How To Make Perfect Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

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How To Make The Ordinary Potato Extraordinary

There are so many delicious things to do with the humble spud. But first, I want to be sure you know how to make perfectly crispy oven roasted potatoes.

When a potato is roasted to culinary perfection, it has a shiny, golden, lightly salted skin that crackles open to reveal a fluffy cloud-like interior. There is nothing ordinary about a potato like this one!

It takes a wee bit longer to do it, but it's worth it, believe me. And baked potatoes aren't just a butter sponge to serve on the side. No sir! The skin is absolutely delicious, and one potato can become a meal in itself and a darn satisfying one at that!

So some evening or some Saturday, turn on your oven and bake up a few and a few extra. It only takes minutes to prep and then let the dry oven heat happily work its magic.

Here's How To Create Perfect Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Russet potatoes, especially from Idaho, make fantastic baked potatoes. The warm Idaho days, cool nights, and volcanic soil give them fantastic terroir. Their low moisture content makes them ideal for baking.

If you're mashing, dicing, or frying potatoes, appearance and size don't matter much. When you make crispy oven roasted potatoes, however, choose uniformly shaped and evenly-sized ones that have minimal blemishes. Six to eight-ounce taters are a great size for a side dish or as a base for the main dish.

Scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a brush or a nylon scrubber then dry them well with a terry towel. This helps the olive oil stick to the skin. Drizzle the olive oil generously over the potatoes and using your hands, roll and rub as much of the oil on the skins as you can.

When you're done, rub your hands together and remove the excess with a paper towel. Your hands will feel soft and smooth!

Now, put them in a baking pan or a cast-iron skillet, lightly sprinkle some kosher salt over them, and slide them into a 350-degree oven. After about an hour, check.

They should pierce easily with a skewer. The skins will be shiny and crisp and the most flavorful you ever tasted! Give them a bit more time if they're not quite there. Your patience will be rewarded.

If you're serving these alongside meatloaf, steak, or chops, you're there. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

We love stuffed baked russet potatoes! They are easy, thrifty, and satisfying. They're also a great way to use up leftover taco meat, bits of ham, meatloaf, chicken, baked beans, or spaghetti sauce.

When we have a little bit of leftover ham or meatloaf, I usually warm it up in a skillet with a small amount of olive oil or butter. Sometimes, I add a can of French-cut green beans or tiny peas that I've drained. You can add grated cheese, chopped green onions, or even shredded lettuce! 

We enjoy this meal as a cozy supper sometimes when we have some leftovers to stretch. Use what you have on hand to stuff your taters!

At our house, we call it "tip-the-refrigerator night" when we clear out all leftovers. No leftovers? How about a can of chili over the top? Anything goes with baked potatoes. I'd love to hear what you come up with!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Yield: 4 potatoes

Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

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The oven-roasted way to make perfect crispy-skinned baked potatoes with a fluffy cloud-like interior.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• Four Russet potatoes, each six to eight ounces in size
• Olive Oil
• Kosher or other coarse salt

Instructions

1. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a brush or nylon scrubber.
2. Dry the potatoes thoroughly, ideally with a terry or other coarse cloth. This helps the olive oil stick.
3. Place the potatoes in a cast iron skillet or even-proof baking dish.
4. Use your hands to coat the potatoes generously with olive oil, return them to the baking vessel, and salt lightly.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until the skin is easily pierced with the tip of a knife. I use a cake tester.
6. If more time is needed, return to the oven and bake until the potatoes are soft.
7. Split and squeeze the potatoes to expose the fluffy interior and top as desired.

My husband has a motto. "I've never met a potato I didn't like." Because of that, I have 25 or more ways to make potatoes. What is your favorite way to fix potatoes?

I'm including a bonus recipe for loaded baked potato soup; it's one I posted a long time ago. So, while you're baking potatoes, add a few more so you can enjoy this fabulous soup!

Yield: 6

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

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Hearty, creamy, chunky, rich, and savory soup. The flavor duplicates all the goodness of a loaded baked potato, but in a bowl!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 medium Perfect Baked Potatoes, peeled and cubed. (Planned over) Reserve some skins.
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 Tbsp paste-type chicken base I prefer Better Than Bouillon
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup dairy sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 6 strip bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
• 6 Tbsp green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Put the cubed potatoes in a stockpot with 2 cups of water and the chicken base.
2. Heat mixture through, and mash potatoes slightly but leave some chunks.
3. Add 2 cups of the milk, butter, and sour cream.
4. Heat to simmer but don't boil.
5. Dissolve the corn starch thoroughly in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, and add it to the soup mixture.
6. Stir and simmer until the soup thickens to the desired consistency.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with bacon, cheese, and sliced green onions.
8. Add parsley for garnish if you like.
9. Eat, pat belly, and smile.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 490Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 602mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 19g

Sometimes the simplest food is the most satisfying. We sure think so. You might also enjoy this easy one-pan goulash we've enjoyed for years!

If you liked this recipe, you are my people! If you like this recipe, please share it on your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter! It would sure tickle me, and I would be ever so grateful!

If you haven't already, please look for me on Facebook and Pinterest, where I will share easy, delicious, family-friendly recipes every week!

Love, GB (Betty Streff)

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