Raise your hand if your potatoes are never crispy enough, and always take too long to cook.
I think we’ve all been there!
They sound easy to make, and everybody and their mother on the internet says, “These will be done in just 30 minutes!”
But every time you make them, you’re almost an hour in, hungry as a beast, and they are just coming out of the oven.
And even when they’re done, there’s still something wrong with them!
If you turn up the heat too much, your spuds brown before they’re cooked through completely. And if you roast them longer at a lower heat, they take forever to get to that crispy-edged-browned-sides stage. And by that time, the insides lose so much moisture that they become too dry.
Oh yeah, and all the other food that you prepared for your dinner is cold already.
It’s happened to me. So. Many. Times.
My husband AJ and I like to have potatoes for breakfast, as well. Just a few minutes after waking up, I’m usually famished enough to eat them totally raw, which means that waiting an hour for cooked ones isn’t usually an option.
Hungry and frustrated, we started experimenting.
After lots of trial and error, we finally discovered our favorite method. The trick to making amazing potatoes that don’t take forever to cook is using the least-sexy appliance in the kitchen:
The microwave!
I know. I’m posting a microwave recipe on this site. Stick with me here.
The microwave is amazing, because it cooks them all the way through without browning them at all. Then, you put them under the broiler for 10-15 minutes to take care of getting them roasted and crispy.
The length of time this takes will vary by oven – if your broiler is hotter, you’ll need to toss them more often and cook for less time. If your broiler is cooler, you’ll need to cook them longer. The power of your microwave comes into play as well, as wattages can vary.
The #1 important rule here is to check them frequently, and never leave the kitchen!
The result is a perfectly cooked, tender spud with crispy corners and browned sides – ready in just 35 minutes. And, like, that’s a real 35 minutes, not the shenanigans you’ll find elsewhere on the internet making false promises about all these things.
And what you’ll love even more is that these bad boys are tossed in a sweet and savory sauce made with maple syrup, mustard, and spices like cayenne pepper, paprika, and Italian herbs. I like to serve mine with a side of aioli made with homemade vegan mayo for a creamy dipping sauce.
So… potatoes + microwave + broiler = roasted bliss!
Print
Quick and Crispy Roasted Potatoes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3 large servings 1x
Description
Foodal has the best method to cook quick and crispy roasted potatoes. With our easy recipe, enjoy this favorite side dish any day.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds red potatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/8–1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks with a sharp knife and cutting board. Place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 12-15 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes or so, until the chunks can be pierced easily with a fork, but not falling apart.
- While the potatoes are in the microwave, preheat your broiler. Place an oven rack on the second position below the broiler – not the top position.
- Whisk together all the remaining ingredients (from the olive oil to the sea salt) in a separate small bowl to make the sauce. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the tender potatoes and the sauce, and toss to coat.
- Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, parchment paper, or a Silpat pan liner. I think aluminum is best for browning. Broil until brown and crispy, tossing often. Keep your eye on them as they cook so they don’t burn! Serve warm.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Keywords: vegetarian, potato, mustard, maple syrup
The Microwave – Not Just for Heating Cold Leftovers
I have a newfound respect for this humble appliance, now that I know its amazing potential to cook the best spuds.
Aren’t they just beautiful? That plate in my photos is honestly what I had for dinner the night I made these. Nothing else, just these quick-roasted spuds served in their sweet-and-savory sauce of maple syrup and mustard.
With this recipe, I’m no longer hungry and frustrated. I’ve found happiness. I’ve found fulfillment.
And I welcome you to join me in this feeling, when you need to make your next side dish!
Looking for more taters? You can also try Foodal’s recipe for cast iron roasted new potatoes. Rather than microwave, you par-boil them before roasting in a cast iron skillet – another brilliant technique!
Or these potato recipes are also brilliant:
- Quick and Easy Smashed
- Roasted Rosemary Reds
- Kale Mashed
- Potato Tian
- Lemon Baby Potatoes
- Garlic Parsley Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Butter Pecan Sweet Potatoes
Well, what do you think of this microwavable method? Do you have any failsafe techniques to cook your spuds? Comment below, and be sure to rate my recipe, while you’re at it!
Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on April 29, 2016. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone. Last updated: February 2, 2022 at 13:37 pm.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Raquel Smith
Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).
You are speaking my microwave loving language and I can’t believe it but I actually made a last minute plan to roast potatoes as a side TONIGHT! Now that I have seen your recipe I will totally be doing this!! ? cheers to easy real people American recipes haha?
Yay! I hope you like them! Also, thanks so much for trying the Chipotle Aioli. You are the best!!
I just don’t own a microwave oven,but thanks for the recipe .
Hi Johanna, I made a note in the recipe for making these in the oven. They’ll still turn out great, they just take longer to cook. I hope you like them!
Our family gave up the microwave for more than 10 years. Then 6 months ago I got one for my birthday, I don’t cook the bad foods (bagel bites etc.)and it made life SOOO much easier. My advice : get one – and don’t feel guilty!!!!!
I had to do without a microwave when my first one broke down because my husband believed all the guff about them being cancer producing, and I missed it so much. Now I have two, unfortunately both very small. There are some things a microwave does better than anything else. I even use it to defrost and freshen slices of bread for our lunchtime sandwiches. What other appliance can do that? To freshen bread in the oven you need the loaf to be whole.
Great post. The roasted potatoes are always crispy and tasty. It’s a simple and perfect dish that is easily available at any restaurant. Thanks.
I made this, but my potatoes were nowhere as brown and crisp as yours! Is it because I washed them before microwaving and roasting them? Should I be starting off with potatoes which are completely dry?
where does the olive oil come into the recipe?
The olive oil should be added with the rest of the ingredients to make the sauce. Thanks for catching our mistake! This recipe has been updated.
Thank you for this recipe – the family loved it! Best roast potatoes I ever made. I also use the microwave for a fast baked potato. Simply wash, prick the skin with a fork, and microwave for 3-5 minutes depending on the potato size. Perfect everytime.
★★★★★
When I’m preparing breakfast and want home fries, I always cook them in the microwave before I fry them with onions. They get crispy and it speeds up the cooking time. Been doing this for years.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to try it. Do the potatoes in the microwave need to be covered or is it okay to put them in uncovered?
★★★★★
As a general rule, I cover everything that I put in the microwave, to keep it clean. But accidental splatters aren’t likely with chopped potatoes – the choice here is up to you, and microwaving uncovered may help them to lose moisture more quickly. Enjoy!
Thanks for this tip…just spent an hour and half checking and re-cooking my chopped potatoes in the convection oven….I knew there had to be a better way to get these in my face faster! ????
Great, quick potato recipe
★★★★★
Can you make these in a convection microwave? I just got one and still trying to figure out how it how to use it!
Very tasty! The microwave is a great time-saver for reducing overall bake time for both potatoes and sweet potatoes.
★★★★
Used this method last night and appreciate the easiness.
Not sure if I missed it but I can’t see a heat recommendation for the oven – I just winged it and had mine on 220’C and it worked great to have them in for the 10 mins to crisp up.
Thanks heaps for posting this up, saved me a lot of time with a two year old toddler running around my feet haha.
Thanks again 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the time savings, Emily! Most broilers in the US do not have a specific temperature setting, though some do provide the choice between “high” and “low.” Broilers usually range from about 500 to 550°F, and 220°C is about 430°F.
Will this recipe work well with russet potatoes?
Most varieties of red potatoes that you’ll find at the grocery store have waxy, moist flesh and thin skins, while russets have starchy, dry flesh and thicker skins. A yellow or golden option would also work here, but russets aren’t your best option for this recipe.
Came out delicious and just right. I adjusted to make one serving as I only had one potato. 5 minutes in microwave peeled and uncovered. 5 minutes in broiler. Yum ????!!!
★★★★★
My wife does the laundry and the cleaning. I do all of the cooking and it’s something that I really enjoy. She never asks me what I’m making, because she trusts that she’s going to enjoy. With this recipe, I didn’t disappoint. I followed the recipe completely and it turned out better than I could have imagined. With the potatoes, I made shredded BBQ chicken in the slow cooker, and frozen whole kernel corn, steamed. I had also made cornmeal muffins. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us. It’s a real keeper. Much appreciated!!!
★★★★★