Golden baked potatoes | quick & easy

Crispy golden baked potatoes – who can resist? Definitely not me! I love potatoes, Tüften, Erdäpfel, Knollen and whatever else they are called. Whether boiled, fried, deep-fried, mashed or baked – they are indispensable in my diet.

Today, however, it’s all about the golden baked potato. With this recipe, you can crisp up your potatoes quickly and easily in the oven.

Ingredients for crispy and golden baked potatoes

There are so many different varieties that I always like to try new ones. Depending on what I have in mind. I am very glad that there is a stall near me at the market where you can get all the potatoes. And always a few tips and lots of interesting facts. That’s why the potato farmer recommended waxy or at least predominantly waxy potatoes for golden baked potatoes.

Olive oil has a relatively high smoke point (up to approx. 200°C) and can therefore be used for golden baked potatoes. Make sure you use extra virgin olive oil, as virgin olive oil is more suitable for salads.

When it comes to salt and pepper, I always tend to use coarse varieties. I now have a good selection of different types of salt and pepper. Pepper tastes best freshly ground and you can adjust the grind in your grinder yourself (extra coarse). So don’t use ground pepper from the supermarket, as it has hardly any aroma.

You will need the following ingredients for the golden baked potatoes (you can find the exact quantities below in the recipe card. You can also double the portion there):

• Potatoes (waxy or predominantly waxy)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Which potatoes are best for cooking in the oven?

Which type of potato is the right one for the oven? Potatoes are divided into three categories: floury, mainly waxy and waxy. Firm-boiling potatoes are best for golden baked potatoes. They have a low starch content, which is why they retain a slight bite when roasted.

But you can also use mainly waxy potatoes, as they are an all-rounder. Due to their higher starch content, they become nice and crispy in the oven and fluffy and soft on the inside.

I used early potatoes for this baked potato recipe. They also have a low starch content and their skin is still tender, so they do not need to be peeled. But actually I rarely peel them because the skin protects the nutrients inside.

Preparing the potatoes in the oven

The preparation time for the potato dish is short. All you have to do is wash the potatoes thoroughly, cut them in half and marinate them with oil, salt and pepper – and the Goldies are ready to go into the oven. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It is – so try out the potato recipe straight away:

1. Preheat the oven and line the baking tray with baking paper.
2. Wash the potatoes, pat dry and cut in half lengthways.
3. Brush the potato halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Bake the potatoes in a hot oven until golden and crispy.
5. Serve golden baked potatoes with or without a side dish.

Preparation methods for golden baked potatoes

The method of preparation for this recipe is quite clear: roasting in the oven. However, there are a few different ways you can cut your potatoes to bake them crispy in the oven. You can also put them in the oven with or without the skin, cooked or raw.

1. You can cut the potatoes in half. In this recipe, for example, I have cut them in half lengthways so that they are a little thinner. If you halve them on the short side, the halves will be slightly thicker. This version is also very suitable for rosemary potatoes because the herbs stick well to the broad surface.
2. To make potato wedges or potato wedges, cut the tubers lengthwise into quarters or wedges.
3. If you want to make crispy potato cubes, cut the potatoes into small pieces. You can also take a look at the recipe for batata harra.
4. Or do you prefer it round? Then cut the potatoes into evenly thick slices.

Note that the potatoes from the oven will need a few minutes more or less, depending on their size, to become crispy.

Why aren’t my potatoes getting crispy?

There may be several reasons for this. That’s why I have a few tips for you on how to make really crispy baked potatoes.

• Is your oven hot enough? To make the potato halves crispy, they need heat! And preferably from all sides – so use the fan or hot air function of the oven and set the temperature between 180°C – 200°C.
• Have you roughened the potato surface? By rubbing the potato halves with coarse salt and pepper, they are not only seasoned but also roughened at the same time. This allows a chemical reaction to take place, which results in the baked potatoes becoming golden and crispy. It is also possible to prick the potato halves with a fork or scrub them with a vegetable brush so that they no longer have a smooth surface.
• Why sprinkle cornstarch on potatoes? The starch draws water out of the potato and binds it, which results in an uneven surface and can make it crispy.

Variants of roast potatoes

There are, of course, several other ways to flavor the tartlets. The salt and pepper version is the simplest, but you can not only season them differently, but also put them in the oven with a topping.

Thyme or rosemary potatoes: You can use either fresh or dried herbs for the herb potatoes. I prefer to use fresh twigs, sometimes mix them and chop them a little smaller so that they stick better. Try them with fresh lemon thyme!

Mediterranean baked potatoes: Back to the dried herbs for a moment, because everyone actually has them in the house. Whether oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, basil or a ready-made spice mix – simply sprinkle over the potatoes and bake until golden.

Garlic potatoes: To make garlic potatoes, you can use fresh garlic or garlic powder made from dried garlic. If you use the fresh one, you can add it to the baking tray in whole cloves or cut a bulb in half and roast it in the oven. Once the baked potatoes are cooked, you can squeeze the cloves out of the tuber to serve. You can also chop the garlic or crush it into a paste and mix it into the marinade. Depending on how much garlic you (or your environment) can tolerate.

Parmesan potatoes: Do you want super crispy baked potatoes? Then sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese before putting them in the oven. The cheese melts and then becomes really crispy and crunchy – we love it!

Harissa or chili potatoes: Do you like it spicy? Then refine your baked potatoes with harissa, chili or chili flakes. You can simply smear the harissa paste directly onto the potato halves, while you can mix the chili powder into the marinade.

Baked potatoes with herb butter: Either melt the herb butter, toss the potato wedges in it and place them on a baking tray in the oven or make them according to my basic recipe and place a small piece on top of the hot potatoes to serve. You can also use normal butter or homemade za’atar butter.

Oh, there are just so many great spices and herbs that you can sprinkle over baked potatoes! Let your creativity run wild and simply try out all the spices.

Which side dish goes well with potatoes from the oven?

There are so many great recipes for dips on this food blog that I can’t really decide which one to recommend. First of all, I’ll mention the classic: tzatziki. The creamy garlic dip is simply excellent. You can’t go wrong with Matbucha, the Levantine tomato salsa. And if you like it spicy, try Zhug, a hot chili-coriander sauce.

Of course, dips such as herb quark or yogurt-mint dip also go well with the roast potatoes. But if you don’t want a dip, but another side dish, then make yourself grilled or roasted lamb chops, green shakshuka or juicy lemon chicken from the tray – you can then put it straight into the hot oven with the potatoes.

Are golden baked potatoes healthy?

Potatoes consist of 2/3 water and are therefore relatively low in calories. They are also good sources of vitamin C and minerals such as potassium. The protein content is relatively low, but the protein in potatoes is better tolerated by the human body than animal protein because it is easier to metabolize. And the carbohydrates in tubers can only be digested slowly, which is why they keep you full for a long time.

As soon as you combine the potatoes with fat, the calories naturally increase. However, as nothing is fried in this golden baked potato recipe, just brushed with a little olive oil, it still passes as healthy. And it’s gluten-free and vegan – the perfect dish for when company comes over.

How long do golden baked potatoes keep?

Did you make too many portions of the baked potatoes? Once they have cooled down, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for approx. 2 days.

If you want to reheat the baked potatoes, you can simply put them back in the oven or fry them briefly in a pan with a little oil.

Can you freeze golden baked potatoes?

I’m not a fan of heating or freezing potatoes, but it is possible. French fries are also pre-fried and then frozen.

Give it a try and let me know in the comments if they still taste good. Potatoes consist of a lot of water, which is why they often crack when defrosted. I once froze a stew with potatoes and I didn’t like it at all (it was a disgusting mess!). Fresh is always best!

This recipe for crispy and golden baked potatoes really doesn’t take much work and can be easily pimped with various toppings.

Scrub the tray, heat up the oven and roast the potatoes! I hope you enjoy it and, of course, bon appétit.

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Recipe for crispy and golden baked potatoes

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Fancy more potato recipes? Then try the smashed potatoes or the spicy potato wedges with dukkah.