My Crispy Roasted Potatoes are layers of thinly sliced russet potatoes scattered with shallots, slathered with butter and oil, and cooked until golden brown and delicious!
I can’t tell you how happy this Crispy Roasted Potatoes recipe makes BeeBop. He’ll be the first to admit that he is a big meat and potatoes fan, and he has declared this recipe a huge success.
I mean, really? Who wouldn’t love crispy potatoes flavored with butter, shallots, and a touch of lemon thyme? I have a pot of lemon thyme that grows like a weed in my herb bed, so I often use it instead of regular thyme. I love the flavor it adds to lots of recipes. So good.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 2 Hours, 10 Minutes
Servings: 8
Primary Ingredient(s): Butter, olive oil, russet potatoes, shallots, thyme
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- The crispy texture, of course! The combination of thinly sliced potatoes and the right balance of butter and oil creates a heavenly golden crust that’s irresistible.
- It’s versatile – Serve these potatoes for a dinner party or a casual family meal as a complement to any main course. They pair perfectly with grilled meats, roasted chicken, or even as part of a vegetarian feast.
- It’s customizable – I grow lemon thyme in my garden and always enjoy the citrusy-herby flavor it adds to recipes, but you can easily substitute it with regular thyme or experiment with other fresh herbs.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“Family loved these! I made in individual gratin pans. Family loved that special touch.”
— Sherry
Tools You’ll Use
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- Baking Dish or Cast-Iron Skillet
- Mandoline or Sharp Knife
- Pastry Brush
- Vegetable Peeler
Ingredient Notes
- Butter and olive oil – This combination of fats gives rich flavor (from the butter) and protection from higher heat (from the olive oil).
- Russet potatoes – You’ll want potatoes that are on the small-ish side. Yukon golds also work well.
- Shallots – I really like the subtly different flavor of shallots. You can, however, substitute green onions if you want.
- Lemon thyme – I know that lemon thyme can be difficult to source through your grocery store, so feel free to use any fresh thyme that is available.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Crispy Roasted Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (400°F if using a glass baking dish).
- You’ll start off by melting the butter and adding the olive oil.
- Generously brush the bottom of the baking dish with some of the mixture. I chose to make this in my 10-inch cast iron skillet. You could use a gratin dish or any shallow 9-inch or 10-inch baking dish.
👉 PRO TIP: The only negative to this recipe is that you’ll need to peel four pounds of potatoes. Peeling potatoes is one kitchen chore that I just despise. I have to really love you to peel a potato for you. Even though I dislike doing it, I do think it makes for a much nicer finished recipe here. And once that bit of drudgery is out of the way, it’s easy-peasy from there on out.
- If you have a mandoline and are not terrified of using it, you can cut your potatoes on it. Otherwise, use a sharp knife to cut each potato crosswise into thin slices.
- Try to keep the slices together as you go, and as you finish each potato, place it intact into the pan.
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- Once you have all the potatoes snuggled nicely in place, peel and slice the shallots.
- Wedge the shallot slices randomly in between the sliced potatoes.
- Finally, brush on the rest of that delicious butter and olive oil mixture.
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Then pop the pan into the preheated oven for an hour and 15 minutes. Go do whatever you want to, no stirring and no pot watching required!
- Remove the pan from the oven and add the thyme springs to the top of the potatoes.
- Return the pan to the oven to cook for an additional 35 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown on top and cooked through.
- Add a little more fresh thyme right before serving if you like.
How to Serve
These potatoes are the perfect choice to accompany a succulent grilled steak or a juicy roasted chicken. And they also shine as part of a hearty breakfast spread with steak and eggs.
Recipe Variations and Options
- Change the seasoning by using a sprinkle of smoked paprika, some dried rosemary, garlic powder, or a pinch of cayenne pepper for a touch of heat.
- Make them cheesy with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan during the last few minutes of baking.
- Make a sweet version using small, thinly sliced sweet potatoes. Watch the cooking time carefully as they’ll take less time to cook than russets.
How to Store Leftovers
Store completely cooled leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. May be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees or in the microwave. When reheating, the texture will not be exactly the same as when freshly baked, but the flavors will still be delicious.
Questions About Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Look for a deep golden brown top with lightly caramelized edges. Test for doneness by sliding a thin knife into the potato slices. It should glide through easily with no resistance. If the tops are browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the remaining cooking time.
It’s usually because the potato slices are too thick. Aim for 1/8 inch or thinner. Make sure the potatoes are completely dry after peeling, and don’t skimp on the butter and oil mixture. If you’re using a glass dish instead of cast iron, increase the temperature to 400°F since glass doesn’t conduct heat as effectively.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 pounds russet potatoes peeled
- 4 shallots thickly sliced
- Salt
- Pepper
- 8 sprigs lemon thyme (or regular thyme) more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (400°F if using a glass baking dish)
- Combine the melted butter and olive oil in a small bowl.4 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Generously brush the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch baking dish with the butter and oil mixture. Set aside the remainder for now.
- Peel the potatoes; slice each potato very thinly using a sharp knife or mandoline, keeping the potato intact as you proceed.4 pounds russet potatoes
- Place the potatoes vertically in the prepared baking pan.
- Peel the shallots and slice them lengthwise.4 shallots
- Wedge the slices of shallot randomly between the potatoes slices.
- Brush with remaining butter and oil.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.Salt, Pepper
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and add the thyme sprigs.8 sprigs lemon thyme
- Return to the oven and bake an additional 35 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and top is brown and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional lemon thyme for garnish.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees or in the microwave. When reheating, the texture will not be exactly the same as when freshly baked, but the flavors will still be delicious.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on May 27, 2011. It has been updated with additional information.
That’s amazing, Lana! I wouldn’t have thought the potatoes would get crispy when packed in there so tightly. I’m going to have to try this one!
Susan, they get crispy all around the outside edges, but the inside stays nice and soft. They’re so very good.
They sound terrific. I’m going to have to tweet this recipe!
These look so gorgeous, I love the presentation
Thanks so much! I thought they looked pretty nice, too.
Ooo, these looks good – floury potatoes sliced thin and then roasted with shallots, butter and olive oil seems a dream dish. And then you added my favourite herb – lemon thyme!
We will soon hit winter down-under here in New Zealand,which is an ideal time for this absolutely must make dish for me – I’ll just scale the quantities back to suit a hungry one (me), and feel secure knowing that I wont have to share this dish with my beloved rescue cat as he is strictly carnivore!
Do enjoy your lemon thyme – it is equally as delicious with sweet dishes as it is with savoury. Sending care and huggles, Michelle and my happily snoozling Zebby Cat.
Thanks, Michelle. I always forget about the difference in seasons from Northern to Southern hemisphere. Hope you enjoy this recipe as you settle for a chilly fall down under.
These look so good! Gorgeous photos. I love potatoes prepared in any which way and these are just crying out to me. Also, I just bought some lemon thyme by mistake! I didn’t realize until I tasted it and noticed the citrusy undertones.
I really liked the little bit of lemon flavor in the background with these. I might even squeeze a little lemon juice on them, too.
Great pic! I’ve made this with sweet potatoes and it still comes out great! The tops are crispy and the bottoms are sorta velvety and gratin-ed. Great recipe!
Oh, sweet potatoes would be really interesting, Jen! I would probably use a little brown sugar on them.
Lana these came out perfect and the flavors for roasting are my favorite! I have to try these !!!
Hope you enjoy them, Claudia!
This is fantastic, Lana! Really, what a wonderful presentation for the potatoes and it looks as though they browned perfectly.
Thank you, Dara. I love to use my cast-iron skillets whenever I can. This could as easily be made in a pretty gratin dish.
Oh my goodness, Lana. That looks amazing. What a great way to make potatoes!
We really enjoyed it, Kristen. I’d bet your beautiful little ones would like them, too :-)
oh yeah, BeeBop and me know a good thing… gonna make this this weekend, sounds and looks just perfect Lana… thanks
I’ll tell you this, Drick. These potatoes were so good that I ate the leftovers right by themselves for lunch the next day. The were actually even better the second time around.
That looks sooooooo good! I’m going to a grill party tonight and will make it to share with everyone. :)
Oh, and thank you so very much for letting me know that I’m not the only one terrified of my mandoline. *blush*
I’m scared to death of that mandoline, Rachael! I’ve cut myself so badly so many times on just the microplane graters that I’m afraid to even look at the mandoline. Hope it turns out great for your grill party! Let me know.
Suddenly my broccoli dinner seems so very shabby! ;-)
Oh, no, nothing shabby about broccoli, Olive!
These look wonderful. I will be that you could use red skin potatoes or Yukon Golds which don’t need to be peeled. That would make these a snap to make for you! I love lemon thyme too. Thanks for sharing!
Yukon Golds are a great idea for this, Jane. I just might try them next time I cook this. Thanks.
These look SO good!
Thanks, Alison!
They look absolutely delish! I’m not that fond of peeling potatoes myself, but these look like they just might be worth it!
Valerie – It’s a very rare occasion that I peel potatoes but it was so worth it for this dish.
That looks so good. I remember stumbling those somewhere a couple months ago and have thought about it a number of times since.
I saw a really gorgeous photo of this dish on the Fish Food blog and couldn’t stop thinking about it until I cooked it. It’s definitely a keeper.