Roasted Potatoes with Herbs & Butter

Forty-five minutes if you move fast. Potatoes cut, butter melted, into the oven. That’s the whole thing. Well, almost.

Why You’ll Love This Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Crispy outside, soft in the middle. Every single time. Not just a side dish — people ask for seconds on this alone. Butter does that. The herbs help. Takes 70 minutes total but most of it’s the oven doing the work while you’re doing literally anything else. Comfort food that’s actually easy. One pan. No fuss. Leftovers taste better cold the next day, maybe even better than fresh. And cleanup’s just warm water.

What You Need for Butter Roasted Potatoes

Yukon Gold potatoes. Two pounds, cut into chunks about the size of dice. Skin stays on or comes off — doesn’t matter that much, but skin stays crispier. Four tablespoons butter, melted. Not browned. Just melted. A packet of dry herbs — thyme, rosemary, parsley mixed together. Salt and fresh black pepper. Optional yellow onion, diced, if you want bite. That’s actually it.

How to Make Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Set the oven to 390°F. Fan on if you’ve got it. Cut potatoes while the oven heats. Keep the chunks roughly the same size — an inch, maybe a little less. Smaller pieces get crispier. Bigger pieces stay softer inside. Either works. Melt the butter slow in the microwave or a small pot. Don’t let it brown. Pour it into a roasting pan — doesn’t need grease. Toss the potatoes with the butter first, then the herbs, then salt and pepper. Mix it so everything’s coated. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Add the onions now if you’re using them. Slide the pan into the oven, middle rack. Don’t think about it for 20 minutes.

How to Get Roasted Potatoes Crispy and Golden

After 20 minutes, open the door. You’ll hear sizzle. That’s right. Stir the potatoes around with a spatula or wooden spoon. Doesn’t take long. Gets them from sticking and browns them evenly on different sides. Back in the oven. Check again at 45 minutes total. Poke one with a fork. Should give a little. Not mushy. The edges should be golden, kind of the color of old wood. If they’re still pale, add five to ten more minutes. Watch it though. Every oven runs different. Want them extra crispy? Flip everything onto a baking sheet and broil for three to five minutes. Stay in the kitchen for this part. They’ll burn if you look away.

Roasted Potatoes Tips and Common Mistakes

Sticking happens. Keep a small bowl of water near the oven. Quick splash fixes it before it gets burnt. Don’t crowd the pan. Potatoes touching each other steam instead of roast. If your pan’s small, use two pans. Dry herb mix works better than fresh here. Fresh herbs burn. Tried it once. Just doesn’t work. Some people add onions partway through. Don’t. They either get burned or stay raw. Add them at the start with the potatoes. Black pepper goes on fresh after roasting — tastes better that way, more peppery. Parsley on top is optional but changes it. Adds color, adds freshness. The leftovers reheat in the oven at 350 for about ten minutes. Microwave makes them soft and weird. Not worth it.

Roasted Potatoes with Herbs & Butter

By Emma

Prep:

20 min

Cook:

50 min

Total:

70 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1 inch chunks, skin on or off
• 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 1 packet dry herb mix (thyme, rosemary, parsley) dry seasoning instead of onion soup powder
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Optional 1/2 cup diced yellow onion for extra bite

Method

1. Preparation
2. 1 Set oven to 390°F, fan on if you have it. Chunk potatoes with a sturdy knife; tossing skins in or out depends on mood. Keep pieces fairly same size; about 1 inch cubes. More surface area means crispier bits.
3. 2 Melt butter slowly in microwave or small pot. Don’t let it brown. If you only have salted butter, reduce extra salt added.
4. 3 In a roomy ceramic or metal roasting pan (don’t grease it upfront), toss potatoes with butter and dry herb mix. Season with salt and pepper now. Toss evenly. If adding onions, toss them in here.
5. Cooking
6. 4 Throw pan in oven mid-rack. After 20 minutes open the door—listen for sizzle, smell earthy herb aromas. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently turn potatoes. Keeps them from sticking and promotes even browning. If you see some sticking, a quick splash of water can save the batch.
7. 5 Return to oven. Check after 45 minutes total—poke a chunk with fork. Tender is good, not mushy. Crispy edges? Gold. Under roasted potatoes look pale; if that’s the case, add 5-10 minutes, watching closely.
8. 6 If you want crisper skin, flip onto baking sheet and broil 3-5 minutes watching constantly. Avoid burning.
9. Final Touches
10. 7 Fresh cracked black pepper or sprinkle flaky sea salt post roast. Sometimes chopped fresh parsley on top for color and fresh taste—my go-to twist.
11. 8 Serve warm. Potatoes should offer a mix of crunchy, soft, butter-rich, and herb-scented bits.
12. Cleanup Tips
13. 9 Leave pan to soak in warm water right after serving to ease stuck-on bits. Avoid metal utensils that scrape ceramic.
14. 10 Store leftovers in airtight container; reheat in oven, not microwave, for best texture.

Nutritional information

Calories

220

Protein

3g

Carbs

32g

Fat

9g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Roasted Potatoes

Can I use regular white potatoes instead of Yukon Gold? Yeah, but they get softer faster and don’t get as crispy. Yukon Gold’s different. The skin and starch both handle heat better. Reds work too. White potatoes are kind of mushy.

How do I know when they’re actually done? Fork poke. Should go through easy but not fall apart. The skin should be wrinkled a little and golden on the edges. If they look pale, they need more time. Not done yet.

Can I cut them bigger or smaller? Smaller pieces get crispier. Bigger pieces take longer and stay softer inside. Your choice. Just keep them consistent so they cook evenly. Some raw, some overcooked is annoying.

Should I peel the potatoes? Don’t. Skin stays on. Crisps up better. Adds texture. Looks better too. If you hate potato skin for some reason, peel them, but you’ll miss the crispy part.

What if I don’t have dry herbs? Fresh herbs burn. Don’t use them during cooking. You could use a different dry seasoning — oregano works, garlic powder works. Or nothing. Potatoes with just salt and butter are actually fine. Add fresh parsley after, if you want.

Can I make these ahead of time? Cook them full amount, then cool them down. Store them in a sealed container in the fridge. Reheat in a 350°F oven for ten minutes. They come back. Microwave and they turn to mush. The texture falls apart.

Does the butter have to be unsalted? Salted butter works. Just use less salt in the seasoning. Add it at the end after you taste. More control that way.

Why does my pan stick so bad? Metal pans stick less. Ceramic sticks more. Use a spatula, not a wooden spoon on ceramic. Splash of water helps. Some people spray the pan first. I don’t. Just watch it and stir halfway through.