These easy rosemary roasted potatoes take 10 minutes of prep: dice red potatoes, toss them with oil and Roasted Potato Blend, and roast at 400°F (200°C) for 45 minutes. Rosemary and Hungarian paprika do the rest.

Potatoes were my favourite part of the holidays

When I was growing up, my favourite part of most holiday dinners was the potatoes. It wasn’t like they were that special a treat — like many families, we ate them all the time — but there was something about them at the holidays that I loved.

Sometimes they were mashed… sometimes whipped… almost always covered in gravy. I particularly remember the Hasselback potatoes my Grandpa made. It seemed everyone had their unique spin on potatoes.

When I started cooking as an adult, I played around with different recipes, searching for my own take on the mighty potato, and quickly realized one thing: when it came to potatoes, I was a pretty lazy guy. I wanted my recipe to be delicious, but also easy to make, so I could focus on the main course.

Enter the simple roasted potato.

Why seasoning makes or breaks a roasted potato

I was doing so much BBQ, playing around with different cuts of meat and cooking methods, that I paid little attention to my potatoes, and the results reflected that.

Some batches were bland, under-seasoned spuds that just took up space on the plate. Some were overly complicated messes of spices that had no business touching a potato in the first place. And that was when I realized the importance of seasoning the potato.

Yes, I now understand the importance of seasoning any food well (else I wouldn’t have started Zest). But at that time, I was so focused on things like cooking a steak perfectly to medium rare that I underestimated how important seasoning the food was.

After all, even a poorly seasoned steak that’s cooked well can still be a treat. But a well-cooked potato without seasoning is generally a tasteless plate-filler. (Maybe that’s why we flood mashed potatoes with gravy so often.)

I was starting to realize that my potatoes needed to be simple enough for me to make, and that seasoning was the key. So I got to work.

Rosemary and Hungarian paprika: the perfect potato seasoning

I started with the basics… salt… pepper… oil… just to dial things in. Then I started playing.

While I messed around with a lot of different spices and herbs, I landed on rosemary as the backbone flavour. I loved how it held up to prolonged heat while roasting, and how its earthy, woodsy flavour felt right at home with the mighty potato.

However, rosemary’s long, needle-like leaves weren’t exactly the nicest experience — who wanted to eat something that felt like pine needles? And grinding it to a powder could be too intense. But a blend of both, with the whole leaves cut to the right length and rosemary powder playing its role alongside them, offered the perfect balance.

Then I mixed in excellent Hungarian paprika for an earthy depth and sweetness, and the result was an incredible aroma and taste, perfect for potatoes.

I finally had my recipe.

No, the ingredients weren’t reinventing the potato, but the attention to detail in the spice blend was what set my recipe apart. And the simplicity of dicing, tossing and sticking them in the oven was exactly what I was looking for in a potato dish.

The roasted potatoes people rave about

Flash forward to today, when each week at the Barrie Farmers’ Market people come up to me raving about this recipe above all others. Truly, I thought people would scoff at a roasted potato recipe. But as it turns out, it’s easily one of our best sellers, with people buying multiple jars of our Roasted Potato Blend at a time, just so they don’t run out, or so they can give them as gifts.

In fact, the most flattering feedback I’ve ever received came from someone who said, with a big smile on her face, “My family yells at me when I make potatoes any other way than with your spices — they love it that much!” (Thank you, Lisa!)

So, without further ado, I present my roasted potato recipe. Just a few steps, and the perfect side for BBQs, easy weeknight meals, or holiday events that’s sure to please.

How to make roasted potatoes crispy

• Cut them evenly. 3 cm (1 inch) cubes roast at the same rate, so every piece is crispy outside and tender inside at the same time.
• Pat them dry. After washing, dry the potatoes well so the oil and seasoning cling and the outsides crisp instead of steaming.
• Give them room. Spread them in a single layer with space between the pieces. Crowded potatoes steam and stay soft.
• Toss twice. Turning the potatoes twice during the roast browns them on more sides.
• Skip the extra salt. Roasted Potato Blend already contains sea salt.

Questions people ask

What temperature should I roast potatoes at?
400°F (200°C). At that temperature, 3 cm (1 inch) cubes turn crispy outside and tender inside in about 45 minutes.

How long do roasted potatoes take?
About 55 minutes start to finish: 10 minutes to dice and toss, then 45 minutes in the oven, tossing twice.

How do I get roasted potatoes crispy?
Pat them dry, cut them evenly to about 3 cm and coat them lightly in oil. Spread them in a single layer, roast at 400°F (200°C) and toss them twice so more sides brown.

Do you need to boil potatoes before roasting?
No. With this recipe you dice raw red potatoes into 3 cm (1 inch) cubes, toss them with oil and Roasted Potato Blend, and roast them at 400°F (200°C) for 45 minutes. Small, even cubes cook through in the oven, so there’s no parboiling and no extra pot to wash.

Do you need to peel red potatoes for roasting?
No. Red potatoes have thin skins that crisp up in the oven and hold the seasoning, so wash them well and leave the skins on. Peeling only adds prep time, and the skins help the cubes keep their shape as they roast.

What are the best potatoes for roasting?
Red potatoes are our pick: their thin skins crisp up and they hold their shape. Yukon Gold potatoes work just as well and turn out a little creamier inside. Russets give a fluffier centre but break apart more easily when you toss them, so handle them gently.

Can you make roasted potatoes ahead for a holiday dinner?
Yes. Roast them up to a day ahead, let them cool, and keep them covered in the fridge. Before serving, spread them on a baking sheet and reheat at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 15 minutes, until hot and crisp again. Skip the microwave, which makes them soft.

Do I need to add salt?
No. Roasted Potato Blend already contains sea salt, so it seasons the potatoes on its own.

What’s in Roasted Potato Blend?
Sea salt, Hungarian paprika, rosemary, onion powder and black pepper. Rosemary is the backbone — whole leaves cut short, plus ground rosemary — with Hungarian paprika for earthy sweetness.