Roast potatoes are a must-have on any holiday table, with those crispy edges and soft, fluffy insides that everyone loves.
These prepare-ahead roast potatoes are everything you want in a side dish—plus, they come with the convenience 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 that's left is to pop them in the oven.

Whether you're hosting Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any festive celebration, these make-ahead roast potatoes are a no-fuss, crowd-pleasing addition to your menu. Serve them alongside your turkey, roast beef, or glazed ham, and watch as they quickly disappear from the table. Trust me, this is one recipe you'll come back to every holiday season!
Ingredient Notes
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 key to crispy outsides and fluffy insides starts with the type of potato. I recommend Russets, Maris Pipers, King Edwards, or Sebago.
Flour: This soaks up any lasting moisture from the potatoes before you freeze them, helping the outside get crispy and crunchy when you roast them.
Oil/Fat: You can use vegetable oil for these potatoes or push the boat out and use duck fat. (I have a whole post on Duck Fat Roast 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 Pipers, King Edwards, or Sebago.
- Sebago are usually the cheapest potatoes; they are the dirt-covered ones you get at the grocery store. They are my go-to! (5 kids eat a lot of potatoes!) Don't worry about washing them, just peel them and then give them a quick wash after peeling.
- Cut large potato into 4 chunks and smaller ones into 2. The larger chunks 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. So they are less likely to fall apart and will get a crispier outside.
- The potatoes are partially cooked in the boiling water. They need 10-12 minutes to get almost soft. Don't cook for longer than that, or they will start to fall apart.
- After draining the potatoes, let them steam dry for 5 minutes. This ensures no surface moisture is left, helping them freeze and roast better.
- Once the potatoes are dry, they are 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 back in your dry pan and shake them about. It creates a sort of flour and potato slurry on the surface of the potato. And this is what you want.
- At this point, you can refrigerate the potatoes for up to 3 days. Or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- To freeze them, line two large baking sheets with 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 frozen. Now, you can transfer them to a ziplock bag until needed.
FAQ's
Yes, you can par-boil them and then refrigerate or freeze them until needed. They can then be roasted in a hot oven.
To get a roast potato with a crisp crust and fluffy interior, the potatoes need to be roasted for an hour. I use two temperature settings to ensure the best crust and interior textures.
I start my roast potatoes at 350ºF/180ºC and finish them at 425ºF/220ºC.
The quickest way to reheat roast potatoes and maintain their crispiness is in an air fryer. Set it at 380ºF/190ºC and cook the potatoes for around 5 minutes. You can also use a very hot oven, 400ºF/210ºC, and cook them for 20 minutes. (A toaster oven also works)
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Why You'll Love These Prepare Ahead Roast Potatoes
- You can get them ready for the oven in advance. Just popping them in when the turkey comes out to rest.
- They are so crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
- My kids love them, meaning they have something on their plate other than bread rolls and meat 😉 (Actually, 3 out of 5 are pretty good with vegetables)
- If you are a smaller household, it is easy to remove just a few potatoes to cook because they are frozen individually. Great if you aren't feeding a crowd.
Serving Suggestions
What to eat with Roasted Potatoes
If you are having roast potatoes, then gravy is a must! We like a brown gravy or an onion gravy. But creamy white gravy is good, too.
They make the perfect holiday side, next to Turkey and stuffing.
But my family is of the opinion that everything goes with a roast potato! I will often serve them next to burgers or ribs. 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 some dipping sauces.
What to drink with Prepare Ahead Roast Potatoes
The choice of drink probably comes down to what you are serving the potatoes with. But if they are the star, I would choose a crisp, dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. They are also delicious with an Amber Ale, which brings out the nutty roasted flavors.
Enjoy x
If you try this Prepare Ahead Roast Potatoes, please leave a 🌟star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I really appreciate it, and it helps others to know that the recipe is trustworthy.
Any questions about the recipe? Use the comments section below.
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
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.