Simple Roast Potatoes

These Simple Roast Potatoes are an ever popular classic that everyone will love. Wonderfully crisp on the outside and perfectly fluffy on the inside, there is a reason why these are so well loved.

simple air fryer roast potatoes as the name suggests

I have deliberately kept these roast potatoes really simple. I like to keep roast potatoes simple however I’m cooking them. I like the salty, crisp potatoes to speak for themselves.

Another reason for keeping the recipe is so people can add their own twists. I’m sure people have their own flavourings they like to add to roast potatoes and once they have the basics of how to cook them, they can add extra flavours.

Another option would be to try my Rosemary & Garlic Roast Potatoes which are absolutely delicious!

You could also heat up some goose or duck fat to toss the potatoes in. This is a great extra indulgence perfect for Christmas.

Remember to save your potato peelings to make Air Fryer Potato Peel Crisps.

which potatoes are best for roast potatoes?

The main goal for a good roast potato is a crisp exterior with a super fluffy interior. To get that, you need to start with the right potato.

In the UK, the best options are Maris Piper and King Edward potatoes. It helps that these are also the most commonly found potatoes so you shouldn’t have any problems finding them.

If you look for any potato variety considered an ‘all rounder’ such as estima, melody or marfona then you can’t go wrong.

If you’re in the US, Yukon Gold potatoes will work really well.

is parboiling needed for roast potatoes?

I have always parboiled my potatoes when making roast potatoes. It’s the way my Mum taught me and I really do think it makes a difference.

Parboiling the potatoes helps provide the deliciously crisp crust that we all want. If you don’t parboil your potatoes the fat won’t be able to get into the cracks and you won’t get the crispness.

So in my opinion parboiling is an essential step to a good roast potato and is worth the extra step.

tips for the best roast potatoes

Even though these roast potatoes are really simple, there are a few tips to ensure they are as delicious as they can be.

Parboiling your potatoes

We’ve already been over this, but yes it is essential in my opinion! But don’t cook the potatoes too long.

You want the potatoes to be soft enough so you can insert a sharp knife with a little resistance. You don’t want them to be completely cooked through and starting to fall apart.

Chuff your potatoes

I don’t know if that is the technical term, but it’s what my Mum always referred to it as. Chuffing the potatoes is roughing up the edges to ensure the fat can crisp them up perfectly.

I do this by tossing the parboiled potatoes in a colander quite vigorously so the edges get bashed up.

This along with the parboiling will help create deliciously crisp roast potatoes.

Get your oil nice and hot

Just before you drain your potatoes, put your tray with oil into the oven. You want to get the oil nice and hot so that they start crisping up straight away.

This also helps them to absorb less oil. We’re looking for crisp roast potatoes, not oily potatoes. I often see people making roast potatoes and there is a pool of oil in the tin. I think is is unnecessary and you only need enough to coat the potatoes well; they don’t need to be swimming in the oil.

You do really need to make sure you are careful when adding the potatoes to the hot oil. The oil can very easily splash to make sure you stand well back. I even like to wear oven gloves just to protect my hands from any splashes.

It is not so important that you get the potatoes into the oil within ten seconds that you don’t take proper precautions around the hot oil.

If you’d prefer to use even less oil, check out my Simple Air Fried Roast Potatoes.

Cut your potatoes into irregular shapes

I can’t remember which TV chef told me to do this years ago, but it has stuck with me. The idea is to cut them into irregular shapes so there is more surface area which means more potato to get crispy.

Do you get the theme here? Everything we do is for ultimate crispiness!

Leave your potatoes to steam dry

Before you put the potatoes into the hot oil, make sure you let them steam dry. Wet potatoes won’t crisp up as well. Any extra moisture is likely to cause the oil to spit which you don’t want.

All you need to do is to leave them sitting in the colander for a few minutes to dry and then you’re good to go.

reheating & storing the potatoes

If you want to get ahead you can make these roast potatoes earlier in the day, or even the day before. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to reheat them.

Reheating them couldn’t be easier. If you’re planning on turning your oven on, you can reheat them for around 10 minutes in the oven. Alternatively you could reheat them in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes.

Another option would be to boil them ahead of time and store them in the fridge ready to cook later.

what to serve roast potatoes with

The most obvious way to serve these roast potatoes is as part of roast dinner. The flavour of these potatoes would be the perfect addition to any meat you are serving. The following would be delicious:

• Air Fryer Roast Beef
• Simple Air Fryer Whole Roast Chicken
• Air Fryer Gammon Joint
• Cranberry, Bacon & Sausage Meat Stuffing
• Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Garlic
• Air Fryer Chantenay Carrots
• Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets
• Broccoli Cheese
• Roasted Air Fryer Parsnips
• Creamed Savoy Cabbage
• Air Fryer Green Beans

But a roast dinner isn’t the only way you can enjoy these potatoes! They’d be perfect served alongside my Slow Cooker Beef & Ale Stew, Slow Cooker Pork & Mustard Stew and Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole.

other recipes you might like

• Air Fryer Rosemary & Garlic Roast Potatoes
• Air Fryer Bubble & Squeak
• Festive Vegetarian Galettes with Squash, Red Onion & Chestnuts
• Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes
• Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

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