Savory Herb Roasted Potatoes

Why This Savory Herb Roasted Potatoes Works

In the hot oven, the cut sides of the red potatoes sit right on the baking sheet, so they brown first. As they roast, the outsides dry a little and get crisp, while the insides soften and turn fluffy. The high heat cooks them fast enough that the centers stay moist instead of drying out. Olive oil coats every piece, so the potatoes don’t stick and the edges can brown instead of steaming.

During roasting, the garlic stuck to the potatoes starts to brown too. It goes from sharp and harsh to mellow and a bit sweet, and some tiny bits cling to the crisp edges. After the potatoes come out, the fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley hit the hot surface and warm up just enough to spread their taste over the outside. Parmesan goes on at the end so it doesn’t burn; it softens on contact with the hot potatoes and lightly sticks to the rough, browned sides, giving a salty, slightly chewy coating.

Mistakes To Avoid

Crowding the potatoes on a small pan makes them steam instead of roast. The trapped moisture keeps the edges from drying out, so they come out soft and pale instead of crisp and browned.

Cutting the potatoes into very different sizes leads to uneven cooking. The small pieces dry out and get hard by the time the big chunks are finally tender in the center.

Letting the oven run cooler than 425°F, or opening the door a lot, keeps the potatoes from browning. They soften inside but stay limp on the outside, with no crunchy edges.

Adding the fresh herbs before roasting instead of at the end causes them to burn on the hot pan. The leaves shrivel and turn bitter, and the potatoes end up with dark, dry flecks instead of fresh, green bits.

Skipping the toss halfway through roasting leaves one side of each potato stuck to the pan. The bottoms can burn while the tops stay pale, so only part of each piece gets that roasted crust.