Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Cornstarch
by Sommer Collier — last updated on May 28, 2025 
This unbelievably easy recipe is my tried-and-true way to make the best oven roasted potatoes. I toss tender ‘lil potatoes with olive oil, garlic, simple seasonings, and my not-so-secret ingredient that you’ve probably figured out by now – cornstarch! (And one more ingredient that might surprise you, but I’ll let you read more about that later :)) These crispy roasted potatoes with cornstarch are beautifully browned with a light crunch on the outside, and fork-tender fluffy on the inside. No sad, soggy potatoes on this table!
Not exactly a hot take, but I think just about any down-home dinner can make everyone happy if there are potatoes involved. Not only are potatoes deliciously carb-y and cozy, there is no shortage in the many fabulous ways to cook and serve them. To that end, I have all sorts of fabulous potato recipes on the site to match whatever main dish you’re serving! I love steamed potatoes with a soft, silky bite. Here is my favorite oven roasted crispy potatoes recipe that goes in the other direction of texture… I make them with both cornstarch and baking soda, so they get perfectly browned and crisp on the outside while staying fluffy on the inside. They match well with just about any protein, and are great as-is or served with sauces and your favorite savory toppings.
Samantha – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I made these for dinner the other night and they were both easy and delicious! I can’t wait to make them for my family for Thanksgiving this year. 5 stars!!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Expect the Unexpected – In this crispy oven roasted potatoes recipe, I toss them with herbs and my “secret combination” of cornstarch and baking soda. The baking soda helps pull moisture out of the potatoes as they cook to help create a fluffy interior and dry exterior. And the addition of cornstarch gives the potato skins a lovely crunchy texture.
Keep it Classic, Or Not – Here I have seasoned my potatoes with a deliciously simple blend of Italian seasoning, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper… However, you can mix things up with various spices to suit just about any craving or taste! Try them dressed like my lemon garlic potatoes – just don’t do the lemon juice and broth bath. That’ll nix the crispiness in these roasted potatoes.
Really Quick… Really! – One thing you’ll immediately notice when you look at the recipe card is these crispy potatoes are ready to serve in a snap, only 30 minutes total from start to finish. I have made them in a rush basically last-minute for a family dinner, or alongside a bunch of other dishes as I am busy making things for game day parties or holiday dinners.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Potatoes – I prefer to use mini baby Dutch yellow, yukon gold potatoes, or small red potatoes for this recipe.
- Cornstarch and baking soda – I sift or stir each of them well first to make sure that I remove any clumps and get an even coating on the crispy oven potatoes
- Italian seasoning – I have used both homemade Italian seasoning or store-bought if I’m in a pinch. I’m of course going to advocate for making your own blend, but either works well!
- Spices – The spices I use in this recipe are pretty simple; sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder. However, I’ve got more fabulous ideas for other seasonings you should try below!
- Olive oil – I love to use olive oil. Its a high heat oil and easily spreads well over the potatoes and has a more neutral flavor. If I don’t have olive oil on hand I use another healthy high-heat oil for roasting, like avocado or canola oil.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep – One of the things I repeatedly forget to do is to preheat the oven before I get started. It totally drains your time when you have to wait for the oven to preheat aaaall the way to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to get going after you have done all the work. I take this time to set out my baking sheet, large mixing bowl, and a small bowl for the spices. This is also the time I will cut my potatoes in half or quarters if there are any that are over 1-inch. If there are potatoes smaller than 1-inch you can leave them whole. Once I have cut all my potatoes into evenly sized pieces I place them in my mixing bowl that I sat out earlier and pour in the olive oil. Then I gently toss the potatoes inside the bowl until they are evenly coated.
Coat the Potatoes – In a small bowl I combine the sifted cornstarch and baking soda, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix everything well to get out any remaining clumps. Then I sprinkle this mixture over the potatoes.
Toss and Coat (Again) – Next, I toss the potatoes with the spices, baking soda and cornstarch, until they are coated well and evenly. I really try to make sure that I get them even so that the cornstarch and baking soda are touching every bit of all the potatoes. The more well coated they are, the crispier and fluffier the potatoes will be. Then I will pour the remaining olive oil into my bowl with the potatoes and spices and toss again. I aim, again, to make them evenly coated.
Spread them Out and Bake – I dump the bowl of potatoes onto my rimmed baking sheet, then spread my potatoes out in an even layer. This is important because it ensures that each potato piece coated in cornstarch is able to evenly roast in the oven. I have noticed that when they are stuffed together the heat does not disperse well enough and some are too crispy and stuck together and others are not cooked well enough. I roast in the oven for 15 minutes, carefully flipping after 15 minutes, and roasting for another 5-10 minutes. I know they’re perfectly done when the outsides are crisp and golden, and I can stick a fork through one of them very easily.
Recipe Variations
I’m confident my crispy roasted potatoes recipe with cornstarch has plenty of robust Italian-inspired flavors you’ll love. But feel free to change things up with whatever seasonings you like!
With just a few swaps of spices, you can customize the recipe to complement any meal… Try replacing Italian seasoning with any of these tasty options:
- Tex-Mex – Use adobo seasoning or our Papas Bravas (Mexican potatoes) seasoning to make crispy potatoes that are smoky and savory.
- Cajun – Give the potatoes some down-home southern flavor with a kick by coating them in a homemade Creole/Cajun spice blend.
- Ranch seasoning – Adding a packet of ranch dressing seasoning mix is a family favorite for tangy potatoes with some retro flair.
- Other dried herbs – Use a pinch of dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, and/or sage, as you like to keep things simple but cozy and flavorful.
Storage Notes
Leftover crispy roasted potatoes with cornstarch will keep well for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll technically be fine to eat for up to 5 days, but I find after the first day or so they start to get quite soft, even when reheated.
Speaking of, to reheat the potatoes I spread them out on a prepared baking sheet and re-roast them for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees, flipping them over once halfway through cooking. You can also reheat them in an air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees, similar to french fries.
You can even freeze the crispy potatoes for up to 3 months! Transfer them to an airtight container once they cool before popping in the freezer. Then let them thaw overnight before reheating as suggested above.
Serving Suggestions
Here, I show the potatoes with a simple parsley garnish. But feel free to drizzle them with ranch dressing, queso cheese, tzatziki sauce, or sour cream for some nice creaminess to balance the crispy potatoes!
They’re also fantastic to top like baked potatoes and load up with savory goodies like shredded cheese, bacon bits, and chopped green onions.
Or serve warm oven roasted potatoes as-is with any cooked favorites! Meat and potatoes is a no-brainer combination, and these pair well with meaty main dishes, like:
- Florentine Steak, Bone-In Ribeye, or other tender steaks
- Smoked Chicken or Grilled Chicken
- Zesty Greek Chicken
- Sous Vide Pork Chops or Smoked Pork Chops
Frequently Asked Questions
Be sure to coat the potatoes in the oil and spices thoroughly, and spread them evenly on the baking sheet in a single layer. For the crispiest potatoes it’s important to not overcrowd the pan! If the potatoes are touching or overlap, too much moisture builds up and causes the potatoes to get soggy.
Yes! If you have washed your potatoes, they need to be dried. Drying the potatoes well before roasting helps them get that golden, crispy exterior. Whenever there is excess moisture they really start to brown and almost burn. I pat mine with a paper towel thoroughly, before I toss them with oil and seasonings.
You don’t want to use parchment paper when roasting at such a high heat. But potatoes will stick to the bare baking sheet when there isn’t enough oil on them. I make sure to thoroughly coat my potatoes evenly in oil to avoid this. It really helps to prevent the crispy roasted with cornstarch from sticking!
Help Me Spread the Word about this Fabulous Free Recipe! Sharing this recipe link on Pinterest and Facebook is super impactful, and I greatly appreciate it! Find the share buttons below the recipe form.
More Potato Recipes
Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Cornstarch
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds mini potatoes I used baby Dutch yellow potatoes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup olive oil divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set out a large rimmed baking sheet, a large mixing bowl, and a small bowl. If there are potatoes smaller than 1-inch you can leave them whole. Otherwise, cut the potatoes into halves (or even quarters for the larger potatoes) so they're all close to the same size.
- Place the chopped potatoes in the mixing bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of potatoes and toss well to coat.
- In the small bowl, combined the cornstarch, Italian seasoning, salt, baking soda, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix well.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the top of the potatoes and toss well to coat.
- Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the baking sheet. Spread the potatoes out in an even layer baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Then carefully flip the potatoes over and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes until fork tender.
- Serve warm as-is or with garnishes or sauces!
Notes
-
- Tex-Mex – Use adobo seasoning or our Papas Bravas (Mexican potatoes) seasoning to make crispy potatoes that are smoky and savory.
-
- Cajun – Give the potatoes some down-home southern flavor with a kick by coating them in a homemade Creole/Cajun spice blend.
-
- Ranch seasoning – Adding a packet of tangy ranch dressing seasoning mix is a family favorite for tangy potatoes with some retro flair.
- Other dried herbs – Use a pinch of dried thyme, rosemary, oregano and/or sage as you like to keep things simple but vibrant.
I made these for dinner the other night and they were both easy and delicious! I can’t wait to make them for my family for Thanksgiving this year. 5 stars!!
Quick easy recipe. I made them exactly as your recipe stays and they are great. I left them in my oven an extra 5 minutes and they’re nice and crisp.
This was an easy recipe, and my potatoes were in fact very crispy. I will definitely be making these again!
My family loves these potatoes! We make them at least once a week!!