Go Back

Crispy Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes

This is the tray I make most weeks. It serves 4 as a side, takes about 10 minutes of hands-on work, and comes out deeply golden if you follow three rules: dry the pieces, give them space, and roast them hot. Read the whole method once before you start, since the garlic timing near the end is the detail most people get wrong.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Side Dish
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes scrubbed, skin on
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced (added late, see step 5)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • Flaky salt and chopped parsley for serving (optional)

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F with a large, rimmed sheet pan inside it. A preheated pan starts browning the moment the potatoes land, which is free crispness.
  2. Cut the potatoes into even 1 1/2-inch wedges or chunks. Halve small potatoes, quarter medium ones, and cut large ones into 6 to 8 pieces. Even size matters more than exact shape, since uneven pieces cook unevenly.
  3. Rinse the cut potatoes briefly under cold water, then dry them thoroughly with a clean towel. Wet potatoes steam instead of roasting, and this drying step is the single biggest difference between crisp and soggy results.
  4. Toss the dry potatoes with the olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large bowl until every piece glistens. Carefully spread them on the hot pan in a single layer, cut-side down where possible, with gaps between pieces. Do not crowd the pan; use a second pan if you must.
  5. Roast for 20 minutes without touching them, so a crust forms on the pan side. Flip each piece with a metal spatula, then roast 12 to 15 minutes more. In the last 5 minutes, scatter the sliced garlic and rosemary over the pan and roast until the garlic is pale gold and the potatoes are deeply golden and fork-tender.
  6. Taste, adjust salt, and shower with flaky salt and parsley if you like. Serve hot, straight from the pan, since crispness fades as the potatoes sit.