A truly crispy potato is one of the great pleasures of cooking, and it is mostly technique: the right potato, enough oil or fat, a hot oven, and room to breathe on the tray. Get those right, and you are most of the way there.
This collection gathers the site’s best crispy and smashed potatoes, from parmesan-crusted roasties and golden rosti to smashed potato salads with crunch in every bite. There are classic garlic-herb roast potatoes, bold buffalo and gochujang versions, and clever ways to crisp up leftover mash.
Every recipe links through to the full method, with real times, serving sizes and a cook’s tip. Pick one for a Sunday roast, a party platter or a side that quietly steals the meal.
Four Potatoes to Start With
- Crispy Parmesan Crusted Buffalo Potatoes: A crackly parmesan crust with a buffalo kick, creamy in the middle.
- Crispy Roasted Fingerling Potatoes: Parboiled then roasted for shatteringly crisp skins and fluffy centres.
- Parmesan Crusted Potatoes: The easy crowd-pleaser, each half baked onto a golden cheese crust.
- Buttermilk Herb Smashed Potato Salad: Smashed and crisped, then dressed in tangy buttermilk. Part roastie, part salad.
How to Get Potatoes Really Crispy
- Choose the right potato. Waxy all-rounders like Yukon gold, red and baby potatoes hold their shape and crisp well, while floury russets are best for layered tortes and sliced bakes.
- Parboil, then rough them up. A quick boil and a shake in the pan roughens the surface, and that ragged edge is what turns shatteringly crisp in the oven.
- Use enough fat and a hot oven. Olive oil or butter plus a genuinely hot oven, around 200C, is what crisps the skin. Give the potatoes space so they roast rather than steam.
- Smash for maximum surface area. Boiling then smashing potatoes flat exposes more surface to the heat, which is exactly why smashed potatoes get so crunchy.
19 Crispy and Smashed Potato Recipes
1. Crispy Parmesan Crusted Buffalo Potatoes Recipe
Baby potatoes roasted under a crackly parmesan crust, then tossed with buffalo sauce and butter for heat and tang. The cheese crisps into golden edges while the inside stays creamy. About an hour, serves six.
Key ingredients: baby gold or red potatoes, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, freshly grated parmesan cheese
💡 Cook’s tip: baby gold or red potatoes. Small potatoes roast evenly and give you crispy edges with a soft, creamy center.
Total time: 60 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 11
2. Parmesan Crusted Potatoes Recipe
Halved baby potatoes pressed cut-side down into seasoned parmesan, so each one bakes with a crisp, cheesy crust. Thin-skinned Yukon golds mean no peeling. Fifty minutes, serves four.
Key ingredients: baby gold potatoes, italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, fine sea salt, shredded or grated parmesan cheese
Total time: 50 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 8
3. Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes Recipe
A classic roastie done right, with olive oil for crisp skins and fresh rosemary and thyme for fragrance. Waxy potatoes keep a creamy centre under the crunch. Serves four at 250 calories.
Key ingredients: potatoes, garlic, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, fresh parsley
💡 Cook’s tip: potatoes. Yukon Gold or red potatoes are best. Their waxy texture helps them hold their shape and develop a creamy interior when roasted.
Total time: 55 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 7 | Calories: 250
4. Crispy Oregano Roasted Potatoes with Creamy Feta Sauce Recipe
Oregano and smoked paprika roasted potatoes served over a cool, creamy feta sauce. The contrast of crisp, warm potato and tangy dip makes it feel like more than a side. Fifty minutes, serves four.
Key ingredients: baby potatoes, dried oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, feta cheese, greek yogurt
Total time: 50 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 12
5. Crispy Roasted Fingerling Potatoes Recipe
The crispiest potatoes on the list, parboiled in salted, herb-scented water before roasting in olive oil. That extra step gives shatteringly crisp skins and fluffy middles. Serves six at 210 calories.
Key ingredients: fingerling potatoes, several sprigs of rosemary and thyme, minced rosemary, finely chopped chives or dill
💡 Cook’s tip: fingerling potatoes. These are naturally small.
Total time: 80 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 7 | Calories: 210
6. Roasted Potatoes with Baked Feta and Garlic Recipe
Cubed potatoes roasted alongside a whole block of feta and garlic until the cheese turns soft and spoonable. Mash it through the crispy potatoes for a Mediterranean-style side. An hour, serves four.
Key ingredients: baking potatoes, block of feta cheese, dried thyme, dried oregano, whole head of garlic, lemon
💡 Cook’s tip: baking potatoes. Choose starchy potatoes for crispier edges and fluffy interiors.
Total time: 60 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 11
7. Roasted Potatoes with Creamy Goat Cheese Dressing
Crisp-edged potato wedges tossed in a silky melted goat cheese dressing. Tangy, creamy and a little special for so few ingredients. Forty-five minutes, serves four.
Key ingredients: potatoes, salt and black pepper to taste, goat cheese, lemon juice, garlic, dijon mustard
💡 Cook’s tip: potatoes. Choose firm potatoes for better roasting and crisp edges.
Total time: 45 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 10
8. Caramelised Fennel & Potatoes with Tahini Cream Recipe
Potatoes and fennel roasted until caramelised and crisp, then served over a nutty tahini cream. The aniseed sweetness of the fennel plays beautifully against the savoury potatoes. Serves four.
Key ingredients: fennel bulbs, potatoes, paprika, tahini, lemon juice, garlic clove
💡 Cook’s tip: fennel bulbs. Choose fresh fennel with bright green fronds for best flavor.
Total time: 55 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 14
9. Crispy Balsamic Thyme Potato Torte Recipe
Thinly sliced russets layered into a torte and roasted until the top is crisp and the centre is tender. Balsamic and thyme give it a grown-up, savoury edge. Serves six at 260 calories.
Key ingredients: russet potatoes, balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme leaves, garlic, grated parmesan cheese
Total time: 75 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 8 | Calories: 260
10. Baked Potato Slices Recipe
Thick rounds of Yukon gold baked with garlic, onion and paprika until golden and crisp at the edges. Simple enough for a weeknight, good enough for guests. Just seven ingredients.
Key ingredients: yukon gold potatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika
💡 Cook’s tip: onion powder. Adds a mild savory base flavor that enhances the natural taste of the potatoes.
Total time: 55 min | Ingredients: 7
11. Mini Baked Potatoes Recipe
Little baby potatoes baked until the skins crisp and the insides turn creamy, finished with butter and garlic. A quick, poppable side or party snack in half an hour. Seven ingredients.
Key ingredients: sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, garlic powder, sour cream, fresh chives
💡 Cook’s tip: dutch yellow baby potatoes. I like yellow potatoes for their creamy texture.
Total time: 30 min | Ingredients: 7
12. Three Cheese Stuffed Rosti Potatoes Recipe
Crispy golden rosti stuffed with a molten three-cheese centre. The grated potato fries up lacy and crunchy around the gooey middle. Ready in thirty minutes.
Key ingredients: red bliss potatoes, fresh thyme, requeijão, shredded mozzarella, shredded provolone cheese, salt and pepper to taste
💡 Cook’s tip: red bliss potatoes. Red bliss holds its shape well after boiling.
Total time: 30 min | Ingredients: 8
13. Jarlsberg-Stuffed Potato Rösti Recipe
A large sharing rosti with a nutty Jarlsberg layer running through it, boiled, grated and fried for a proper golden crust. Cut it into wedges at the table. Forty minutes, serves eight.
Key ingredients: thin-skinned potatoes, jarlsberg cheese, green onions or a few chives, canola oil
💡 Cook’s tip: thin-skinned potatoes. Use waxy or Yukon-style potatoes; they hold shape better after boiling.
Total time: 40 min | Serves: 8 | Ingredients: 7
14. Cheesy Mashed Potato Puff Bites Recipe
A clever way to use up leftover mash, rolled with cheddar, egg and breadcrumbs and baked into crisp little puffs. Soft inside, golden outside, and just 60 calories each. Thirty minutes, serves four.
Key ingredients: mashed potatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, egg, bread crumbs, chopped green onions, garlic powder
💡 Cook’s tip: mashed potatoes. Leftovers are perfect for this but make sure they are cold.
Total time: 30 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 10 | Calories: 60
15. Mashed Potato Balls Recipe
Leftover mash rolled with bacon, cheese and chives, then crisped into golden bites. The ultimate second life for yesterday’s potatoes. Twenty-five minutes, serves five.
Key ingredients: bacon, shredded cheese, chives, garlic powder, eggs, panko bread crumbs
💡 Cook’s tip: leftover mashed potatoes. About 2 cups. I recommend using homemade or lightly seasoned mashed potatoes for the best texture. Avoid watery or overly creamy batches.
Total time: 25 min | Serves: 5 | Ingredients: 7
16. Crispy Gochujang Potato Salad Recipe
Crispy roasted baby potatoes tossed in a sweet and spicy gochujang dressing, a bold Korean-inspired twist on potato salad. Crunchy, sticky and a little fiery. Serves three at 320 calories.
Key ingredients: baby potatoes, gochujang, mayonnaise, rice vinegar, honey or maple syrup, garlic
Total time: 50 min | Serves: 3 | Ingredients: 12 | Calories: 320
17. Crispy Potato Salad Recipe
Potato salad reinvented, with roasted crispy potatoes instead of boiled and a creamy Greek yogurt and mayo dressing. All the comfort, with far more texture. Serves four.
Key ingredients: baby potatoes, greek yogurt, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon, red wine vinegar
💡 Cook’s tip: baby potatoes. Small potatoes cook faster and crisp nicely.
Total time: 70 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 13
18. Buttermilk Herb Smashed Potato Salad Recipe
Baby potatoes boiled, smashed flat and crisped in the oven, then dressed in a tangy buttermilk and Greek yogurt dressing. Part roastie, part salad, and better than both. Serves four.
Key ingredients: baby yukon gold potatoes, to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper, plain greek yogurt, buttermilk, garlic cloves
💡 Cook’s tip: baby yukon gold potatoes. Small potatoes work best for even cooking and smashing.
Total time: 60 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 10
19. Lemon Pepper Smashed Potato Salad Recipe
Smashed crispy potatoes and shredded Brussels sprouts in a bright lemon-pepper dressing. A fresh, zesty take that eats like a warm salad. A generous, veg-forward side.
Key ingredients: baby potatoes, brussels sprouts, shallot, avocado oil, fresh cracked black pepper, lacinato kale
💡 Cook’s tip: baby potatoes. I prefer mini red or baby Dutch yellows for great texture.
Total time: 55 min | Ingredients: 19
From a simple tray of garlic-herb roasties to smashed potato salads and cheesy rosti, there is a crispy potato here for every meal. Master the basics of potato, fat and heat and you can riff on any of them.
Save this one for your next roast or gathering. Browse the related collections below for mains to serve alongside.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best potatoes for crispy roast potatoes?
Waxy and all-rounder potatoes such as Yukon gold, red and baby potatoes crisp beautifully while staying creamy inside. For layered dishes like a potato torte or sliced bakes, floury russets give a lighter, fluffier result.
How do I make smashed potatoes crispy and not soggy?
Boil the potatoes until just tender, then smash them flat and let the steam escape before roasting. Brush them generously with oil or butter, give them space on the tray, and roast in a hot oven until the edges are golden and crisp.
Why are my roast potatoes not crispy?
The usual culprits are too little fat, an oven that is not hot enough, or a crowded tray that steams the potatoes instead of roasting them. Parboiling first and roughing up the surfaces before roasting makes a big difference too.
Can I make crispy potatoes in an air fryer?
Yes. Most of these roasted and smashed potatoes work in an air fryer at around 200C. Cook them in a single layer, shake the basket halfway through, and expect them to crisp a little faster than in the oven.
What should I serve with crispy potatoes?
They are a natural side for a Sunday roast, roast chicken, steak or fish, and the smashed potato salads and cheesy bites also make great party food. A tangy dip or sauce, like the feta or goat cheese dressings here, turns them into a dish in their own right.