Roast Potatoes are a must have on any holiday table! And These Prepare Ahead Roast Potatoes are everything you could want in a roastie. Crispy edges and soft, fluffy insides, with the connivence of being partially made ahead of time.
The secret lies in parboiling and prepping the potatoes in advance so that when the big day arrives, all you have to do is pop them in the oven.
Whether you are hosting Christmas, Thanksgiving, or celebration, these make-ahead roast potatoes are a no-fuss, crown-pleasing addition to your menu.
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Ingredients Notes
These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, with quantities, check out the recipe card below.
Potatoes: The key to crispy outsides and fluffy insides starts withe the type of potato. I recommend Russets, Maris Piper, Kind Edwards or Sebago.
Flour: This soaks up any last moisture from the potatoes before you freeze them, help the outside get crispy and crunchy when you roast them.
Oil/fat: You can use vegetable oil for these potatoes and use duck or goose fat. (I have a whole post on Duck Fat Potatoes)
Recipe Tips
We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!
- Pick the right potato! As mentioned above the best choices are Russets, Maris Piper, Kind Edwards or Sebago.
- Sebago are usually the cheapest potatoes; they are the dirt covered one at the grocery store. They are my go-to! (5 kids eat a lot of potatoes!) Don't worry about washing them too much, just peel them and then give them a quick wash after peeling.
- Cut large potatoes into 4 chunks and smaller ones into 2. You want large roast potatoes as they give you a better contrast between crispy outside and fluffy inside.
- Please don't skip the salt in the cooking water; it adds extra flavor to the potatoes.
- Add the potatoes to already boiling water. this gets the surface a little softer than the center. They are less likely to fall apart and will get a crisper outside.
- The potatoes are partially cooked in the boiling water. They need 10-12 minutes, don't cook them for longer than that, or they can start to fall apart.
- After draining the potatoes, let them steam sry for 5 minutes. This ensures no surface moisture is left, helping them freeze and roast better.
- Once the potatoes are dry, they get tossed in a little bit of flour. This absorbs any moisture that may come out as they cook further and creates a crust that roasts up so crispy. (You can use GF flour if needed).
- The final stage is to give the potatoes a bit of a rough-up. By this I mean put them bak in your dry pan and shake them about. It creates a sort of flour and potato slurry on the surface of the pot. This is exactly what you want.
- At this point you can refrigerate them for 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Or finish cooking them straight away.
- To freeze them, line two baking sheet sixth parchment paper and spread the potatoes out in a single layer. Ensure they aren't touching. Place the trays into the freezer until the potatoes are fully frozen. Now, you can transfer them to a ziplock bag until needed.
Why Is This Recipe Special?
- You can have them ready to go in the oven well in advance so that when the turkey comes out to rest you just pop them in the oven.
- They are so crispy on the outside and truely fluffy on the inside.
- My kids love them, meaning with a holiday meal, there is something on their plate besides, bread, turkey and stuffing 😂 (Actually 3 of my kids are pretty good with all the veg, two of them have their own preferences!)
- If you are a smaller household, because they are frozen individually, it is easy to remove just a few potatoes to cook.
Recipe Adaptations
These are just suggestions and things that have worked in my test kitchen for my family, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.
- Add herbs: I find that adding herbs to the potatoes when they are in the oven can lead to burnt herbs. But if you add a generous amount to the potato cooking water you can flavor the potato at the very beginning of the cook. Fresh rosemary and thyme are great to add to the water. Be generous with them though, this is great if you are growing your own herbs.
- Add garlic: Again it can burn if put in the oven, but adding smashed garlic to the cooking water is another way to add flavor.
- You can also use garlic and herbs to infuse the oil before you cook the potatoes. To do this, gently heat the herbs/garlic in the oil for 10-15 minutes. Remove and use the oil for the potatoes.
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FAQ's
These are some of the questions our testers have asked. If you have any other questions, please drop me a comment below, are I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
If you par-boil them and then refrigerate or freeze them, you can roast them in the oven when you are ready to eat.
The quickest way to reheat them and maintain their crispiness is in an air fryer. Set it to 380ºF/190ºC and cook the potatoes for around 5 minutes. You can also use your oven, but they will need at least 10 minutes. (A toast oven will also work).
Serving Suggestions
If you're wondering what to serve with this recipe, I've pulled together some of my (and my kids) favorite ideas so you can mix and match sides and drinks to make a complete meal.
What to eat with Roast Potatoes
If you are having roast potatoes then gravy is a must! We like brown gravy or an onion gravy.
They make the perfect holiday side, but my family is of the opinion that that everything goes with a roast potato! I will often serve them next to burgers or chili dogs. Or they go great with saucy dishes like savoury mince.
It is also not uncommon for us to have a big bowl as a movie snack with dipping sauces! (ketchup for the kids, barbecue for my hubby and my latest addiction is German curry ketchup!)
What to drink with Roast Potatoes
The choice of what to drink probably comes down to what you are serving the potatoes with!
There is a very strong view within the sommelier world that champagne or prosecco goes perfectly with salty fried potatoes. And while these aren't fried I do think a glass of prosecco is perfect with them. (Actually I think a glass of Prosecco is perfect with just about anything! But hey! Go for your drink of choice, it will work perfectly with these delicious potatoes.)
More Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this dish, here are a few more potato recipes I think you'll love! They're all easy, tasty, and perfect for adding to your weekly meal plan.
Enjoy x
If you try these Prepare Ahead Roast Potatoes, please leave a 🌟rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I really appreciate it, and it helps others to know that this recipe is trustworthy. And in a world where AI is becoming so common, it is nice to still have real human interactions.
Any questions about the recipe? Use the comment section below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Get the Recipe
Prepare Ahead Roast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 lb potatoes (see note 1)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon flour
- 5 tablespoon oil/fat (see note 2)
Instructions
- Peel your potatoes and then cut them into quarters (if your potatoes are small only cut them in half)4 lb potatoes
- Place a large pan of water in the hob and bring it to the boil. Add your salt and potatoes.2 teaspoon salt
- Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes. You want to ensure they are really dry, so leave them to stand for 5 minutes.
- Dry out your pan, Return the potatoes to the pan, and sprinkle over the flour.Place on the lid and give the pan a good shake. You want the edges of the potatoes to get a slight bashed up fluffy look.1 ½ tablespoon flour
To Freeze or Refrigerate
- At this point you can cool your potatoes and either freeze them or refrigerate them.
- To freeze your potatoes line two large baking sheets with cooking paper and spread the potatoes out in a single layer. Ensure they aren't touching. Place the trays into the freezer until the potatoes are frozen. Now you can transfer them to a ziplock bag for up to 3 months.(You cook them later from frozen!)
- To refrigerate your potatoes, place them in a dish and cover with plastic wrap or a lid. Store for up to 3 days.
To Roast the Potatoes
- Heat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC and pour the oil (or fat) into a large deep baking tray. (see note 3)5 tablespoon oil/fat
- Place the baking tray and oil in the oven for 6 minutes.
- Carefully remove it from the oven and tip in the potatoes. Spoon the hot oil over the potatoes.
- Cook for 20 minutes or 30 minutes if they are frozen.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and turn them. Then turn the oven up to 425ºF/220ºC and roast them for a further 30 minutes until they are all crispy and golden.
Notes
- I recommend Russets, Maris Pipers, King Edwards, or Sebago.
- You can use vegetable oil for these potatoes or push the boat out and use duck fat.
- Use a heavy-based roasting tin for best results. The flimsy ones don't give you such crispy potatoes. Don't use ceramic or glass roasting dishes as they cannot withstand the high heat we are using.
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
Renee Page says
Love, Love. Love! Best roasted crunchy recipe I've found. But the family needs more flavor. Salt, pepper isn't enough. Thoughts? Thanks again for the best recipe!
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Hi Renne,
If you want to add extra flavor to your potatoes, I find the best way is to really flavor the cooking water.
Fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme are great added to the water. Be generous, at least 6 stems of rosemary for 8 servings.
You want the water to have a really strong flavor so it permeates into the potato.
You could also add squashed garlic cloves, again be generous.
Or try things like Moroccan seasoning or curry powder in the cooking water.
Another way to add flavoring could be to use a flavored oil. Gently heat your oil with some herbs or garlic for 10 minutes and then discard the flavorings before using the oil. Or maybe a final drizzle of some truffle oil, for the last 5 minutes of roasting? (I haven't tried this one but I think I want to!)
Hope these suggestions help.
So happy you love the potatoes 🙂
Cx
Renee Page says
Great ideas thank you!
Alicia says
Hi I can’t wait to try this recipe but I am bringing this to a relatives house for Easter. I wanted to make before church so 2-3 hours before. How long would you recommend then to re-heat at their house or will this not work ?
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Hi Alicia,
Follow the recipe to the end of step 8 and place them in the fridge. Try and do it on a flat tray so they aren’t touching.
Then when you want to reheat follow the instructions from step 9 but they will only need 20 minutes in the oven.
I hope that helps
Cx
Min says
Can I prepare up to roasting for 20 minutes and cover them and put in fridge to roast at the higher temperature the next day?
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Hi Min,
You can definitely do it that way too 🙂
Hope that helps.
Cx
Heather Lemieux says
Thank you for this recipe. I’m going to make them Christmas Eve and put them in the fridge.
Question - you say a large deep baking tray and then state to see Notes. The only note is the one about the potatoes.
Thank you
Claire McEwen says
Hi Heather,
Hmmm, sorry about that!! I'll be updating the card!
The note should say that you need a large deep baking tray so that the potatoes aren't crowded in. They need space between them so they crispy up nicely. So pick a tray where they aren't packed in.
Hope that helps
Enjoy the potatoes 🙂
Cx
Kate says
Can you prepare and put them in the fridge overnight to roast the next day?
Claire McEwen says
You sure can 🙂
They won't need as long in the oven if they aren't frozen.
I usually do 20-30 minutes depending on how crunchy I want them.
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Gay Evans says
Just came across this recipe for crispy baked potatoes and excited to try it out for our Xmas . We all love our baked spuds and this method sounds deliciously interesting. I was planning on cooking and prepping.the potatoes the night before anyway ,but you method of dusting and freezing is very interesting ,so will be trying it all out . I have a big family and all coming for Xmas and looking forward to my baked potatoes and pumpkin .So cheers for your recipe and the info on freezing .Thank you 💕👍
suzy says
Couple of questions: If making fresh (I wanted to prep a few hours ahead), do you still have to boil and flour them?
Thanks.
Claire McEwen says
Hi Suzy,
Yes still boil and flour the potatoes and give them a good shake in the pan. This will give you a super crispy roast potato with a fluffy inside.
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
abs says
I've used this recipe this week - it's made roast potatoes an accessible weeknight treat, and they come out perfectly. So crunchy and fluffy.
The formula 10, 20, 30 is easy to remember. 10 minutes boiling, 20 mins at 180, 30 at 220.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed them! And I have ever noticed that with the timings before! Great thinking!
Danielle Wolter says
I feel you on the house. we have been living in a tiny rental apartment too while our house closes. I finally pick up the keys today and we can be in by xmas! Hopefully yo get your done soon - I know how hard small apartment can be 🙂 These potatoes look awesome - love that you can make them ahead of time.