Extra-Crispy Parmesan-Crusted Roasted Potatoes Recipe (2024)

By J. Kenji López-Alt

Updated Jan. 22, 2024

Extra-Crispy Parmesan-Crusted Roasted Potatoes Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
4(3,998)
Notes
Read community notes

These potatoes combine the fluffy interior and crispy exterior of the best roasted potatoes with the crunchy cheese crust of Detroit-style pizza. The initial boil with aromatics adds herbal flavor to the potatoes, without the potential of burned herbs in the final roast, while baking soda in the water helps soften the surface of the potato, releasing starch. This starch combines with Parmesan and melted butter to form a flavorful slurry that crisps up and coats each potato chunk in a cheesy shell.

Featured in: The Best Roast Potatoes Manage to Get Even Better

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 3pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½- to 2-inch chunks
  • ½teaspoon baking soda
  • 2tablespoons kosher salt, or 1 tablespoon table salt
  • 4dried bay leaves, preferably Turkish
  • 1tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 6whole garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
  • 3 to 4thyme or rosemary sprigs, or a mix
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2ounces finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

342 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 14 grams protein; 622 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Extra-Crispy Parmesan-Crusted Roasted Potatoes Recipe (2)

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. Step

    1

    Adjust oven rack to center position and heat to 425 degrees, or 400 degrees if using convection. (Convection is recommended, if available.) Combine potato chunks, 2 quarts water, baking soda and salt in a large saucepan.

  2. Step

    2

    Cut a 10-by-10-inch square out of cheesecloth and place bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic cloves and herb sprigs in the center. Gather up the corners of the cloth into a pouch, and tie off with butcher's twine. Add bundle to the pot with potatoes, and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, and cook until you can poke a knife into a larger chunk of potato without any resistance, about 10 minutes after the water comes to a boil.

  3. Step

    3

    Drain potatoes in a colander and discard aromatic bundle. Line a 13-by-18-inch rimmed aluminum baking sheet with parchment paper.

  4. Step

    4

    Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Add melted butter and Parmesan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss and fold with a rubber spatula until Parmesan, butter and starch form a slurry over the surface of the potatoes, about 30 seconds. Transfer potatoes to the prepared baking sheet and spread out so they are mostly separated from one another. (At this point, they can be allowed to cool, then transferred to a sealed container and stored in the refrigerator until ready to roast.)

  5. Step

    5

    Transfer baking sheet to oven and roast potatoes until pale golden brown and sizzling on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Flip potatoes using a thin metal spatula and continue roasting until crisp and blond-gold on most sides, about 15 to 20 minutes longer. (Check frequently toward the end, and don't allow the potatoes to cook beyond a deep gold, or they will turn bitter.)

  6. Step

    6

    Remove potatoes from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the pan before transferring to a serving platter.

Ratings

4

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3,998

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Alan D.

Learned this from my Italian Mother. Just bring the potatoes to a boil, then take them off the heat and drain. They'll continue to cook off the heat. If you boil them too long, they'll get mushy. Let them cool. Then toss them with olive oil (not butter) and grated Romano cheese (prefer it to Parmesan). I also add some sprigs of rosemary. And big cloves of garlic. No need to peel them. Roast them in the oven as described in the recipe.

James L

Having made both previous recipes (boil in vinegar, boil in baking soda), I don't bother with trying to make the slurry with a spatula or slotted metal spoon. Potatoes, fat of choice (oil or now butter here), seasoning, go in a mixing bowl, I cover it with something hard like a lid/plate, and a shake it up vigorously. The potatoes mash against each other and the bowl and gets properly covered by the oil/potato/seasoning slurry. Faster, easier, more even coverage.

Susan B. A.

Kenji created this recipe a few years ago (sans spices/cheese) and it's the only one I make.However, I'm lazy & now have some shortcuts. Preheat oven with baking pan IN. Boil potatoes (Yukon for me) w/salt + spices if using; drain.Put potatoes back in pot. Cover & Shake hard 3 times up and down! Stir in duck fat, more salt, parm if using. Pour onto hot pan (the sizzle!) & bake. Crunchy outside, creamy inside. Divine.

Michael

Dear Honored Chef and Esteemed Fellow Readers---Who in their right mind discards garlic before roasting potatoes??? Really??!!And would it not improve the dish to have a few thyme or rosemary leaves speckling the coating (spice bundles are froufrou to me), not to mention a dash of paprika?Happy Cooking!Yours in gustatory pleasure and partial jest (I take garlic very seriously),Michael

rsb56

Oh my gosh, YES, it MUST be Turkish bay leaves. I wouldn't think of serving my guests this recipe any other way and run the risk of one of them saying, "This wasn't seasoned with TURKISH bay leaves, was it."The disapproval would kill me.

Laura Perry

Cheesecloth is a nuisance. I use fine-mesh bags from https://washableproducebags.com/ instead. They’re bags with drawstring closures, and they’re completely washable and reusable. Drain yoghurt, homemade butter; screen out lumps in gravy or custards; or, as here, make it easy to fish out aromatics from a broth.

LivFranca

Love this; so easy and scrumptious. I do save the boiling water, full of its lovely herbal flavors, for amazing yummy soups. I’ve learned to never throw good things out...

M

Is there a reason to use the cheesecloth rather than just put the flavorings in the water and discard them at the end?

TommyC

I stared for about 60 seconds at "preferably Turkish" on the ingredient list under bay leaves. I pondered, dare I precede using Pacific NW bay leaves? I was so unaware about bay leaf terroir. I decided to live on the edge and make the dish. And while guests feigned delight, I still wondered if they were just being polite, sensing I had used backyard bay leaves.

Dan J

The best way to get a crispy coating and fluffy interior is to return the potatoes to the hot saucepan immediately after draining and really shake the pan around a few times. This roughens the surface and creates a wonderfully crispy exterior.

Prairiedogg

cooked with small yukon gold taters. boiled in some leftover chicken broth. quartered, but didn't peel. didn't bother with the cheesecloth, just threw the herbs and spices in the cooking water. pretty tasty. will make again. sorry, but my mom was Norwegian.

stu

I followed the recipe, except i made the mistake of not reading it thru. So, i used a cast iron roasting dish to cook the spuds. I got a great result. Cast iron hold the heat so the bottoms were real crisp. They were a little crowded so i hit it with the broiler. It all worked really well. I doubt i’d ever do it differently. Very nice recipe.

Corinne

So delicious! A friend asked me to make these for her and I did not hesitate. I followed the recipe just about to the letter, except I found no need for the cheesecloth bag. I just threw everything in the water and removed the potatoes with just bits of the peppercorns and rosemary still stuck to them. Nothing wrong with that. These were SO VERY GOOD. I will definitely make them again.

Andrea from SoCal

Delicious! Delicious! I'd like to share two observations: don't make the mistake I did, by using foil on my pan rather than parchment paper. It made for a messy messy attempt to dislodge those delicious potatoes. And, secondly: my family likes a crispy potato. So, after it was all done baking, I put in under the broiler for about 60-75 seconds. YUMMY! Thanks Kenji for yet another delicious recipe.

James L

@Peggy Herron. The pic from this article isn't the best at showing it's crispyness, the pic from the previous recipe shows it better. https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/12/the-best-roast-potatoes-ever-recipe.htmlIt's not that much more work. You boil the chunkier potato like most other roast potato recipe. Drain, add oil/seasoning, fluff up the outside in a bowl, bake. The mashed potato outside turns into a batter like crispy crust.

Imout

I make this tonight and they were wonderful. Didn’t have cheese cloth or fresh thyme. Used dried thyme, garlic, and had smoked peppercorns - just tossed them in the pot. I do have California bay leaves from a friends’ tree - and love the aroma and flavor. Will use them next time.

Jim Pickard

Wow! That looks amazing!Loved the video.

Tim H

Whoa loved this the first time but this time carefully timed 10 minutes after boiling — pan full of mush! Heading out for more potatoes and maybe the brief cooking method in notes

Gregory L.

Potatoes have always been the one thing I only eat when I'm out for a meal (nothing like a good pommes frites at the bistro or hash browns at brunch). But now, with this recipe, I've got my new go-to potato dish for home!--especially for when friends come by. My take: Do not skimp on the finishing rosemary! I sprinkled lots of it over the potatoes right when they came out of the oven, so they could take in the flavor while they rest on the pan. Thanks so much for this recipe.

gerry

soooo Good! I threw the herbs right into the pot with the taters. Added unpeeled garlic cloves to the baking pan. My family loved this.

The Big Woo

Works great with gruyere and melted butter too!

JackandRosiesma

Has anyone tried the oven stage in an air fryer with a raiser function? If so, which function, what temp and how long? Thank you!

KHH

I used about half recipe--4 medium russet potatoes each cut into 6 pieces. Instant vortex plus. Air fried 400 degrees for 20 minutes directly on the grate. It worked even with the slurry and maybe over-cooked potatoes. Just enough room for a single layer. Tossed at 10 minutes and again when prompted by the fryer. Possible could have gone another few minutes, but they were crunchy, golden, and delicious.

DeAnn Trimarchi

I did like it, but for me, I'd add more spices than just salt, pepper, butter and cheese when roasting. I enjoyed using cheese cloth for the first time. I'd make this again with a couple of adjustments to taste! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

Teresa

Made as directed. Perfectly crunchy. Excellent flavor. Added to my favorites.

Tish

I love these potatoes. So much. I had no cheesecloth once so just put everything in the water loose. Much of the herbs and peppercorns stick to the potatoes, but it turns out I like it that way. So now this is how I always make them and they are still my fave (though I use more butter/parmesan than the recipe calls for… because who can have too much of it? Not me!)

maxgcan

In the video Kenji Lopez-Alt says that he measured out the water because he used a measured amount of baking soda. The recipe calls for 1/2 tsp of baking soda. But how much water? Did I miss it? Help!

Rose K.

As much as I love potatoes, I ain't making ANY potato recipe that requires six steps.

Jaclyn

I never review recipes but my family and I subbed these the best potatoes they’ve ever eaten.

Jason

I'd suggest two changes: While potatoes are boiling, place a large sheet pan in the oven with 3T duck or goose fat. Then swap out Step 4 for this step: Put potatoes back in pot and shake vigorously. Then transfer to pre-heated and fat-coated sheet pan.

Betty P

Has anyone tried this recipe with non-russet potatoes? I would like to make it but, as usual, have only Yukon Golds on hand.

Teresa

There was a post from 4 years ago that said they used Yukon Gold potatoes, and they turned out perfectly.

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Extra-Crispy Parmesan-Crusted Roasted Potatoes Recipe (2024)

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