Crispy Baked Mini Potatoes Recipe - Tasty Oven (2024)

FAQs

Why won't my potatoes crisp in the oven? ›

You might not be using enough oil. If you're not using enough oil to coat the potato, it won't get crispy as it bakes. You might be using the wrong type of potato. Potatoes with a high starch content, such as Russet potatoes, are better for baking because they become fluffy and crispy when cooked.

If you oil them up early, the skins may not turn crispy. The salt, too, can run off the potatoes in the heat. Instead, do a quick oil baste after the potatoes reach 205°F: Remove the pan from the oven. Brush with olive oil (or bacon grease if you have it) and a hefty sprinkle of kosher salt.

Roasted potatoes can become soggy if the water content in the potato isn't fully cooked. Different potatoes have different water content percentages. Also, be mindful of the oil. Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy.

Cooking potatoes twice—once in water, and a second time in hot oil—is hands-down the best way to achieve extra-crispy potatoes at home.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium low. Cut the potato in half and put the cut sides down in the pan. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat and cook for three to four minutes. Once they're heated, flip the potatoes so all sides get crispy.

Potato baking temperatures range from 350˚ to 450˚F. The sweet spot seems to be at 400˚F, a temperature that cooks the potato all the way through and crisps the skin without singeing it. That said, you don't need to strictly adhere to a certain temperature every time you bake a potato.

We recommend baking potatoes at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Smaller spuds might take a little less time, while larger baking potatoes over 1 pound might take a little more.

Don't wrap your potatoes in foil

"I see a lot of people using foil to wrap their potatoes in but this is a big no-no and causes soggy skins!" he says. Foil holds in moisture and steams the potatoes, resulting in a "boiled" taste and texture. Plus, without the use of foil, the skin will get extra crispy and flavorful.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes.

Why does soaking potatoes make them crispier? ›

These tips are completely doable, actually pretty much fail-proof. SOAK your potato chunks in cold water. This removes some of the starch and helps get them super duper crispy.

No. Don't boil your potatoes before baking them. A boiled potato is a completely different animal than a baked potato. Even if you are cutting up a potato and roasting it in herbs and olive oil, boiling the potato first is completely unnecessary.

The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying. Additionally, the vinegar can contribute to a golden-brown color on the exterior of the fries.

After closely inspecting the brand of frozen French fries I often buy, I realized that they are coated in a blend of starches to help crisp them up. So, I decided to give the method a shot with roasted potatoes. And it turns out, coating the potatoes with cornstarch is the secret to super crispy roasted potatoes!

By rinsing off the excess starch, you can achieve a better balance and control over the browning process, resulting in evenly cooked and beautifully golden fries. Another advantage of rinsing the potatoes is that the cold water makes the potato cells firmer, leading to crispier fries when fried.

You don't check the temperature

A temperature between 205F to 212F inside the potatoes mean that they are cooked. If the temperature is below that, the potato may be too hard still inside, and if you go above it, they may become gummy.

“ is because potatoes are thick, they are dense, and they are filled with water. It takes a while for the heat of an oven to penetrate the middle of a big ol' potato. Even poking holes in it doesn't help much. Plus, don't forget that the water content of potatoes is high.

Their dense nature and size mean that whether you love a white potato or a sweet potato, getting them tender to the core just takes a while. You can speed up the process when boiling or roasting or frying by cutting them up small or slicing them thin or even grating them.

However, if moisture is trapped inside the skin, it can make the potato quite soggy. Piercing the skin of the potato before cooking creates escape routes for interior moisture. Potatoes that stand for long periods after baking also tend to be soggier than those served immediately.