Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Name: Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 Idaho russet potatoes (washed, dried and halved lengthwise); 1 stick unsalted butter (I use Land O' Lakes); salt and pepper

4.94 from 15 votes

12 Comments

May 2, 2021

(updated May 23, 2023)

by Lori Murphy

Jump to Recipe

In the mood for some really crispy oven roasted potatoes? These are hands down the easiest and best roast potato recipe with only two ingredients and are made without baking powder. The best side dish for roasted turkey or juicy beef tenderloin.

white ceramic platter of roasted potato halves

My mother-in-law Katie was a pretty functional but good cook. She cooked what worked and did it well. Case in point: these crunchy crispy oven roasted potatoes. They can be on the table in under 40 minutes and are the perfect side dish for beef tenderloin sliders, some juicy Foolproof Chicken or your favorite barbecue dish.

So—let's get to cooking so that these creamy roasted potatoes can get on your table and in your belly.

Two Ingredient Roasted Potatoes

black sheet pan of melted butter and four raw potato halves

I mentioned earlier that you'll only need two ingredients (not counting salt and pepper, of course) to make these oven roasted potatoes. And neither one of those ingredients is baking soda or oil each of which some people say is the key to the best oven roasted potato.

Me? Not so much.

There are recipes that make roasted potatoes with baking soda and there are some that make them using oil. We are going straight for the good stuff.

Butter.

That's right. The two ingredients you need are:

potatoes (and we'll talk what kind below)
unsalted butter

Three Key Tips for Outstanding Roasted Potatoes

knife cutting through a potato on parchment covered cutting board

Potatoes were made for roasting. There are three things necessary to make super crispy roasted potatoes.

Heat - No one likes a raw potato so whether they're boiled, baked, fried or roasted, potatoes need heat.
Fat - Necessary for roasted potatoes to be their best crispy selves.
Seasoning - Because potatoes are bland in flavor, they are super versatile taking on the flavor of whatever they're seasoned with.

Best potato varieties for roasting

Some potatoes are better than other for roasting. Some favorites are:

Idaho Russet potatoes - the cut side browns beautifully to a crispy golden crunch with a fluffy interior.
New potatoes (large and small) - Typically red, these babies come in different sizes with the smallest (sometimes the size of your thumbnail) being Type C and working their way up to the more traditional, larger Type A's.
Yukon gold - the flesh has a slight buttery flavor which no one is evah going to complain about.
Sweet potatoes - You wouldn't think it possible but when sweet potatoes are roasted, they get even sweeter. Sweet.

Step by step process

blackened sheet pan with two halves of a stick of butter and potatoes in the background — Place butter stick right on the pan and put it in the oven (no wrapper!)

hand grinding pepper over sheet pan of melted butter — Place butter stick right on the pan and put it in the oven (no wrapper!)

Gather these ingredients to make crispy oven roasted potatoes:

a half-sheet pan with sides, approximately 12 x 17
one stick of butter
one potato per person you plan to serve
salt and pepper

You'll place the baking sheet with a stick of butter into a preheated oven and let it melt.
Sprinkle your seasoning of choice on top of the melted butter (I am using just salt and pepper) and then place your halved raw potatoes face down into the butter bath brushing the tops with the butter and seasoning mixture.
Roast the potatoes face down for about 35 minutes and flip the potatoes to reveal the brown and toasty ah-ma-zing glory.

Success!

FAQ's

roasted potato half topped with a dollop of dip on a stack of small plates

What kind of dipping sauce works with this recipe?

As a big blue cheese fan, I highly recommend my Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing as a great partner for these potatoes. Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Yogurt Dip (pictured above) is a close second!

Can I use any kind of butter? Salted or unsalted? What about margarine?

Use unsalted butter since you're going to be seasoning the butter anyway and it gives you more control over the results. I will admit Katie used margarine in a lot of recipes but this one is strictly butter. If margarine is all you have, be careful because it typically contains water and you might not get the even color and crispness that you would from butter.

What about vegan butter? Would that be an option?

I haven't tried roasting potatoes using vegan butter although if I did, I'd use the Miyoko's Creamery Vegan Butter. It's got great flavor. (And if you try it, please let me know in the comments below how it worked out.)

Helpful Tips

cooked roasted potato being picked up with tongs off a black sheet pan

Make ahead

Because this is such an easy recipe, I wouldn't recommend making them ahead. You're not really saving any time because you have to reheat the potatoes anyway which takes about 15 minutes.

Storing

Store leftovers in a sealed container or bag. Use within 3 days.

Reheating

To reheat any leftovers (if there are any), brush a baking sheet with some butter (or just take the end of a stick of butter and make a few quick swashes across the pan). Put the leftover potatoes cut side down and reheat for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350˚ oven.

…before you go...

If you make this Crispy Roasted Potatoes recipe, be sure to share your reviews in the comments below! Or pin the recipe by clicking on one of the images above and save it for later.

📖 Recipe

4.94 from 15 votes