Easy Roast Potatoes

This is my everyday roast potatoes recipe. I use baby potatoes so it’s quick prep (no peeling). Great garlic-thyme flavour. Fresh herbs really are lovely, though dried can be used in a pinch! Don’t make the mistake of using minced garlic. It burns!

My everyday roast potatoes

I have a recipe for devilishly good crispy roast potatoes. They are the roast potatoes everybody dreams about, with a thick craggy crust that stays crispy for ages.

But they are not Monday night potatoes. They are reserved for when I’m out to impress.

Today’s roast potato recipe is what I make in my day to day life. Low effort yet utterly delicious, with a lovely golden outsides, soft insides, infused with beautiful garlic-thyme flavours.

Serve with everything!

What you need

Here’s what you need:

Ingredients in Roast potatoes
Potatoes – Use any small potatoes that can be cooked with the skin on. Baby potatoes, cocktail potatoes, new potatoes, red potatoes, creamer potatoes!

My ideal potato size is ~ 4cm/1.6″ which is a nice (big) bite size once cut in half. Half is ideal because there’s only one cut face to make golden (remember, this is my easy roast potatoes recipe!). If it’s much larger, cut into 3 pieces but just be mindful that you won’t get a very good golden colour on more than one cut face.

Garlic – Whole, unpeeled, with the skin on. We’re going to smash them with the side of our knife to make them burst open but remain (mostly) in one piece. Why not use minced garlic? Because it burns. And burnt garlic is bitter. Not pleasant!

You will be surprised how much garlic flavour is imparted from smashed garlic. Your house will smell amazing. 🙂

Thyme or rosemary sprigs – Thyme is my default but rosemary is also lovely. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use dried. But toss it in halfway through the roasting time, else it will burn.

Olive oil – Just your everyday cooking oil. No need to crank out the good stuff, reserve that for salad dressings!

Potato roasting words of wisdom

It really does take an hour. Don’t shortcut it. Nobody likes underdone potatoes!

Only toss once – the potatoes need undisturbed time to go golden.

If your potatoes are stuck, don’t force them and rip the crust off! They will loosen naturally when ready.

You can use baking paper if you want…..but full contact with metal gives the best colour and crispiness!

How to make easy roast potatoes

How to make Roast potatoes
Toss potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper. I just do this on the tray, because why create more washing up? Then toss through garlic and thyme.

Roast for 30 minutes at 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan-forced).

Toss – Remove from oven, then toss. If any are stuck, leave them. They will release when ready!

PRO TIP: Arrange the less golden cut sides facedown on the tray as they will get the best colour during the 2nd baking time.

Roast for a further 25 to 35 minutes. Toss again then pile onto serving plate and serve!

Adapted from: recipetineats.com