The Crispy Garlic and Herb Roasted Holiday Potatoes

Hello everyone! I hope you all are having a good week. And if you’re not, hopefully I can brighten up your day with this recipe. The holidays are around the corner once again, and everybody’s looking for that perfect dish to bring to their loved one’s dinner table.

This is it. It’s going to steal the show. If you love potatoes, you’re going to live for this recipe. It is so stinking easy to make, and let me tell you—this sauce is the boss.

If you love crispy potatoes like these, you’ll go crazy for my Beautiful Beef Tallow Potatoes on the Weber Kettle—same crunchy obsession, smoky grill vibes!

Why You’ll Love This

• The Crunch Factor: You want to hear that crunch. These aren’t soggy; they are golden brown and shatteringly crisp.
• The Secret Ingredient: We use a little teaspoon of food-grade baking soda in the boiling water. It sounds interesting, but listen to me—it breaks down the outside of the potato to create the perfect crust.
• The “Boss” Sauce: We don’t just roast herbs in the oven where they might burn. We make a garlic butter herb sauce separately and drag those hot potatoes through it at the very end. Oh my goodness.

What You’ll Need

Special Equipment

• Large stockpot (for boiling)
• Colander
• 9×13 inch metal roasting pan or baking dish
• Small saucepan (for the garlic butter)
• Wire cooling rack (for draining)

The Potatoes

• 3 lbs (1.4 kg) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
• 1 tsp food-grade baking soda (essential for texture)
• ½ cup vegetable oil or canola oil (enough to coat the bottom of the roasting pan generously)
• 1 tsp salt (for the water)

The “Boss” Sauce

• 1 stick (½ cup) salted or unsalted butter
• 5–6 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder

The Finish

• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Grated parmesan cheese

Let’s Get Roasting!

1. The Potato Strategy

First things first, make sure your hands are clean! For this recipe, I’m going to suggest that the only type of potato you use is the Yukon Gold. They give you that creamy inside and crispy outside.

Peel them and cut them into large, uniform chunks (halved or quartered depending on size). You don’t want tiny pieces.

Important: Rinse them under cold water 4–5 times until the water runs clear. We need to get that excess starch off!

2. The Parboil & The Secret Ingredient

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the secret weapon: 1 teaspoon of food-grade baking soda. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Cook for about 8–10 minutes.

Note: We are not looking for fully fork-tender. We want them “barely almost there.” If you overcook them, they will fall apart. Drain them well in a colander and let them steam dry for 2 minutes.

3. The Hot Oil Method

While the potatoes boil, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Pour the vegetable oil into your 9×13 baking dish and place it in the oven for 5–10 minutes until the oil is super hot and shimmering.

Here’s the trick: When those potatoes come out of their boiling bath, they go straight into that sizzling, bubbling oil. That is how you get them luscious and delicious.

Carefully place the drained potatoes into the hot oil in a single layer (be careful, it will sizzle!). Don’t overcrowd—use two pans if needed. Salt the tops generously.

4. The Roast

Bake for 45–55 minutes. Every 15 minutes, open the oven and turn the potatoes so they get golden brown on all sides. Do not rush this process.

While these roast, if you’re craving more potato perfection, check out my One-Pan Creamy Garlic Chicken and Potatoes—same garlic love, total comfort food!

5. Make the Garlic Butter Sauce

While they roast, let’s make the magic happen on the stove.

In a small skillet with a tiny drop of oil, fry the minced garlic over medium heat just until golden and crispy. Don’t burn it, or it gets a funky taste! Remove from heat.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the stick of butter. Stir in the chicken bouillon powder, the fried garlic, and the fresh chopped herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley). Stir to combine.

6. Finish and Serve

When the potatoes are deep golden brown and sound crunchy when tapped, remove them. Briefly drain them on a wire rack or paper towels to remove excess oil.

Transfer them to a bowl and pour that garlic herb butter mixture over them. Toss to coat. When you drag those crispy potatoes through that butter sauce? Are you kidding me?

Season with salt, pepper, and plenty of parmesan cheese.

If you like this recipe Explore more recipes

These potatoes pair perfectly with cozy weeknight dinners—try my 5 Cozy 30 Minute Dinner Recipes for Busy Nights when you’re short on time but want maximum flavor!

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Crispy Garlic and Herb Roasted Holiday Potatoes

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: SidesCuisine: American, HolidayDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

55

minutes

Calories

320

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Ultra-crispy Yukon Gold potatoes roasted in hot oil and tossed in a savory garlic-herb butter sauce. The ultimate holiday side dish that steals the show.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed

• Large stockpot

• Colander

• 9×13 metal roasting pan

• Small skillet

• Wire rack

• Ingredients

• 3 lbs (1.4 kg) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

• 1 tsp (5 g) food-grade baking soda

• 1 tsp (5 g) salt (for boiling water)

• ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable or canola oil

• 5–6 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 1 stick (½ cup / 113 g) butter, melted

• 1 tsp (5 g) chicken bouillon powder

• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

• Prep: Peel and cut potatoes into large, uniform chunks. Rinse under cold water 4–5 times until water runs clear (removes excess starch).
• Parboil: Place in large pot, cover with water. Add 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp food-grade baking soda. Boil 8–10 minutes until barely tender (not fully fork-tender). Drain well, let steam dry 2 minutes.
• Hot Oil: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Pour oil into 9×13 pan, heat in oven 5–10 minutes until shimmering hot.
• Roast: Add potatoes to hot oil in single layer (use 2 pans if needed). Salt tops. Roast 45–55 minutes, turning every 15 minutes until deep golden and crispy.
• Garlic Sauce: In small skillet with drop of oil, fry minced garlic until golden (don’t burn). Mix fried garlic + herbs + bouillon into melted butter.
• Finish: Drain roasted potatoes briefly on wire rack. Toss immediately with garlic herb butter. Season with salt, pepper, parmesan. Serve hot.

Notes

• Don’t Overcook Boil: Potatoes should be barely tender. Overcooking = mushy results.
• The Crunch: Food-grade baking soda is mandatory—creates starchy crust for frying.
• Garlic Tip: Fry separately so it doesn’t burn during long roast. Burnt garlic = bitter!
• No Crowding: Single layer only, or they steam instead of crisp.