The Best Ever Crispy Potatoes??? – YES !

Hey, friends! Buckle up, because I’m about to share the crispiest roasted potatoes you’ll ever make. I’m not kidding when I say these are the BEST POTATOES I’ve EVER MADE —and I’m a potato girl through and through (being Irish and all….).

These little golden nuggets are so crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and bursting with herby flavor that they’ve become an obsession lately. The magic moment? That time I scraped every last bit of herb-infused olive oil from the bottom of the bottle, and those potatoes came out like they were auditioning for a Michelin star. (In MY Kitchen, if you can believe that! 🤣) If you’re searching for an easy crispy potato recipe that’ll make your kitchen smell like heaven and your guests beg for more, you’re in the right place. Let’s get roasting!

A Recipe as Old as Grandma’s Kitchen

This isn’t some newfangled foodie trend (although I did, in fact, learn of it from googling the details of a TikTok post I saw…). Only to learn it IS a classic, passed down from grandmothers who knew how to turn a humble spud into pure magic. I

’m talking crispy, golden perfection that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with any other potato recipe. The technique’s been perfected by kitchen rockstars like Kenji Lopez-Alt (Who I just learned about (!)) and the one-and-only Alton Brown, the godfather of food science. They’ve broken down the why behind the crunch, and I’m here to pass that wisdom on to you with my own spin. It’s like a family heirloom recipe, but with a modern twist that’ll have everyone at your table swooning.

The Science of Crunch: Why Baking Soda is Your BFF

Okay, let’s nerd out for a hot second. (You all know I had to google this….). The secret to these crispiest roasted potatoes lies in a pinch of baking soda. When you add it to the boiling water, it makes the water alkaline, which breaks down the pectin in the potatoes (that’s the glue holding the potato cells together). This creates rough, starchy scraggly edges that turn into crispy, crackly goodness when roasted. It’s like giving your spuds a head start on their glow-up. Without it, you’d get ho-hum potatoes—nobody’s got time for that. Thanks to Kenji and Alton, we’ve got this science down pat, and it’s nearly foolproof. Trust me, you’ll never roast potatoes any other way.

The Herb-Infused Oil That Changes Everything

Here’s where these potatoes go from great to unforgettable. Herb-infused olive oil is the game-changer, and after a few batches, I’ve got opinions on how to do it right.

Options:

• Easiest : Store-Bought Infused Oil: I keep a stash of flavored olive oils in my pantry for quick flavor boosts. But here’s the thing: Sometimes they’re too mild for my liking. My last batch with store-bought oil was good, but not the-best-ever-amazing goodness.
• Use only Infused Oil: Steep and Strain: Gently heat olive oil with herbs and garlic for a few minutes, then strain out the solids. Use only the oil. Clean, simple, and tasty. A good secondary option.
• Use both Infused Oil and Herbs: Steep the oil with herbs and garlic, strain the oil, use the oil to prep the potatoes and when finished toss the potatoes with the herb / garlic after roasting. Or, like my best batch ever, use the dregs from the bottom of a store-bought infused oil bottle where all the herby goodness hides. It’s like flavor confetti!

Whatever your choice – No Stressing!

For herbs, rosemary is my ride-or-die for potatoes—its woody, earthy vibe is a classic. Toss in some garlic and I’m a happy girl! But not everyone, egh hem -> the hubster, shares my enthusiasm for rosemary…

However, and this is a BIG however, as noted above, my very favorite batch of these potatoes used the end of a purchased bottle of Tuscan Herb Olive Oil – with the herbs from the bottle dumping (I thought mistakenly) onto my sheet pan. These were very well infused dried herbs – in the bottle for probably a year or more – I don’t recommend roasting herbs like this – b/c they may burn – but that batch…yum. I’m pretty sure the two of us ate almost the whole batch ourselves. (Shhhhh….don’t judge. Make some of these and you’ll understand!)

Your Kitchen – Your Choice on Herbs and Flavoring!

To make your own Tuscan Herb Olive Oil – consider basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and maybe a pinch of fennel seeds and maybe a bit of garlic. You’ll want to toss a small-ish handful of herbs into 4-5 Tbl of olive oil on the stove and heat gently for a quick infusion. You are done when you start to smell something amazing. Don’t go too far from the stove and don’t let it boil…. you are just infusing the oil. When it smells amazing – and it’s been a few/handful of minutes at a good simmer – strain off the herbs / garlic. (Save the herbs / garlic for sprinkling, or not…) This way your potatoes will taste like a trip to Italy in every bite!

Want to mix it up? Try thyme for a lemony zing, sage for cozy fall feels, or oregano for a Mediterranean kick. A pinch of red pepper flakes adds heat if you’re feeling spicy. Go wild—this is your kitchen!

And, there’s more !! As I was writing this – I thought to myself…Self – don’t you have bacon fat in the fridge? Imagine using bacon fat instead of olive oil. Obviously a few more grams of saturated fat – but yum… bacon. And maybe a bit of crumbled bacon and cheese on top when serving? With a side of sour cream? And maybe some green onions ? Yeah – lots of options…

A Heads-Up: Make Way More Potatoes Than You Think

Word to the wise: These herb-infused roasted potatoes shrink a bit during cooking (some bits get lost in the boiling and draining), and they disappear FAST. Like, when I made what I thought was a big batch for the dinner group – we’ve demolished a big bowl before I could even grab seconds. Plan to make almost double what you think you need—everyone will eat more than you expect because they’re that good. Leftovers reheat beautifully in a hot oven, so no stress there. (Just don’t try to microwave or heat quickly in a toaster oven. Hot, High Heat to reheat. Or … Just eat em’ all!)

#KeepingItReal: The Dishes and Time Are Worth It

Let’s be honest, friends—this recipe isn’t a one-pan wonder. You’ll need a pot for boiling, a colander, a bowl for tossing, one or two sheet pans, and a serving dish. Yep, it’s a bit of a cleanup after party. It also takes some time: chopping, boiling from cold water, tossing, and roasting adds up to about 90 minutes. But hear me out—it’s SO worth it. These crispy roasted potatoes are budget-friendly (potatoes are dirt cheap!), and they pair with everything from a fancy steak to a simple roasted chicken (breast?). Just set your expectations, put on your favorite playlist, and enjoy the process. The smell alone will make you glad you did.

Caution on Homemade Infused Olive Oil

Lastly, one more important #KeepingItReal. I don’t mean to be a downer – but as I was preparing this post – I went down the rabbit hole of home-made infused olive oil. I came across the word – Botulism. Which, of course, stopped me in my tracks. It would be remiss of me not to add this paragraph – so please read quickly and move on. Many other posts – including those from the Godfather himself didn’t add these caveats – but he has $$ for lawyers and I don’t…

If you use fresh garlic / fresh herbs grown in the ground there is concern for botulism growing in your olive oil (who knew?!) – IF YOU KEEP IT FOR LATER USE… like in the fridge for days and days or on the counter for more than a handful of hours… So JUST Don’t Do it. Prepare the olive oil and use it in your recipe today or toss it! If you are interested in more details – here’s a page I found that you can read more about safely preparing infused olive oil. OK. I want you all to stay safe (obviously!) Now back to our regular programming….

These crispiest herb-infused roasted potatoes are about to become your new go-to side dish. Try ‘em, tweak the herbs to make ‘em your own, and drop a comment below to tell me how they turned out. Happy cooking! 🥔💖