It’s hard to find a food that is as universally loved as the potato. The root vegetable appears in many traditional dishes across cultures—from Indian curry to Belgian frites to the American fried favorite hash browns. But in the UK, one of the most popular ways to consume the world’s favorite vegetable is, without doubt, in a Sunday roast.
jump to the recipes
According to one survey from the UK-based luxury holiday company Gorgeous Cottages, which was conducted in 2021, half of Brits eat a Sunday roast every week, while more than 85 percent enjoy the traditional meal every month. Alongside gravy, roasted vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, and some form of protein (nut roast is a popular plant-based option), roasted potatoes are a must. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, they bring a delicious combination of textures to the hearty dish—especially when they’re covered in rich, thick gravy.
But roasted potatoes can be enjoyed in many different dishes. And thanks to TikTok, they’re becoming more popular than ever. The social media app’s viral crispy smashed potato recipes, for example, are simply roasted potatoes that have been, well, smashed.
Roasted potatoes are versatile, easy to cook, and delicious. They’re perfect in a British Sunday roast, sure, but as the recipes below demonstrate, they’re also tasty in everything from breakfast skillets to curry. But roasted potatoes are not just great-tasting, they also boast some serious nutritional benefits.
Unsplash
RELATED: 15 Vegan Ways to Cook Butternut Squash
Are roasted potatoes healthy?
Potatoes don’t count as one of your five a day, but that’s not because they’re not nutritious. It’s because they’re high in starch and are instead classified as a portion of starchy food, like pasta or rice. Potatoes are a good source of fiber, which helps to support digestive health and carbohydrates, which we need for energy, as well as essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and potassium (they actually contain more potassium than bananas).
Roasted potatoes have all of these benefits, but the oil they’re cooked in isn’t always as healthy. Some choose to cook roasted potatoes in goose fat, for example, which contains around 3.5 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, while others opt for beef tallow, which contains around six grams of saturated fat per tablespoon. The CDC recommends limiting intake of foods high in saturated fat, as eating too much can cause LDL cholesterol levels to rise. High LDL cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide.
The same amount of olive oil, on the other hand, which is also often used to cook roasted potatoes, contains just under two grams of saturated fat per tablespoon. Rapeseed oil is also a healthier alternative, as it has the lowest saturated fat content of all cooking oils.
Nutritionist Jess Hillard told Express that alongside cutting the potatoes into larger chunks, which means they absorb less oil, opting for rapeseed oil is one of the best ways to make your roasted potatoes healthier. “Rapeseed oil is best, especially instead of goose fat which is common for roasties,” she said. “Rapeseed oil has a high smoke point so is great for roasting and is lower in saturated fat than goose fat.”
Unsplash
Should you boil potatoes before roasting?
Pre-boiling your potatoes isn’t essential for making roasted potatoes, but it does improve the texture. “A thorough boil should make a soft enough exterior and a fluffy interior,” writes self-professed “potato queen” and Michelin-trained chef Poppy O’Toole for the BBC.
“I was always taught, if it comes from the ground, boil it from cold,” she explains. “If you were to throw them straight into boiling water, your potatoes start to cook on the outside faster than the inside and no one wants uneven tatties.”
She adds that you should season the water with salt, which helps to add flavor to the inside of the potato, and use the “fall off the knife test” to check when they’re ready for the oven.
“The knife test is just prodding a potato with a table knife and lifting the potato out of the water,” she adds. “If the potato is still connected to the knife, they’re not ready yet. If the potato falls off the knife, you’re good to move on to the next step!” After that, they’re ready for roasting.
Roasted potato recipes
For more tips on how to make the perfect roasted potatoes, and the best dishes to use them in, find some of our favorite recipes below.
Bosh!
1 Perfectly Crisp Roast Potatoes
According to Bosh!, these roast potatoes might just be “the best roast potatoes in the world.” They are perfectly crispy on the outside and deliciously fluffy on the inside, making them the ideal addition to a Sunday roast or any other dish you want to eat them with. One of the most important steps, according to the recipe blog, is adding salt and baking powder to the boiling water, as it helps to make the “potatoes super crispy.”Get the recipe
2 Vegan Greek Lemony Roasted Potatoes
These tasty roasted potatoes are bursting with fresh, tangy, zesty flavor, thanks to the flavor-packed dressing made with a combination of sweet mustard, agave nectar, and fresh lemon. Garnish with parsley and black pepper, before serving with your favorite vegan protein (maybe these meaty vegan bangers?) and vegetables.Get the recipe
3 Smoky Vegan Tempeh, Mushroom, and Roasted Potato Breakfast Skillet
Roasted potatoes, bell peppers, and zucchini bring delicious texture and flavor to this hearty breakfast skillet from the Plant-Based Cooking Made Easy cookbook. Smoky vegan tempeh gives a pop of protein, while mushrooms offer a tasty burst of umami. It’s delicious on its own or served over buttery bread and avocado.Get the recipe
Frugal Vegan
4 Roasted Potato Zucchini Pizza
Potatoes might not be the first pizza topping that comes to mind, but after you’ve tried this recipe, you’ll be sold on the idea. The cheese-free dish gets all of its flavor and texture from crispy dough, thinly sliced roasted potatoes, zucchini, and fresh arugula.Get the recipe
5 Vegan Beans Marbella With Salty Roasted Potatoes
Marbella is usually made with chicken, but this tasty plant-based version of the dish swaps out the meat for nutrient-dense beans, instead. Made with salty roasted potatoes, red wine, prunes, and olives, it’s a great Mediterranean-inspired dish to whip up next time you want to impress your loved ones.Get the recipe
Rabbits and Wolves
6 Vegan Middle Eastern-Inspired Roasted Potatoes
If you prefer the flavors of the Middle East, you’ll adore this recipe from Rabbit and Wolves, which combines shawarma spices with roasted potatoes, a bed of creamy hummus, and a dollop of refreshing herby yogurt. “This is a simple side dish or crumble a bit of tofu, soyrizo, or chickpeas on top and have a whole incredible meal,” says recipe developer Lauren Boehme.Get the recipe
Thinly Spread
7 Easy Vegan Roast Potato Curry
This curry recipe has everything: delicious crispy, fluffy roast potatoes, a blend of aromatic spices, and a hearty, creamy sauce. It’s the ultimate winter warmer. “This super easy roast potato curry is my ultimate comfort food and I could make it with my eyes closed,” writes recipe developer Chris Mosier. “I love that it’s easy to make, that it doesn’t contain an endless list of spices, and that all my family will eat it!”Get the recipe
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the plant-based lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include shopping links where we might earn a small commission, but in no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.
