These crispy duck fat roast potatoes are golden, crunchy and beautifully fluffy in the middle — these are the perfect accompaniment to a traditional Sunday roast. Serve them alongside my Lemon, Garlic & Herb Whole Roast Chicken with Homemade Chicken Gravy for a comforting family roast, complete with juicy roast chicken and rich homemade gravy.
Made with floury Maris Piper potatoes, duck fat and a simple seasoning of salt and pepper, they’re wonderfully crisp on the outside while staying light and fluffy inside.
The secret is in the preparation: parboiling the potatoes, giving them a good shake to rough up the edges, and roasting them in properly hot duck fat. Those rough edges become deliciously crispy in the oven.
They’re the perfect side for a Sunday roast and are particularly good served alongside my Lemon, Garlic & Herb Whole Roast Chicken with Homemade Chicken Gravy.
Why you’ll love these roast potatoes
- Super crispy and golden on the outside
- Fluffy and light in the middle
- Made with floury Maris Piper potatoes
- Duck fat gives them incredible flavour and crunch
- Perfect for a traditional Sunday roast
- Simple ingredients
- Easy to prepare ahead
- Absolutely made for soaking up homemade gravy!
What are the best potatoes for roast potatoes?
For really crispy roast potatoes, I recommend using a floury potato such as Maris Piper.
Maris Piper potatoes have a fluffy, floury texture that works particularly well when they’re parboiled and roasted. The outside breaks down slightly during cooking, allowing you to rough up the edges before roasting.
Those rough edges are important because they create lots of little ridges and surfaces that become beautifully crisp in the oven.
How to make crispy roast potatoes
The secret to great roast potatoes isn’t complicated, but there are a few important steps.
First, peel and cut your Maris Piper potatoes into roughly even-sized pieces. Keeping the pieces similar in size helps them cook evenly.
Parboil the potatoes in generously salted water until the outside is beginning to soften while the centres remain firm.
Drain them well and allow them to steam dry for a few minutes.
Then comes one of the most important steps: roughing up the potatoes.
Give them a good shake in the saucepan or colander. You want the edges to become slightly fluffy and uneven without breaking the potatoes apart.
These rough edges will turn into wonderfully crispy pieces once roasted.
Why use duck fat for roast potatoes?
Duck fat is fantastic for roast potatoes because it gives them a beautifully crisp exterior and adds a rich savoury flavour.
You don’t need to drown the potatoes in fat. The aim is to coat them well so every potato has contact with the hot fat.
For the crispiest results, the duck fat should be very hot before the potatoes go into the roasting tray.
How to get really crispy roast potatoes
There are a few tricks that make a big difference.
Use Maris Piper potatoes
Their floury texture gives you that fluffy centre and crispy exterior.
Don’t skip the parboiling
Parboiling softens the outside of the potatoes and helps create the rough texture needed for crisping.
Rough up the edges
This is one of the biggest secrets to crispy roast potatoes. The more rough, fluffy edges you create, the more opportunity there is for them to become golden and crunchy.
Heat the duck fat first
Put your roasting tray with the duck fat into the oven while it preheats. The potatoes should sizzle when they hit the tray.
Give the potatoes plenty of space
Try not to overcrowd the roasting tray. If the potatoes are packed too closely together, they’ll steam rather than roast.
Turn them during cooking
Turning the potatoes once or twice helps them brown evenly and gives you crispy edges all over.
How long do roast potatoes take?
I roast these potatoes at:
200°C fan / 220°C conventional / Gas Mark 7
They take approximately 50–60 minutes, depending on the size of your potato pieces and your oven.
Turn them halfway through cooking so they become evenly golden and crispy.
If you like them particularly crunchy, give them an extra 5–10 minutes towards the end.
Can you prepare roast potatoes ahead of time?
Yes — and this is particularly useful when you’re cooking a Sunday roast.
You can peel and cut the potatoes earlier in the day and keep them submerged in cold water in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to cook, drain them thoroughly and parboil as normal.
You can also parboil the potatoes ahead of time, drain them and allow them to cool before roasting later.
For the crispiest result, make sure they’re well drained and dry before they go into the hot duck fat.
What to serve with roast potatoes
These roast potatoes are made for a Sunday roast. They pair beautifully with roast beef, pork or lamb, but they’re particularly delicious alongside my Lemon, Garlic & Herb Whole Roast Chicken with Homemade Chicken Gravy. The crispy potatoes are perfect for soaking up every last bit of that homemade gravy.
How to store leftover roast potatoes
If you happen to have leftovers, allow the potatoes to cool and refrigerate them in an airtight container.
Use within 3–4 days.
Keep in mind that they won’t stay quite as crispy as they are straight from the oven, but they can be reheated to bring some of that crunch back.
How to reheat roast potatoes
For the best results, reheat roast potatoes in the oven or air fryer rather than the microwave.
Place them in a hot oven at around 200°C fan and cook until piping hot and crisp again.
An air fryer works particularly well for bringing back some of their original crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What potatoes are best for crispy roast potatoes?
Maris Piper potatoes are one of my favourite choices because their floury texture gives you fluffy centres and beautifully crispy edges.
Do you have to parboil potatoes before roasting?
I highly recommend it. Parboiling softens the outside of the potatoes, allowing you to rough up the edges before roasting. This helps create that classic crispy texture.
Why do you shake the potatoes before roasting?
Shaking the potatoes roughs up their surface and creates fluffy, uneven edges. These edges become wonderfully crispy when roasted in hot duck fat.
Should duck fat be hot before adding the potatoes?
Yes. Heating the duck fat in the roasting tray before adding the potatoes helps them start crisping immediately.
Carefully add the potatoes to the hot fat and turn them so they’re well coated.
Can I use goose fat instead of duck fat?
Absolutely. Goose fat is another excellent choice for traditional crispy roast potatoes.
You can also use olive oil or another suitable roasting oil if you prefer.
Can I make these roast potatoes without duck fat?
Yes. Duck fat gives the potatoes a particularly rich flavour and excellent crispness, but you can substitute it with goose fat or a suitable cooking oil.
Why aren’t my roast potatoes crispy?
A few things can prevent potatoes from crisping properly:
- The potatoes weren’t parboiled enough
- They weren’t roughed up
- They were too wet before roasting
- The fat wasn’t hot enough
- The roasting tray was overcrowded
- They weren’t cooked for long enough
For the crispiest potatoes, make sure they are dry, rough-edged and have plenty of room on a hot roasting tray.
Planning a Sunday roast? Make these crispy duck fat roast potatoes alongside my Lemon, Garlic & Herb Whole Roast Chicken with Homemade Chicken Gravy for the ultimate golden, crispy and comforting roast dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Maris Piper potatoes
- 3-4 tbsp duck fat (or goose fat)
- 1 tsp Fresh Thyme chopped
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel the Maris Piper potatoes and cut them into roughly even-sized chunks.
- Place them in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt.
- Bring the water to the boil, then simmer the potatoes until the outside is tender but the centre still has some firmness. You don't want them completely cooked at this stage.
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly and allow them to steam dry for a few minutes.
- Return them to the saucepan or place them in a colander and give them a good shake to rough up the edges.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional / Gas Mark 7.
- Add the duck fat to a large roasting tray and place it in the oven for 10 minutes until it heats. The fat should be very hot before adding the potatoes.
- Carefully add the potatoes to the hot duck fat and turn them so they’re well coated.
- Spread them out into a single layer, leaving plenty of space between each potato.
- Roast for approximately 50–60 minutes, turning every 20 minutes during cooking, until deeply golden, crispy and fluffy inside.
- Serve immediately while they’re hot and crispy, with plenty of homemade gravy and your favourite Sunday roast.
Notes
- Potatoes: Maris Piper are my preferred choice for this recipe because they’re floury and fluffy, making them perfect for crispy roast potatoes.
- Duck fat: Make sure the duck fat is hot before adding the potatoes. This helps create that immediate crisp exterior.
- Don’t overcrowd the tray: If necessary, use two roasting trays rather than squeezing everything onto one.
- Extra crispy: For extra-crispy potatoes, leave them in the oven for a little longer towards the end of cooking until they’re deeply golden.
- Make ahead: The potatoes can be peeled and cut ahead of time and kept submerged in cold water until you’re ready to cook them.
Nutrition
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