Everyone has an opinion on roast potatoes, but the difference between a soft, pale tray and a proper crunchy one comes down to a handful of steps. This is the best roast potatoes recipe for UK home cooks: shatteringly crisp on the outside, fluffy in the middle, and seasoned so they taste of something before they even reach the gravy. No fancy kit, no goose fat required, just the method that works every single time.
Roast potatoes are not hard. They are just unforgiving if you skip a step. Get the potato, the parboil, the fat and the seasoning right, and you get roasties that disappear off the tray before the rest of the dinner is plated.
Start with the right potato
This is the step most people get wrong. Waxy potatoes (the small, firm, salad kind) will never crisp up properly. You want a floury, starchy variety that goes fluffy inside and roughs up on the outside. In UK supermarkets that means Maris Piper or King Edward. Both are widely recommended by BBC Good Food as the top choices for roasting.
If a bag just says "white potatoes" or "baking potatoes", they will usually work, but Maris Piper is the gold standard and worth asking for by name. Peel them and cut into chunks roughly the size of a small lemon. Too small and they dry out; too big and the middle never goes fluffy.
The secret is the parboil and the rough-up
Here is the part that creates the crunch. You parboil the potatoes before they ever see the oven, then rough up the edges. The soft, broken surface is what crisps into those craggy edges everyone fights over.
Boil the chunks in well-salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, until the outsides are soft but the centres still hold. A knife should slide into the edge easily but meet resistance in the middle. Drain them, then leave them in the colander for a minute to steam-dry. Dry potatoes crisp; wet ones steam.
Now the magic move: put them back in the empty pan, put the lid on, and give it a few firm shakes. The edges break up into a rough, fluffy surface. That roughed-up layer is your crunch. Do not skip it.
Get the fat smoking hot
Cold fat is the enemy of a crisp roastie. The potatoes need to hit fat that is already screaming hot, so they sizzle on contact and seal instead of soaking it up.
Pour a generous layer of fat into a roasting tin and heat it in the oven at 220C (200C fan) for 10 minutes before the potatoes go in. For fat, you have options: vegetable or sunflower oil works perfectly and is what most weeknight cooks use. Beef dripping or goose fat give a richer, more old-school flavour for special occasions. Olive oil burns at high heat, so save it for lower-temperature dishes.
When the fat is shimmering, carefully add the potatoes in a single layer and turn each one to coat. Crowding the tin is the second-biggest mistake after using the wrong potato. They need space, or they steam each other soft. Use two tins if you have to.
Season them properly
Plain roast potatoes are a missed opportunity. The roughed-up surface is the perfect surface to hold seasoning, and a tray seasoned at the right moment tastes miles better than one with salt thrown on at the end.
Toss the potatoes in the hot fat, then sprinkle generously with Costack All Purpose Seasoning before they go in the oven. The garlic, herb and savoury notes roast into the crust. For a classic Sunday-roast aroma, add a scatter of Costack Dried Thyme, which crisps in the fat and perfumes the whole tray. A pinch of Costack Garlic Granules on top in the last 15 minutes gives a deep roasted-garlic edge without the burnt-bits risk of fresh garlic.
Season again lightly with sea salt as soon as they come out, while the surface is still glossy. Salt sticks to hot, oily potatoes far better than cold ones.
The best roast potatoes recipe, step by step
Serves 4 to 6. Prep 15 minutes. Cook 45 to 50 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes
- 4 to 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, beef dripping or goose fat
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Costack All Purpose Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Costack Dried Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Costack Garlic Granules (optional)
- Sea salt to finish
Method
- Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan). Peel the potatoes and cut into even, small-lemon-sized chunks.
- Boil in well-salted water for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges soften. Drain and leave to steam-dry for a minute.
- Return to the pan, lid on, and shake firmly to rough up the edges.
- Pour the fat into a roasting tin and heat in the oven for 10 minutes until smoking hot.
- Carefully tip in the potatoes, turn to coat, and spread out in a single layer. Sprinkle with All Purpose Seasoning and thyme.
- Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, turning once halfway. Add the garlic granules for the final 15 minutes.
- Finish with a little sea salt and serve straight away, while they are at their crispest.
Why this method works
The science is simple once you see it. Parboiling softens the outer layer of the potato so it can be roughed up into a craggy surface with more area to crisp. The starch that comes to the surface during boiling turns golden and brittle in hot fat. The high oven temperature drives off moisture fast, which is what crunch actually is: dried, browned starch. Crowding traps steam, so spacing keeps them dry. Every step is just managing moisture and surface area.
Once you understand that, you can troubleshoot any roastie. Soft? Too wet, too crowded, or fat not hot enough. Pale? Oven not hot enough or fat too shallow. Greasy? Fat was cold when they went in.
Make-ahead and air fryer tips
Roasties are brilliant for getting ahead on a big Sunday lunch. You can parboil, rough up and cool the potatoes earlier in the day, then keep them in the fridge until you are ready to roast. Some cooks even freeze them after par-roasting for 20 minutes, then finish from frozen on the day.
For the air fryer, the same rules apply. Parboil and rough up, toss in a couple of tablespoons of oil and your seasoning, then air-fry at 200C for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the basket halfway. You lose a little of the deep-tray crunch but gain speed, and they are excellent for smaller batches. Our Sunday roast seasoning toolkit covers how to time the potatoes around the rest of the meal.
What to serve them with
Roast potatoes are the supporting act to a great centrepiece. A seasoned roast chicken is the classic pairing, and the same All Purpose and thyme that season your potatoes work beautifully on the bird, so you only need one or two jars for the whole plate. They also sit perfectly next to roast pork, beef or lamb. If you are doing a full spread, our guide to seasoning pork will sort the joint while the potatoes crisp.
To season the whole Sunday roast from one box, the No-Fuss Kitchen Starter bundle brings the everyday blends together in a single delivery. Free UK delivery applies over ยฃ35.
Three roast potato variations to try
Once you have the base method down, the seasoning step is where you can have fun. Each of these uses the same parboil-and-rough-up recipe, just a different finish.
Spicy roasties. Add a pinch of chilli or smoky chilli powder with the All Purpose Seasoning for a warm kick. Brilliant next to roast chicken or a BBQ spread, and they hold their own against rich gravy.
Garlic and herb. Lean harder on the thyme and garlic granules, and add a scatter of dried rosemary. This is the classic gastropub roastie, all savoury, herby crust. The herbs crisp in the hot fat and cling to the rough edges.
Cheesy roasties. In the last 10 minutes, scatter over a handful of grated hard cheese. It melts and crisps into golden, lacy edges. Keep the salt light at the end, since the cheese brings its own.
Same potatoes, three different dinners. That is the point of a flexible seasoning: one jar, endless variations.
Common roast potato mistakes
Using the wrong potato. Waxy salad potatoes will not crisp. Reach for Maris Piper or King Edward.
Skipping the parboil. Raw potatoes straight into the oven stay dense and never go properly crunchy.
Not drying them. Wet potatoes steam in the fat instead of frying. Let them steam-dry before roasting.
Cold fat. The fat must be smoking hot before the potatoes go in, or they turn greasy.
Overcrowding the tin. Packed-in potatoes steam each other. Give them room, even if it means two trays.
Seasoning only at the end. Season as they go in so the flavour roasts into the crust, then finish with a little salt.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best potatoes for roasting in the UK?
Maris Piper and King Edward are the top choices. Both are floury and starchy, which is what gives you a fluffy middle and a crisp, craggy outside. Waxy salad potatoes are the wrong type for roasties.
Why are my roast potatoes not crispy?
Almost always one of three things: the potatoes were too wet going in, the fat was not hot enough, or the tin was overcrowded. Dry them well, preheat the fat until it shimmers, and give them space.
Do I have to parboil roast potatoes?
For the best result, yes. Parboiling then roughing up the edges is the single biggest factor in crunch. Skipping it gives you dense, smooth potatoes that never crisp the same way.
What is the best fat for roast potatoes?
Vegetable or sunflower oil is reliable and what most people use. Beef dripping and goose fat give a richer, more traditional flavour for special occasions. Avoid olive oil at high heat, as it burns.
Can I season roast potatoes before roasting?
Yes, and you should. Tossing them in an all-purpose seasoning before they go in lets the flavour roast into the crust. Add a final pinch of salt when they come out for the best of both.
How far ahead can I prepare them?
You can parboil, rough up and chill the potatoes several hours ahead, or par-roast and freeze them. Finish in hot fat on the day for fresh, crispy results without the last-minute rush.
The one tray that earns its place
Crispy roast potatoes are not luck. They are the right potato, a proper parboil, smoking-hot fat, room to breathe, and seasoning at the right moment. Do those five things and you will make the best roast potatoes of your life, every Sunday.
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