Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes

Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes are the ultimate comfort food! These crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside potatoes are everything you want from a roast potato and more.

Duck fat adds an irresistible richness and depth of flavor that turns an everyday side dish into something truly special. Roasting potatoes in duck fat isn't just about flavor but also texture. Duck fat has a high smoke point, which helps you achieve that golden, crunchy crust while keeping the centers soft and pillowy. It's the kind of side dish that has everyone reaching for seconds (or thirds).

I'm sharing all my tips and tricks to ensure your roast potatoes are perfect every time! From selecting the right kind of potato to achieving that perfect crispy gnarly finish, let me show you how to make the crispiest, most delicious roasted potatoes you've ever tasted!

These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Potatoes: The type of potatoes you buy makes so much difference to the finished result. Go for Russet, Maris Piper, or Sebago (the dirt-covered one). They all have the right balance of sugar and starch to give you fluffy, creamy insides with crispy, crunchy outsides.
Salt: There seems to be a lot of salt, but this flavors the whole potato, and most is poured away in the water. I promise these aren't salty, just really flavored.
Baking powder: This is the secret ingredient! It turns the water slightly alkaline and helps the potato edges get fluffy. This creates a gnarly outside, which crisps up so wonderfully.
Duck fat: This is available in larger grocery stores, especially around the holidays. It lasts for so long and is a wonderful fat to use. It is solid in the tub in the fridge but still soft enough to easily scoop. It has a high smoke point, so you can get it super hot and crisp the potatoes.

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!

• Picking the right potato is the most important recipe tip! As mentioned above, go for Russet, Maris Piper, or Sebago. 
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. I go for 4 chunks from a large potato and 3 from a medium potato. Larger chunks give you a better crunchy outside-to-soft inside ratio.
• Add the potatoes to boiling water. This starts the outside cooking before the inside gets hot, so you get a softer outside and, thus, more crusty bits at the end of cooking.
• Put the fat in the oven to heat up when the potatoes are boiling. Hot fat gives you the best results. 
• The potatoes are parboiled. So this means they are not completely tender but are almost there. Don't worry about the fork/knife test. Just go on time for this one.
• Once you have drained the potatoes, let them sit and steam dry for 5 minutes. This ensures they are dry when you add them to the oil.
• Be careful with the hot oil!!!! There is quite a lot of it; if you tip the potatoes in from a height, it can splash. Slowly pour the potatoes into the oil. And if you have long oven mitts, use them to protect your forearms. (Trust me on this one! It is a painful experience!)
• Once the potatoes are in the pan, carefully turn them over in the oil so they are all coated. You can also use a spoon to baste them all over. 
• Let the potatoes cook for at least 25 minutes before removing them and turning them over using a thin metal spatula. If you try to turn them too soon, they will break apart. 
• The age of the potato makes a difference in cooking time. An older potato has less sugar and more starch, and it takes longer to get brown on the outside. 

You can serve these potatoes with so many dishes. They are perfect with a roast chicken or as part of a holiday feast. They work wonderfully with a great steak or are perfect with a simple Chicken and Gravy or Garlic Butter Chicken. Or try them with something creamy like Marry Me Salmon.

They are also great as a TV snack with some mayo or ketchup!