These Crispy Roast Potatoes are made with a special method that doesn’t require oil, and makes for potatoes that are golden brown and crispy!

Roasted Potato Chunks On Sheet Pan with Salt and Pepper

The crispiness of these potatoes just boggles my mind.  This recipe uses absolutely no oil, no butter, no lard, no shortening, no fat whatsoever.  It is crispy completely from the way that it is cooked.  The interior of the potato is fluffy and soft, and the outside has a robust crunch to it.

Don’t expect the same kind of crunch as true double deep-fried french fries, but these potatoes are equally as addictive. My husband and I can go through a whole sheet pan of these things in one sitting, and we do…that’s why I make four pounds at a time.

I discovered the crispiness sort of by accident two years ago. I had seen a recipe for crispy potatoes from Nigella Lawson, and they looked so good…but the recipe called for two 11-ounce jars of goose fat for 5 lbs of potatoes!! I was afraid of fat at the time, so I tried making them in a similar way, but without the fat. And they crisped nicely! 

Part of the crispy potato magic comes from a little bit of flour, and the other part of the magic comes from the way these are cooked.

Start by peeling the potatoes:

Peeling Russet Potatoes on a Cutting Board

Parboil the potatoes, then shake them up with flour, to mar up the edges a bit:

Parboiled Potato Chunks Shaken in a Big Pot with Flour

This changes the shape of the potato pieces, makes the edges lighter, and coats the edges with the flour.

Spread them out on a sheet pan, and bake!

Potato Chunks Spread On A Sheet Pan and Seasoned with Salt and Pepper

This time in the hot oven is when they develop their crisp brown edges.

Fat Free Crispy Potatoes on Metal Sheet Pan

Once you’ve tried this recipe, don’t be shy about getting creative with the seasoning. In addition to salt and pepper, you could do garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, chili powder, and all sorts of stuff that strikes your fancy. Have fun with it!

a closeup of the crispy edge of a fat free potato

Fat Free Crispy Potatoes on Metal Sheet Pan

No Oil No Fat Crispy Roast Potatoes

These Crispy Roast Potatoes are made with a special method that doesn't require oil, and makes for potatoes that are golden brown and crispy!
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Ingredients

  • 4 pounds russet potatoes
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  • Peel the skin off the potatoes, placing the potatoes in cool water after peeling so they don’t discolor.
  • Once the potatoes are peeled, cut them into evenly sized small pieces an inch or two big (either is fine, cut to your preference). Place the potato pieces in a pot, fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes, and salt the water like you would a pasta water (it should taste as salty as ocean water). This will help season the potatoes on the inside.
  • Bring the water to a boil on high heat (you always cook potatoes starting with cold water in order to ensure evenly cooked pieces. If you start the potatoes in boiling water, the outside will be overcooked by the time the inside is done). Once the water is boiling, cook for an additional 4 minutes. Drain the potatoes, return the pieces to the pot (don’t put the pot back on the heat), and sprinkle over the flour. Put the lid back on the pan, and shake it up. You are marring the edges, which will facilitate the crunchiness of the potatoes later on.
  • Dump the potatoes onto a sheet pan and make sure they are in a single layer (don’t crowd the potatoes, or the edges won’t get crispy). Give it a good sprinkling of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and they are ready to go into the oven. Roast for 30-45 minutes, but watch them carefully because roasting time can vary depending on the size of the potato pieces. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 6g, Sodium: 711mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 2g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.