a big group without a professional kitchen?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/cooking-for-a-crowd/) - [All Food answers in the Wiki](https://zestasy.com/wiki/#food)